When the Xiaomi Mi Note first came out it really made waves as the successor to the flagshipXiaomi Mi 4. Unlike the Mi 4, the Mi Note goes for a larger 5.7-inch phablet form factor and a beautiful curved glass-based design different from previous Xiaomi smartphones. Released in two versions, the Xiaomi Mi Note and the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, the Mi Note is the lower-end version of the two but still offers flagship features like dual 4G LTE connectivity, a brushed metal body, 2.5D front glass, 3D back glass, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and more. Does it deliver the same level of premium as better known brands? Check out our full review of the Xiaomi Mi Note below to find out.

Xiaomi has added a natural wood fiber back to their metal frame Xiaomi Mi Note smartphone with the release of the Mi Note Natural Bamboo Edition for 2299RMB (RM1360). Tech specs and features remain the same though but this isn't a bad thing as you still get a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 5.7-inch full HD display, 4G LTE connectivity, 13MP rear camera with dual tone LED flash and 4MP front camera. So far, the Mi Note Natural Bamboo Edition will be available in China starting from 24 March 2015. There are no official Xiaomi Malaysia release dates just yet though as even the Mi Note has yet to break cover but if it does come soon, hopefully the Mi Note Natural Bamboo Edition comes along for the ride as well.

Xiaomi Malaysia has officially announced the Xiaomi Redmi 2 for RM449. It will be available in Malaysia from 17 March 2015 at 12 noon via the usual Mi Malaysia site. Donovan Sung, Director of Product Management, Xiaomi Global was on hand to show off the highlights of the Redmi 2 smartphone. Notable stand out features include dual standby 4G LTE, the new 64-bit Snapdragon 401 processor, MIUI 6 and a more compact, slimmer and thinner design compared to the Redmi 1S. Check out the full tech specs for the Xiaomi Redmi 2 below:

• 64-bit 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 401 processor 
• Adreno 306 graphics processor
• 1GB RAM8GB storage
• 4.7-inch display (IPS, 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, AGC Dragontrail Glass, fully laminated)
• 8MP rear camera (autofocus, LED flash, 1.4 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, HDR) + 2MP front camera
• supports Dual SIM (4G LTE dual standby, microSIM), Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, A-GPS
• features FM Radio, fast battery charging (Quick Charge 1.0), active noise cancellation with dedicated mics
• 134 x 67.2 x 9.4 mm | 133g
• 2200 mAh battery
• Android 4.4.4 KitKat + MIUI 6.0

Teardowns are one of most interesting things about a smartphone given that a regular fan gets to know what exactly the company has packed inside its phone. Xiaomi's recently announced Mi Note was subjected to a teardown a few days back and like its exterior; the interior of the phone too is quite solid and organized. Xiaomi has just posted the official teardown of its new smartphone on its forum revealing some of the key internals of the device. Along with the regular disassembly guide, the post also explains the intricate features of the new smartphone. The person who took apart the Xiaomi Mi Note mentions that the phone was pretty easy to dismantle. The back came off easily using suction pads on the four corners and removing the screws too didn't take much time. However, it is said that the screws inside are all of different lengths which can be tricky while putting them in. Using a long screw in the slot for a small screw can damage the liquid crystal display on the phone. Overall, the review is quite detailed and the comments on each image help us understand more about the company's new affordable flagship device.

Recently, a lot of new Chinese manufacturers have amazed the market with high-end smartphones at an amazing price. Unfortunately, most of them are not available in Malaysia to purchase officially just yet. The same is the case with the recently announced flagship model, the Xiaomi Mi Note. However, a few third party resellers are currently offering the device in Malaysia. SatuGadgetDotCom's facebook page reveals that they have a few Xiaomi Mi Note units to sell. The one in stock is the 16GB LTE model which is priced at RM1888 with free shipping. However, there are others selling this new Xiaomi smartphone as well. A quick search revealed that there are at least three different sellers offering the phone at a similar price tag. The lowest price we could find online was RM1799, which is almost RM400 higher than the official retail price tag of the device. However, that's the premium you have to pay for getting the device before it gets announced officially. Do remember that this is the regular Xiaomi Mi Note model and not the Mi Note Pro which comes with the latest Snapdragon 810. The higher-end model is not yet available for purchase even in China. No exact Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet but if you can't wait, do check out the source links for more details.

Xiaomi has officially announced it's new Mi Note and Mi Note Pro smartphones. Taking over from the Mi 4, the new Mi Note offers many flagship-level features and tech specs. These include a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 16GB / 64GB internal memory and a 5.7-inch display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and 1400:1 contrast ratio with adaptive dynamic contrast. The display has been curved somewhat with a 2.5D front glass, 3D back glass and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on both the front and back. The sides are brushed metal and rounded corners for a very premium look and feel. Other tech specs include a 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, dual-tone LED flash and optical image stabilization along with a 4MP front camera with large 2-micron pixel sensor. A 3000 mAh battery keeps the lights on and it connects via dual 4G SIM cards. Surprisingly, the Mi Note is relatively light at 161g and will come with MIUI 6. The 16GB Mi Note is priced from 2299 CNY (RM1322) while the 64GB version will go for 2799 CNY (RM1610).

The Mi Note Pro on the other hand retains most of the same features except for a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 5.7-inch display with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution and 4G LTE Cat9 connectivity. The Mi Note Pro will going from 3299 CNY (RM1897) which should make it a very attractive offer if or when it arrives in Malaysia. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet, but it should be soon considering Xiaomi Malaysia.