Redmi Note3:Xiaomi's latest phone is cheap, metal and has a fingerprint sensor

Just three months after launching the Redmi Note 2, Xiaomi is back with its successor. The Redmi Note 3 is, unsurprisingly, another mid-range handset with decent specs and a staggeringly low base price: $141, or more importantly RMB 899, given that it's only headed to China at the moment. For the money you're getting a full metal body and a 5.5-inch, 1080p display. Underneath is the same MTK Helio X10 processor found on the Redmi Note 2, along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. If you're willing to pay a little extra, however (RMB 1,099, or $172) you can upgrade to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage instead.

The handset is a little pricier than its colorful predecessor, but in return Xiaomi is offering a few features normally reserved for flagships. There's the fingerprint sensor on the back -- a first for the company -- which unlocks the phone in 0.3 seconds and integrates with Xiaomi's new Mi Wallet service. The phone also packs an enormous 4000mAh battery, with fast-charging support that replenishes up to 50 percent in a single hour. Not to mention the new metal build, which comes in gold, silver and dark grey. I prefer the playful plastics wrapped around the Redmi Note 2, but I can't deny this new design is more luxurious.

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