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This article was published on March 13, 2014

China’s Xiaomi is readying its next-gen budget smartphone, reportedly set for April launch

China’s Xiaomi is readying its next-gen budget smartphone, reportedly set for April launch
Kaylene Hong
Story by

Kaylene Hong
Kaylene Hong
Story by

Kaylene Hong

Kaylene Hong was Asia Reporter for The Next Web between 2013 and 2014, based in Singapore. She is bilingual in English and Mandarin. Stay in Kaylene Hong was Asia Reporter for The Next Web between 2013 and 2014, based in Singapore. She is bilingual in English and Mandarin. Stay in touch via Twitter or Google+.

Popular Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is holding an event to celebrate its anniversary in early April, where it is speculated that a new device will be released.

Signs are pointing to a second generation of its budget Android smartphone, the Redmi (previously known as the Hongmi in China). All smartphones imported to China must be certified to use wireless networks, and a Sina Weibo posting today (via Engadget) noted that a smartphone submitted by Xiaomi has been listed on radio communication device regulator TENAA’s website, with the red Android buttons pointing to the fact that this is the Redmi.

Screen shot 2014-03-13 at PM 05.17.43
A quick check on the site, however, threw up four different versions of the Redmi. According to a Sina Tech report, the Redmi will be split into models powered by either a 1.4GHz or 1.7GHz octa-core processor, and each one of those will either support TD-SCDMA (China’s 3G network) or another 3G network, WCDMA.

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The second-generation Redmi is said to feature a 5.5-inch 1280x720p display, run on Android 4.2.2 and come equipped with 1GB of RAM. It is also said to have a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Redmi is a key part of Xiaomi’s march overseas. In its first global expansion, Xiaomi chose to bring the Redmi to consumers in Singapore first before launching its flagship Mi-3. Earlier today, 5,000 sets of Redmi were sold out in Singapore in a mere 8 minutes and 4 seconds.

Images of Redmi via Sina Tech, headline image via Hugo Barra/Google+