Xiaomi Redmi 3 teasers reveal huge 4,100mAh battery in a 5-inch smartphone, launches on January 12

Just a couple of days back, Xiaomi‘s SVP revealed on Weibo that his company is ramping up full-capacity production ahead of a February launch for its next flagship, the Xiaomi Mi 5. What he didn’t say is that the company is also planning to launch a smaller, more fashion-focussed phone very soon. Xiaomi has revealed two teasers for the Redmi 3 which will be unveiled in just a few days time, on January 12…

While the teaser posters don’t reveal many detailed specifications, there are two important ones revealed in the images.

First up: The phone will be equipped with a huge 4,100mAh battery. A battery that big would be a fantastic feature in a phablet. And this isn’t a big phone.

The other revelation is that it has a 5-inch screen. To put that in to perspective, the OnePlus X with a full HD 1080p 5-inch screen has a 2,250mAh battery and easily lasts a full day on a single charge, sometimes two with light use. The Moto X Play, which has a full HD 5.5-inch display has a 3,630mAh battery and can go two days on a charge. The Redmi 3 is expected to have a 720p display. In other words: This phone is going to last days before needing to be plugged in again.

As for aesthetics, the phone seems to be made from metal and has an etched plaid pattern on the back similar to the design we saw on BLU’s new smartphones yesterday. Despite its large battery, Xiaomi claims the phone is still very thin, and comfortable to hold in hand thanks to the high energy density battery technology used.

While having a big battery is great in terms of how long it can go on a single charge, it can have a detrimental effect on charging time. We don’t know if Xiaomi intends to use USB Type-C or Qualcomm’s Quick-Charge in the Mi 3, but we certainly hope they will, to make charging times bearable.

A leaked TENAA listing a couple of weeks back reveals that the Redmi 3 will have an octa-core 1.5GHz processor and 2GB RAM paired with 16GB of expandable storage. What’s more, it’s expected to feature either an 8MP or 13MP camera on the back, complimented by a 5MP snapper on the front. It’s likely to launch running Android 5.1.1 with Xiaomi’s usual MIUI software interface on top.

Xiaomi is yet to confirm any of the specs found within the TENAA listing, but thankfully, we only have a few days to wait before the company officially reveals all.