Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Price Starts at Only $135 USD or Php 6,250

Xiaomi may have already mellowed down its operations in a few markets around the world - including the Philippines - but the disruptive tech brand is still alive and doing rather well in its homeland, China. It's no longer the top handset vendor there but it's still a major competitor.

In fact, the company has just officially announced its new budget-friendly but powerful phablet, the Redmi Note 4, which will be hitting store shelves in that territory today, August 26, 2016.

Although donning a very wallet-friendly price tag, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 not only looks luxurious but also comes with more than decent technical specifications, making it quite a steal.

As you can see in these photos, the device flaunts a real metal shell and sports a sizable 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display - perfect for watching movies and viewing websites - that's protected by 2.5 curved glass face, giving the handset an aesthetically pleasing exterior.

As for imaging capabilities, the device is equipped with 13 MegaPixel autofocus f/2.0 main camera with Dual Tone LED flash at the back and a 5 MegaPixel f/2.0 front cam for selfies. The rear shooter can record Full HD videos at 30fps and HD ones with up to 120 frames per second while the one in front can shoot HD 30fps clips.

One of the key features of the Redmi Note 4 is its Fingerprint Scanner, which allows the owner to quickly unlock the device with but a touch of a finger. This sensor has pretty much become a standard in midrange and high-end Android smartphones these days.

This Dual SIM Dual Standby and 4G-enabled phablet is powered by a big non-removable 4,100 mAh Li-Po battery pack, which should give it a considerably longer uptime compared to similarly sized devices in its price bracket. For me, apart from its gorgeous build, this is one of the stronger selling points of this model.

At its heart, the more affordable version of Xiaomi Redmi Note runs its MIUI-skinned Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with a 2.1 GHz Deca Core Mediatek MT6797 Helio X20 processor incorporating a Mali-T880 MP4 GPU, has 2GB of RAM, and comes with 16GB of storage expandable up to 256GB via its hybrid secondary nanoSIM slot. The more expensive version has the same chipset but has more RAM at 3GB and larger 64GB of internal storage.

With dimensions of 151 x 76 x 8.4 mm (5.94 x 2.99 x 0.33 inches) and weighing 175 grams, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is available in three elegant colors, namely, Gold, Silver, and Grey. As for its price, the 2GB RAM version sells for only $135 or Php 6,250 (with current conversion) while 3GB RAM variant - which I personally prefer - goes for $180 or Php 8,350.

I know this could be wishful thinking at this point but I really hope that Xiaomi would officially launch their newer models here in the Philippines. The last one that brought here was the Mi4i and I think it's high time that they bring in a fresh release. The company already has local dealers so I think it's only a matter of rekindling their relationship with partners and fans.