Xiaomi 'Redmi Note 3' price, specs, features & release date: China's affordable smartphone now with a fingerprint sensor

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The third generation "Redmi Note 3" comes with a fingerprint sensor and is sold at an unbelievably low price which makes it the one of the most affordable smartphones in the market today.

Xiaomi has announced the "Redmi Note 3" in China just three months after releasing its predecessor. For $141 (RMB 899), you can expect the 5.5 inches phablet in full aluminum casing with curved edges. According to GSM Arena, it is slightly heavier than its predecessor at 164g and 8.65 mm thickness.

The most notable feature that users can get with this affordable smartphone is a fingerprint sensor at the back of the phone, a feature that is normally reserved for flagship phones. The site notes that the company claims the feature can unlock the phone in just 0.3 seconds. It is unclear if its use is only for unlocking the device or can be used for apps as well.

According to Engadget, Xiaomi's Mi Wallet service which was unveiled in July this year is integrated into the fingerprint sensor. The Mi Wallet allows users to manage their bank accounts, make mobile payments and other financial services.

Tech Crunch adds that the "Redmi Note 3" has a bigger battery capacity than its predecessor at 4000mAh. However, it has the same capacity cameras with the rear at 13-megapixels and front at 5-megapixels with phase-detection autofocus. It has 4G dual-sim slots and might be capable of supporting 4G networks such as EE and Three in the UK and Vodafone, Optus and Telstra in Australia. However, it cannot support LTE networks in the US, CNET reports.

For its internal hardware, the new phablet has a modest MediaTek Helio X10 octa-core 64-bit processor, 2 GB Ram with 16 GB internal storage. Its operating system will be Android, but it will have the MIUI 7 skin. It is available in silver, gold and dark grey. The base price of $141 (RMB 899) applies to the 2 GB and 16 GB phone. For 3 GB RAM and 32 GB space, you will need to pay roughly around $170 (1099).

According to Phone Arena, the Note 3 was supposed to be called "Note 2 Pro" according to rumors. However, the designs and specs of the phablet have been upgraded and looks entirely different than its predecessor.

The phone will go on sale in China on Nov. 27 and might be available in other Asian countries in a few months.