Xiaomi smartphones get attractive discounts on Paytm
Xiaomi smartphones get attractive discounts on PaytmXiaomi China (Screen-shot)

Last month, Xiaomi, while officially confirming the launch Redmi Note 3 in India, kicked off a contest for fans.

In the contest, 100 lucky Xiaomi fans stood a chance to get their hands first on the much awaited phone and perform some fun tasks before the official launch.

Read more: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 coming to India; company kicks-off explorer contest 

The company, on 8 February, confirmed that it had begun the delivery process of the Redmi Note 3 to the contest winners across India, hinting Xiaomi may soon announce the price and release details of the feature-rich phablet.

"Delivery of special packages is already underway and the adventure is coming soon as more ‪#‎RedmiNote3 Explorers hop on board officially. Can't wait to see the outcome from the assigned missions, Redmi Note 3 Explorers will bring all Mi fans on a fun, out of this world ride together!‪#‎MiGeneration," reads the post on the official Xiaomi India Facebook wall.

The reactions from the fans on Xiaomi Facebook page seem to suggest they are a bit tired of the long wait. Some people asked Xiaomi India (by posting on the comments section) to reveal the launch and price details of the Redmi Note 3. To that, the company representatives came up with witty replies and asked them to be a little patient and promised to disclose all the details soon.

Previous rumours had indicated that Xiaomi might launch the Redmi Note 3 around March, but now, it looks like the phone may set foot in India earlier than anticipated, probably by this month end.

For the uninitiated, Redmi Note 3 bound for India will have different SoC (System on Chip). It is an advanced version of the original model unveiled in China in December 2015.

The key difference between the two is the former boasts a next-gen 64-bit class Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 Hexa-core processor and a 16MP primary camera, whereas the latter houses a MediaTek Helio X10 CPU and a 13MP snapper on the back. The rest of the specifications are the same.

Read more on Why Redmi Note 3 (with MediaTek CPU) banned in India

The new Redmi Note 3 is expected to cost anywhere between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000, so that the device will give stiff competition to popular LeEco Le 1S, Moto G (3rd Gen) and Lenovo K4 Note, which fall in the same price range.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Key specifications of Redmi Note 3 (New) and Redmi Note 3 (Original):

Models Redmi Note 3 (New) Redmi Note 3 (Original)
Display 5.5-inch full HD (1920 x1080p) screen
  • Pixel density: 403 ppi (pixels per inch)
 5.5-inch full HD (1920 x1080p) screen
  • Pixel density: 403 ppi (pixels per inch)
OS Android 5.1 Lollipop based MIUI 7.0 Android 5.1 Lollipop based MIUI 7.0
Processor 64-bit class Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 Hexa-core (ARM Cortex A72 dual-core + ARM Cortex A53 quad-core) 64-bit class MediaTek (MT6795) Helio X10 Octa-core (Cortex A53) CPU
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 510 GPU PowerVR G6200
RAM 2GB/3GB dual channel LPDDR3 2GB/3GB dual channel LPDDR3
Storage 16GB (with 2GB RAM)/32GB (with 3GB RAM) 16GB (with 2GB RAM)/32GB (with 3GB RAM)
Camera
  • Main: 16.0-megapixel camera with PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) function, dual-tone LED flash, HDR, face/smile detection
  • Front: 5.0-megapixel camera with 36 smart beauty profiles
  • Main: 13.0-megapixel camera with PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) function, dual-tone LED flash, HDR, face/smile detection
  • Front: 5.0-megapixel camera with 36 smart beauty profiles
Battery 4000 mAh
  • Standby mode: up to 264 hours (3G)
 4000 mAh
  • Standby mode: up to 264 hours (3G)
Network 4G-LTE 4G-LTE
Add-ons Metal-body, finger-print sensor, dual-SIM slots (type: micro), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth, GPRS, A-GPS, FM Radio, micro-USB, USB OTG Metal-body, finger-print sensor, dual-SIM slots (type: micro), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth, GPRS, A-GPS, FM Radio, micro-USB, USB OTG
Dimensions 150 x 76.0 x 8.65mm 150.0 × 76.0 × 8.7 mm
Weight 164 g 164 g