Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 launched in India starting ₹9,999

Update: The story has now been updated with Redmi Note 3's official price and availability. Xiaomi has officially launched the smartphone in India, priced at ₹9,999 for the 2 GB RAM variant and ₹11,999 for the 3 GB RAM variant. The Redmi Note 3 will be available starting March 9 at 2pm exclusively on Amazon and the company's official website.

Besides the Redmi Note 3, the company has announced that the Mi 5 flagship also goes on sale in India this month though did not mention an exact date. Additionally, Xiaomi has also announced that Mi Bluetooth-enabled speaker will be available for ₹1,999 on Mi.com.

Xiaomi's Redmi Note 3 is all set to launch in India today. Initially launched in China back in November, the smartphone is available in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants. With these three top-notch devices retailing for around ₹10,000, it is going to be a tough call for anyone looking for a competitively priced smartphone as all the three are rather great options.

The 2GB variant of the smartphone has 16GB of built-in storage and a 4,000 mAh battery while the 3GB RAM variant sports 32 GB of built-in storage and a slightly beefier 4,050 mAh battery.

The smartphone's closest competitors are the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note and LeEco Le 1s. Here's a quick comparison of the Redmi Note 3 against the two.

Specifications

The Redmi Note 3, Lenovo Vibe K4 Note and LeEco 1s feature 5.5-inch Full HD displays but only Xiaomi's phone has the Sunlight Display Technology which keeps the screen legible even in direct sunlight.

Even on the camera front, the Redmi Note 3 takes the lead with a 16 megapixel rear camera while the rest have slightly lower, 13 megapixel shooters. Though a higher megapixel count doesn't necessarily mean superior camera performance.

The Lenovo K4 Note is the only phone with an expandable storage and 16 GB internal memory while the 3 GB Redmi Note 3 and LeEco Le 1s match each other at 32 GB of non-expandable storage.

Features

All the three smartphones sport a fingerprint scanner. Though the Lenovo K4 Note also has NFC.

In addition, the K4 Note gets support for TheaterMax virtual reality headset, which offers that immersive experience while watching movies or playing games either on the built-in dual speakers or headphones.

Xiaomi has similar optimisations embedded in the system settings for the headphone they make.

LeEco has taken a much different route to add value to its products. Teaming up with content providers, LeEco is expected to make accessing movies, music and shows much easier on the phone.

Price

The Redmi Note 3 Snapdragon variant is priced at 999 Yuan in China that roughly translates to ₹10,100. While the Lenovo K4 Note gets an affordable price tag of ₹11,999. Lenovo has also launched an ANTVR headset, priced at ₹1,299, but the phablet bundle costs ₹12,499. The LeEco Le 1s retails at ₹10,999.

The Redmi Note 3 has been introduced to a select users under Xiaomi's explorer programme in India and according to the price, is expected to replace the Mi4i. If you take the 3GB model of Xiaomi's Redmi Note 3 into consideration, all the three smartphones offer a similar set of specifications with a few extra tricks. If Xiaomi prices the top-end Redmi Note 3 around the two competitors Xiaomi's MIUI, LeEco's content ecosystem or K4 Note's VR tech would be the deciding factor for anyone's purchase.