UPDATE: Xiaomi will be releasing the TDD-LTE version on 12th August while the FDD-LTE version will be introduced later on 26th August in China. They have also updated that it is 10g lighter (189g) and it runs on Android 4.4 with MIUI version 5.
As teased yesterday, Xiaomi has introduced its new Redmi Note with 4G capability which promises to be faster and lighter than before. Now the covers are off and it looks and priced (999 Yuan) exactly the same as the current Redmi Note that’s currently sold in Malaysia at RM509.
The difference lies on the inside and instead of a Octa-Core 1.7GHz processor from MediaTek, the Redmi Note 4G runs on a Quad-Core 1.6GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 2GB of RAM. The processor on the Redmi Note 4G is a newer Qualcomm MSM8928 chipset with 4G LTE radios as compared to the Redmi 1S‘s Qualcomm MSM8228.
The on-board storage is the same at 8GB but since it runs on Qualcomm, the expandable microSD slot supports up to 64GB capacity. Strangely, the operating system is listed with an older Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with MIUI Version 5.0. This could be a typo as an earlier leak has shown a unit with Android 4.4.2 KitKat running on-board. Another difference is that the Redmi Note 4G is a single SIM device, so if you need dual-SIM slots, you are better off with the current Redmi Note 3G model.
The rest of the specs are identical with a 13MP f/2.2 main camera, 5MP front facing shooter and a 3,200mAh capacity battery. It is the same story as well for the screen with a 5.5″ display that does HD 720p resolution. No change with the dimensions at 9.45mm thickness the weight of the new Redmi Note 4G isn’t listed on the spec sheet just yet but it is lighter by 10 grams. As comparison, the current Redmi Note in High-Spec variant weighs 199 grams.
Before you get too excited, the Redmi Note 4G like its latest Mi 4 smart phone only supports TDD-LTE at 1900/2300/2600MHz bands. For most international markets including Malaysia, we are utilising FDD-LTE. Since the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8928 processor on the Redmi Note 4G is identical with the Oppo N1 mini, we reckon it shouldn’t take too long for Xiaomi to release a new variant for the rest of the world.
UPDATE: Xiaomi has updated that the FDD-LTE version will be released on 26th August, which is compatible with our local 4G LTE networks.
For more information, head over to Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 4G product page.
