During the weekend Xiaomi announced it was going to
release a new smartphone today, July 11. It released a teaser poster and a
video revealing some of the specs and hiding others. We had thought it was the
Mi 6 Plus but turns out it is a new variant of the Mi Note 2.
Xiaomi is calling it the Mi Note 2 Special Edition
but there really is nothing special about it. The original Mi Note 2 was
released in two variants: a 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM model and a 6GB + 128GB ROM
model. The Mi Note 2 Special Edition sits in between them with 6GB RAM and 64GB
ROM. The rest of the specifications remain the same.
It has a 5.7-inch dual curved AMOLED display, a
Snapdragon 821 processor and a 22.5MP rear camera. The front facing camera is
an 8MP sensor and there is a fingerprint scanner that sits beneath the home
button. A 4070 mAh battery powers the phone and it can be charged via a USB
type-C port. There is Quick Charge 3.0, Bluetooth 4.2, dual band WiFi, and dual
SIM support.
The Mi Note 2 Special Edition will sell for ¥ 2899
(US$ 426). That is more than what the Mi 6 sells for which has a better processor
but a smaller display and battery. Xiaomi says there is a ¥ 300 discount
available for now which brings the price down to ¥ 2599 (US$ 382) and makes it
less expensive than the 4GB RAM model which is ¥ 2799 (US$ 412).
The 6GB RAM + 128GB model is still ¥ 3299 (US$ 485) and
the Global Edition remains ¥ 3499 (US$ 515).
