Xiaomi Mi 4c makes premium specifications super affordable

The Mi 4c comes in five pretty colors. Photo: Xiaomi

The Mi 4c comes in five pretty colors. Photo: Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s new Mi 4c is here, and if you’re a fan of affordable smartphones, you can’t ignore it.

The Mi 4c is packing premium specifications like a 5-inch Full HD display, a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, and a 13-megapixel camera — but it starts at just over $200 off-contract.

The Mi 4c is the first affordable Xiaomi smartphone to offer a high-end Snapdragon chip, and it’s just one of the many components that make this device such a steal for the money. Also packed into its colorful shell is a 5-inch 1080p “Sunlight Display,” USB-C connectivity, and a 3,080mAh battery.

That Snapdragon 808 processor is clocked at 1.8GHz, and it’s combined with 2GB of RAM if you buy the 16GB version of the Mi 4c, or 3GB of RAM if you buy the 32GB version. Both devices also boast a 13-megapixel camera made by Samsung or Sony with phase detection autofocus and a two-tone flash.

There’s also a 5-megapixel camera on the front of the Mi 4c, dual SIM card slots, and an infrared sensor for controlling your TV, Blu-ray player, and other devices.

The Mi 4c is running Xiaomi’s latest MIUI 7 software, which introduces a number of nifty gestures. Users can double-tap the handset’s display to wake it from sleep, tap once on its side to snap a photo while inside the camera app, and double-tap its side to go back within apps.

The Mi 4c comes in white, black, blue, orange, and pink, and it’s priced at 1,299 yuan ($204) with 16GB of storage, or 1,499 yuan ($235) for 32GB of storage. Like all Xiaomi devices, it will officially be available only in China and other emerging markets, but you’ll be able to buy one through sites like Amazon and eBay in the West over the coming months.