By the numbers: Xiaomi Mi 3 compared with last year’s flagship smart phones

UPDATE: The Mi 3 is now priced at RM769. RM120 less than before.

The Xiaomi Mi 3 which goes on sale on 20th May is steal at just RM889. Unlike the current flagship smart phones that runs on the latest Snapdragon 801 processors, the Mi 3 settles for a tested and proven Snapdragon 800 processor that powers most smart phones before MWC 2014. Despite the processor difference, the Xiaomi Mi 3 is a stellar performer on AnTuTu which is said to score even higher than a Galaxy S5. This is attributed to its clean and mean MIUI operating system which we feel is definitely better than stock Android any day.

So if you’re in the market for a high-end smart phone and you don’t want to fork out more than RM2,000 for the latest, we’ve compared last year’s flagships such as the Nexus 5, LG G2, HTC One, Xperia Z1, Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 against the Xiaomi Mi 3. Processor wise, the Mi 3 is on par or better than the rest as it uses a newer Snapdragon 800 MSM8274AB processor with 2GB RAM. In terms of display, the Mi 3 is on par with a 5.0″ Full HD display which pushes a high 440ppi (pixels per inch) for greater clarity.

In terms of dimensions, the Mi 3 is just 8.1mm thick which is the second thinnest here and it only loses to the Galaxy S4 (7.9mm). This is impressive considering it packs a large 3,050mAh battery which is 2nd largest battery capacity on the list. The only downside is the lack of microSD slot which is similar to the HTC One, Nexus 5 and LG G2.

Pricing plays a big deciding factor in this comparison. While these flagship models featured here are about 6 months to 1 year old, the prices are still hovering around RM1,300-RM1,900 range. That’s still a far cry from the RM889 retail price the Mi 3 is carrying. So looks like the winner is pretty clear here. If you want to secure a unit, 20th May is the day that you need to log on to mi.com/my to place your order. The exact time hasn’t been revealed yet so be sure to check their Facebook page for updates.