Thursday, March 28, 2024

It looks like Xiaomi’s next phone may get a Hatsune Miku special edition

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Why it matters to you

Xiaomi doesn’t usually need gimmicks to sell its phones, but a new brand ambassador is coming with the Note 4X, so we doubt it’ll be anything other than spectacular

Xiaomi isn’t that worried about keeping its next phone a secret, and in a post on its official owners forums, announced it will launch the Xiaomi Red Note 4X on February 14. However, while we know the phone is coming, and when; Xiaomi hasn’t simply told us all the other details, meaning there are many more surprises to come.

Those surprises also include a new Xiaomi brand ambassador, and some hints in its teaser imagery may have given away their identity already. Here’s what we think we know about the phone so far:

Brand ambassador

A new Xiaomi brand ambassador will be announced alongside the Redmi Note 4X. This is unusual, and Xiaomi usually has no need for gimmicks to sell out its phones. Does this mean we’re in for something very special? It’s not clear whether the partnership means special edition phones, custom wallpaper, or simply an appearance during the Note 4X’s launch; but we’ve been given some hints about who the ambassador actually is.

More: I never appreciated music until I heard Hatsune Miku’s voice

In a post on Chinese social network Weibo, Xiaomi said, “An unexpected idol” would bring the Note 4X on February 14 as a Valentine’s day gift, after crossing several well-known Chinese actors off the list of possibilities. Who could it be? There’s an excellent chance it’s virtual pop star Hatsune Miku.

In the same Weibo post, an image with the number sixteen and a birthday cake appear, while over on the official MIUI forums, another similar image has the number 01 on it. Fans will already know Hatsune Miku is forever 16 years-old, and that she has the number 01 stamped on her left arm, referring back to her original codename. This year is Hatsune Miku’s 10th anniversary, and many celebratory events and tie-ins are certain to be planned.

The extent of Xiaomi’s partnership isn’t known, but if a special Miku edition of the Note 4X is going to be released, it won’t be the first. Sony has produced Hatsune Miku Xperia phones for the Japanese market in the past.

Announcement and release

Xiaomi says it will launch the Redmi Note 4X on February 14, while the teaser images include a February 8 date. This suggests the later date will be the day the phone goes on sale, while it will be shown officially for the first time on February 8.

More: Our review of the Xiaomi Mi Mix

Like all Xiaomi smartphones, we don’t expect it to be sold outside China or Xiaomi’s other markets, such as India. However, the company’s phones can often be purchased internationally through importers.

Design

In January, a Xiaomi phone bearing a strong resemblance to the existing Redmi Note 4 appeared on the TENAA regulatory website in China, giving us a look at the phone’s design. It’s business as usual for Xiaomi. The phone has a metal back with a fingerprint sensor below a single camera lens and flash unit. Around the front is a large touchscreen with a slim side bezel, and three Android menu keys below it.

Specification

The Redmi Note 4 is barely six months old, so what will Xiaomi do to make the Note 4X standout, aside from Hatsune Miku’s involvement? When the phone was certified for use by the TENAA regulatory board in China, several specifications were also revealed. A choice of 32GB or 64GB of internal storage will be available, but both phones are likely to have 4GB of RAM.

A leaked picture of the Note 4X’s About Phone screen backed up the claim it will have 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage. It also showed version 8.1 of MIUI installed over the top of Android 6.0.1. The processor is listed as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 653, but there are also rumors the Note 4X will use a MediaTek X20, the same as the Redmi Note 4 from last year.

Further rumors say the camera will have 13 megapixels on the rear, which is also the same as the Note 4. Outside of the slight increase in RAM, we don’t know what changes will Xiaomi make to differentiate the new 4X from the old Note 4.

We’ll bring you all the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X news and rumors as we get them, so keep checking back.

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