Xiaomi Mi 4c goes official

As scheduled, Xiaomi has announced the launch of its Mi 4c smartphone today. The China-only device is priced starting at RMB 1,299 ($204), and will be available from September 23 (tomorrow) on Mi.com and Tmall.

Specs-wise, the handset is powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 808 chipset offering a hexa-core CPU with two Cortex-A57 cores and four Cortex-A53 cores, along with Adreno 418 GPU. It sports a 5-inch 1080p display, and comes in 2GB/3GB (RAM) and 16GB/32GB (storage) options.

In terms of camera, the Mi 4c features a 13 MP rear unit which supports phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and a 5MP selfie shooter.

Measuring 7.8mm and weighing in at 132g (which is 11g less than the iPhone 6s), the device packs in a 3080mAh battery, supports Quick Charge 2.0, and features a USB Type-C port having a reversible design.

There's also a built-in IR blaster that the company claims lets you control more than 2000 different appliances, including dSLR cameras, from the device.

On the software side, the smartphone comes with a new Edge Tap feature that allows it to respond to light taps. As the company explains, "A double tap on one side allows you to go back easily without having to stretch for the Back button, and a single tap on the side while in the camera app snaps a photo."

The handset runs the company's MIUI 6 OS, although Xiaomi says that an upgrade to MIUI 7 will happen soon. As for the price, the 2GB/16GB variant will cost RMB 1,299 ($204), while the 3GB/32GB variant will set you back RMB 1,499 ($235). Color options include white, grey, pink, yellow and blue.

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Xiaomi announces new MIUI 7 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop

Xiaomi has announced the newest version of MIUI alongside the new Redmi Note 2. MIUI 7 is based on Android 5.1 Lollipop and comes with a bunch of new features.

One of the features is face detection mode in the Gallery app, that can recognize faces and sort images according to the people in it in the People tab. The software is even able to identify and differentiate pets.

MIUI 7 also has a handful of new themes, including a pink 'Goddess' theme targeted at women and as usual you can download more from the store.

MIUI also has a new feature called Mi Roaming, which acts as a virtual SIM for when you go out of your country, allowing users to purchase data packages from Xiaomi and use them instead of getting a new SIM. This feature is only available in China for now.

MIUI 7 can also let you set videos for contacts, which play when the person calls you. Lastly, there is also a Kids Mode, which restricts what content kids can access on the device.

MIUI 7 will start rolling out for Mi 2, Mi 2S, Mi 2A, Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi Note, Redmi, and Redmi Note tomorrow in China. Xiaomi will be officially announcing MIUI 7 in India on August 19.

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 leaks ahead of announcement

Tomorrow Xiaomi is going to unveil its next-generation MIUI v7 launcher, but many rumors put devices such as Xiaomi Redmi Note 2, Mi 5 and Mi 5 Plus on the announcement queue as well. And while we are waiting for the event to happen here is some more news on the upcoming Redmi Note 2.

The most recent leak shows the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 in some blurry pictures, but with detailed specs. The latest information confirms the Redmi Note 2 will be built around a 5.5" 1080p display and will utilize matte plastic for its shell.

The chipset to power the Redmi Note 2 is displayed by AnTuTu as MT6795 Helio X10 - this translates into an octa-core 2.2GHz Cortex-A53 processor, PowerVR G6200 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The rest of the specs include a 13MP main camera, a 5MP selfie snapper, 16GB expandable storage and a 3,020 mAh battery. Naturally, the Redmi Note 2 should run on Android 5.1 Lollipop with MIUI v7.

A retailer already spilled the beans on the Redmi Note 2 by jumping the gun yesterday and putting it on pre-order. Its listing, which has been revised earlier today, confirms all of these specs. Yesterday the page described the Redmi Note 2 as a 5.7" phablet with a Snapdragon 615 chip, but today it just confirms the 5.5" screen and the Helio X10 MediaTek SoC.

The listing asks $199 for the Redmi Note 2 on pre-order, which might be its official price for Asia. Tomorrow Xiaomi and Samsung are making big announcements, so it will be a very eventful day. Stay tuned!

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Xiaomi Mi Note gets certified in Malaysia, launch imminent

Xiaomi's Mi Note phablet, which was released back in January this year, is headed to Malaysia, making it one of the first countries outside China to get the device.

As you can see in the image above, a couple of Xiaomi handsets have been approved by theStandard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM), the country's national standard development agency. According to a report from Oizoioi, the device carrying model number 2015011 is the Mi Note, while the other one is the Mi4 3G variant.

The certification comes just a few months after Xiaomi announced that the Mi Note will launch in Malaysia in Q2 2015.

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Xiaomi Mi 4 to support Windows 10 Technical Preview

Microsoft has signed an agreement with Xiaomi to provide support for the Windows 10 Technical Preview on the Mi 4 smartphone.

Xiaomi has had a good run so far with its smartphones running MIUI version based on Android. Now the company has teamed up with Microsoft to provide support for running Windows 10 Technical Preview on Mi4.

So far, neither of the companies has shared the specifics on tools to be provided and installation process. Mostly aimed at the enthusiasts and developers, the Windows 10 TP on Mi4 will let the users report the bugs and give ideas on new features to be added in the OS.

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