Xiaomi Smart Phones Compared: Redmi 1s vs Redmi Note vs Mi 3

UPDATE: Check out our latest comparison with the newly announced Mi 4.

With the Redmi 1S and Redmi Note coming to Malaysia, you might be wondering how does it stack up in the Xiaomi range of smart phones. The Xiaomi Mi 3 which was first introduced in Malaysia is still their high-spec flagship model with a 5″ Full HD display and a top rated 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor. Meanwhile the Redmi series is an affordable alternative that not only is low in price but it also supports Dual-SIM cards which is getting quite popular lately.

For better reference, we’ve compared the hardware specs and dimensions of the 3 Xiaomi smart phones after the break.

UPDATE: Xiaomi Smart Phone current pricing – Redmi 1S (RM419), Redmi Note (RM509) and Mi 3 (RM769)

The Redmi 1S that’s coming to Malaysia is different from the one that was launched in Singapore. The Redmi 1S is better as it gets a proven 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, larger 8GB of on-board storage and it can expand up to 64GB with microSD, instead of just 32GB on the MediaTek variant. On the software side, the Redmi 1S has an edge too as it runs on a newer Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

If you add little bit more money, the Redmi Note offers a larger 5.5″ display, an Octa-Core processor and a larger 3,200mAh capacity battery which puts it almost on par with the Galaxy Note 3 Neo. Despite its bigger size, the Redmi Note is thinner at 9.45mm but weighs a much heavier 199 grams.

Undoubtedly, the Mi 3 is still the leader of a pack with a slimmer exterior packing high-end internals. The price difference between each models is pretty close with about RM100-200 difference. Perhaps the deal breaker is whether you need Dual-SIM or Single SIM as the Mi 3 only comes with a single SIM slot. Another major difference is that the Redmi series comes with a microSD slot which is lacking on the Mi 3. If you noticed, all 3 models are still using the full sized mini-SIM cards but Xiaomi will be providing a micro-SIM card adapter so that you can get started right away.

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