Xiaomi Seeks to Impress in Premium Space With 5.7-inch 'Mi Note 2' Phone

Tuesday October 25, 2016 4:13 AM PDT by Tim Hardwick
Xiaomi unveiled its latest phablet phone, the Mi Note 2, at an event in Beijing today, with the clear intention of filling the void left by the ill-fated Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

The Note 2 is the newest model in Xiaomi's premium Mi line and features a 5.7-inch flexible OLED display that sits under a panel of wraparound glass and curves around the sides of the handset.

Xiaomi Note 2
On the rear is a 22.56-megapixel camera with support for 4K video, backed up by a dedicated 3-axis gyroscope to enhance image stabilization. An 8-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture features on the front.

The Note 2 is powered by a 2.35GHz Snapdragon 821 processor and comes with up to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage capacity. There's also a 4,070mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support, plus cellular support for 37 bands worldwide.

The Mi Note 2 starts at 2799 yuan ($413) for 64GB storage/4GB RAM, going up to 3499 yuan ($516) with 128GB storage/6GB RAM, and will be available in China first before hitting other Asian markets and presumably other parts of the world.


Xiaomi's focus on its premium range of phones comes on the back of a shift in consumer interest away from discount devices in the Chinese smartphone market, with buyers seeking out high end phones that can go toe to toe with models from the likes of Apple and Samsung instead.

Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo are three Chinese brands that all offer premium phones now costing over $300, leaving Xiaomi's inexpensive Redmi handsets looking less attractive to savvy buyers with more disposable income.

Tags: China, Xiaomi
40 comments

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gabriel193755
42 months ago
When Xiaomi stops copying Apple and starts copying Samsung you know something is wrong with Apple's design.
Rating: 16 Votes
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CarlJ
42 months ago

Don't get me started on iOS it borders on being unmanly not sure what target group they have in mind but it would appear metrosexuals guess thats what you get for putting TC in charge.

If your gender identity is teetering on the precipice so much that you fear the perceived masculinity of an inanimate object like your smartphone as a threat, perhaps you have bigger issues than the choice of which smartphone to use.
Rating: 11 Votes
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840quadra
42 months ago

There's no (sane) justification whatsoever to buy an iPhone 7 at this point. I was at the mall this weekend
and I dropped by the local Apple store, and boy iPhone 7 (aka Giant Bezel Phone) is such a massive let down. The matte black version looks like half assed toy phone and the glossy ones were full scratches what sort of idiot shells out a grand for cheap crap like this is totally beyond me. If you need to go premium get a Pixel XL, otherwise Xaomi seems a fine choice. Don't get me started on iOS it borders on being unmanly not sure what target group they have in mind but it would appear metrosexuals guess thats what you get for putting TC in charge. Whats with the HUGE icons anyway it looks totally retarded. Every September I fire up Steve legendary iPhone presentation from 2007 only to be totally disappointed. Apple is dead dead dead its a bloody shame.


Have you seen both the phones? You rip on the iPhone due to it's bezel, yet, you advise people to buy the Pixel XL which.. well..



Rating: 10 Votes
Avatar
keysofanxiety
42 months ago

There's no (sane) justification whatsoever to buy an iPhone 7 at this point.


Support. Reliability. Quality. Water-resistant. Hardware/software performance. Longevity. Resell value.

I'd say there's no (sane) justification to pick a different phone over all that, just because its bezels are a little smaller.
Rating: 10 Votes
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keysofanxiety
42 months ago
"Premium". 1:51 should tell you everything you need to know about these phones.

[MEDIA=youtube]d2jav7UdQtE[/MEDIA]

Snapdragon and snap casing. Utter junk.
Rating: 8 Votes
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morcutt11
42 months ago

Support: As long as it's in warranty.
Quality: As long as you don't mind if it bends or the touch screen rots away.
Water-resistant: As long as you can give up plugging normal things in.
Hardware/Software Performance: As long as you don't update the OS.
Longevity: As long as you have short term memory.
Resale Value: As long as you sell your device before you activate it.

I think the post you are replying to is saying there is no point if you already have a phone. As someone with an iPhone 6+ who hates his phone I still agree. I want out of this thing, but I'm frustrated that I have to pay for almost the exact same device to stop the suffering. I would have hoped that Apple would have admired it made defective products and replaced it proactively.

None of your support, quality, water-resistant, etc. points are applicable to the iPhone. If you're so frustrated with Apple hardware, you may want to look at a different smartphone manufacturer. Why would you pay to move to the iPhone 7 if you perceive it to be the same as the 6+, which you hate? HTC, Google, Samsung, etc. all make great phones (well, except for that Note 7 issue, but that's off the market now).
Rating: 5 Votes
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Even Longer
42 months ago
Well, the name speaks for itself: Xiaomi "Me-too Note". ;)
Rating: 4 Votes
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rjohnstone
42 months ago
Put the Note 7 side by side with the Mi Note 2 and it's obvious they bought up Samsung's displays and housing.
The frame shape, front and back glass curves are identical to the Note 7.
Holes are in different locations, but anyone can modify an aluminum frame blank. Minor change to the CNC program that mills them.


Rating: 4 Votes
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miknos
42 months ago
Its something to consider taking into account that it cost half the price of an iPhone. Not as good but hard to complain at that price.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
morcutt11
42 months ago

There's no (sane) justification whatsoever to buy an iPhone 7 at this point. I was at the mall this weekend
and I dropped by the local Apple store, and boy iPhone 7 (aka Giant Bezel Phone) is such a massive let down. The matte black version looks like half assed toy phone and the glossy ones were full scratches what sort of idiot shells out a grand for cheap crap like this is totally beyond me. If you need to go premium get a Pixel XL, otherwise Xaomi seems a fine choice. Don't get me started on iOS it borders on being unmanly not sure what target group they have in mind but it would appear metrosexuals guess thats what you get for putting TC in charge. Whats with the HUGE icons anyway it looks totally retarded. Every September I fire up Steve legendary iPhone presentation from 2007 only to be totally disappointed. Apple is dead dead dead its a bloody shame.

Perhaps there is no justification for you. However, others of us liked and purchased the phone.
Rating: 3 Votes
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