Chinese smartphone major Xiaomi has teased a graphic poster, hinting a new device launch in India this week.
The company's official social webpages (both Twitter and Facebook) have displayed a blurred Diwali greeting picture, with the date 8 October having a hidden message and a tag - "Tomorrow! Share?", hinting a new device launch might take place on Tuesday.
In the poster, we can cipher only the traditional Indian diya (mud-based oil lamp), while the message has been strategically faded to keep the suspense alive till the 8 October announcement. Many believe the company is more likely to launch the feature-rich Redmi Note first and then Xiaomi Mi4 later, possibly in a couple of months' time.
Even company head (global operations) Hugo Barra in August had confirmed Redmi 1S and Redmi Note will be made available before the Diwali holiday, and now the former Xiaomi device has already been on sale for the last one month. Now, the stage seems to set for the arrival of the latter model in India.
As far as Xiaomi Mi4 release date is concerned, the 2014 flagship model is still awaiting regulatory approval. The company is making arrangements to make Xiaomi Mi4 pass certifications, since the phone's hardware and antenna calibrations have to be adjusted, to make it compatible with India's network specifications.
So, in all probability, one can expect Xiaomi to announce the Redmi Note availability details on 8 October in India. And there is also an outside possibility that the company might also reveal the launch details of Xiaomi Mi4 as well.
[UPDATE]
It looks like Xiaomi is not annoucing any new device (Redmi Note/Xiaomi Mi3) release details today as many would have anticipated. Instead the company has invited fans to share Xiaomi Diwali poster and participate in the new promotional campaign- 'Share the Light' and stand a chance to win free Redmi 1S smartphone and other exciting prizes, probably accessories like power bank, covers, in-ear head gears etc..
Key specifications of Xiaomi Mi4, Redmi Note:
| Models | Xiaomi Mi4 | Xiaomi Redmi Note |
| Display | 5.0-inch full HD (1920x1080p) screen with Sharp / JDI OGS (One Glass Solution) full laminationPixel density : 441 ppi (pixels per inch) | 5.5-inch HD (1280x720p) IPS LCD screenPixel density: close to 267 |
| OS | Android v4.4 KitKat with MIUI | Android v4.2 Jelly Bean with custom UI |
| Processor | 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 series quad-core CPU | MediaTek Octa-core processor with either 1.4GHz or 1.7GHz CPU speed |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Mali-450MP4 |
| RAM | 3GB LP-DDR3 | 1GB/2GB |
| Storage capacity | 16GB/64GB | 8GB, expandable up to 32GB |
| Camera | Main: 13.0-megapixel Sony IMX214 camera with 6 element lens, f1.8 aperture, real-time HDR, 4K video recording, CMOS sensor, 0.3-second auto-focus featureFront: 8.0-megapixel Sony (IMX219) 80-degree wide-angle camera with 5 element lens, f1.8 aperture | Main: 13.0-megapixel camera with auto-focus, LED flash, HDRFront: 5.0-megapixel camera |
| Battery | 3080 mAh (Li-Ion Polymer) | 3100 mAh (Li-Polymer); |
| Network | 3G & 4G LTE, | 2G & 3G |
| Add-ons | water-repellent nano-coating, IR-blaster, stainless steel frame, Wi-Fi (802.11 ac; dual-band: 2.4/5.0 GHz), Bluetooth v4.0, Bluetooth HID, and other standard connectivity features | Dual-SIM slots, Bluetooth v4.0 (with LE, A2DP), micro-USB v2.0 (OTG), GPRS/EDGE, microSD card slot, |
| Dimensions | 139.2 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm | 154.0 x 78.7 x 9.5 mm |
| Weight | 149 g | 199 g |
| Price | 16GB model: ¥1,999RMB (around $322/€239/₹19,400)32GB model: ¥2,499 RMB (around $400/€300/₹24,300) | ₹9,999/- |
