Xiaomi is said to be working on a Mi Note successor dubbed Mi Note 2, which may hit the shelves in early September.
The Chinese smartphone maker announced the original Mi Note in January 2015. The handset was initially released in China, but it also made its way to other markets including the United States. Now, customers are waiting for the launch of the phone's successor.
Some hardware specs of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Note 2 as well as Redmi Note 4 mobile phones have already leaked on Weibo. According to rumors, the Mi Note 2 is expected to sport a 5.7-inch IPS LCD screen with a display resolution of 1,920 × 1,080 pixels.
An octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 may power the device. Xiaomi may unveil the Mi Note 2 in two models: one with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage and the other with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB on-board storage. Both the models may also have a microSD card slot to expand the storage capacity.
Being a top-end phone, the Mi Note 2 may come with a metal body to give it a premium feel. Customers may expect a front-facing fingerprint scanner for easy unlocking of the device.
The leaked rumors also suggest that the Mi Note 2 will include 3,600 mAh battery, which will support Quick Charge.
The upcoming Xiaomi offering is estimated to have a base price of 2,499 yuan, or about $375. Customers who want to buy the 6 GB model of the Mi Note 2 will have to splash $30 extra, as this version of the phone may have a price tag of 2,799 Yuan, or about $420.
Given that the original Mi Note is officially available in the U.S. for $329 (currently out of stock), it is highly likely that the Mi Note 2 will also be available in the U.S. soon after its launch.
The hardware specs of the Mi Note 2 seem to be a step up compared to its predecessor and could attract customers looking for a top-end smartphone at a pocket-friendly price.
Xiaomi has not confirmed any details of the Mi Note 2 but speculations suggest that the company is planning to launch the handset during an event on Aug. 25 and the handset may hit the shelves on Sept. 5.
Xiaomi has been facing stiff competition in the worldwide smartphone space. The company ended at the fifth position in International Data Corporation's (IDC) top five smartphone vendors list for the final quarter of 2015 but the company dropped out of the top five in the two quarters of 2016.
An IDC report highlights that worldwide smartphone volume remained flat in Q2 of 2016 but Chinese mobile phone makers including Xiaomi experienced growth during the quarter.
"Chinese brands such as Huawei, OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi have witnessed success with this strategy by shipping premium styled devices that focus on the features that matter most to consumers, such as imaging, sound quality and design," says Anthony Scarsella, Mobile Phones research manager at IDC.
It remains to be seen if Xiaomi is able to attract more handset customers with the launch of Mi Note 2 and re-enter the top five smartphone vendors list.
