Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Xiaomi

Xiaomi has a new phone for those who are looking for a replacement for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

Sporting a design that, like the Note 7, is curved on both front and back, the new 5.7-inch Mi Note 2 also offers a 23-megapixel camera, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage.

It’s set to launch on November 1 China for 3,299 yuan (approximately $485, £400 and AU$640). A cheaper model, with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage, will retail for 2,799 yuan (roughly $410, £340 and AU$540). There’s also a special model with support for 37 LTE bands that retails at 3,499 yuan ($515, £420 and AU$675).

The phablet is similar to the Mi 5S Plus, which launched last month. Both phones have a similar 5.7-inch display and are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, though the Mi Note 2’s display uses OLED technology to curve the screen on the front while still retaining the curved back of the first Mi Note.

Instead of designing a glass display with a hole for the fingerprint sensor, the Mi Note 2, like the Mi 5s Plus, uses Qualcomm’s ultrasonic fingerprint scanner technology that reads the fingerprint through the glass. Xiaomi has been pushing its Mi Pay mobile payment system lately, so the Mi Note 2 will come with NFC.

Powered by Android, the Mi Note 2 runs Xiaomi’s custom MIUI 8 skin. It, like most skins out of China, lacks an app drawer, but has some nifty features. You can turn on the flash light by holding the home button without unlocking the phone, for instance, and can use a second finger to swipe through home-screens while holding down on an app to move it.

Check back soon for my first impressions soon.

Key specs

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 2.35Ghz
• 6GB RAM, 128GB onboard storage
• 4,070mAh battery with Quick Charge
• 23-megapixel rear camera
• Comes in black an silver