Why it matters to you
Xiaomi’s limited edition Hatsune Miku phone is the first we’ve seen that hasn’t been made by Sony.
If you’re a Hatsune Miku fan, then Xiaomi’s new phone is going to be like a dream come true. The new Redmi Note 4X will be sold as a special edition dedicated to the virtual pop star, complete with a Miku color scheme, a Miku protective case, and a Miku powerbank, all wrapped up in specially designed packaging. It’s the first time we’ve seen a Hatsune Miku smartphone from a company other than Sony, which has released Miku-branded Xperia phones in the past.
The Redmi Note 4X is a slight update to the Redmi Note 4, which was made official in mid-2016, and shares a very similar design. The phone has a metal body broken by two antenna lines running across the top and bottom of the back panel. The screen measures 5.5 inches and has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, with slim bezels either side.
The major alteration to the Note 4X is the inclusion of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, rather than the MediaTek Helio X20 found in the Note 4. The Snapdragon 625 is a midrange but highly capable octa-core chip, which we’ve enjoyed using in the Huawei Nova. Xiaomi hasn’t mentioned the amount of RAM the phone has, but rumors put it at 4GB, 1GB more than the Redmi Note 4. A 13-megapixel camera sits on the back of the phone, above a fingerprint sensor, and a 4,100mAh battery powers the device.
Xiaomi will release the Redmi Note 4X in five colors: Gold, pink, black, gray, and green, which is the Hatsune Miku special edition, matching her signature hair color. The Redmi Note 4X Hatsune Miku edition also has her name in Chinese stamped on the back, under the Mi logo, and a limited edition number.
The phone shown in the promo images is listed as number 831, a nod to Miku’s August 31 “birthday.” The box art, and the cute Miku case and powerbank, feature original artwork by iXima, the artist who created Miku’s look for the recent V3 and V4X software releases. Although it’s not mentioned, we’d expect the limited edition to come with special Miku wallpapers, themes, and sounds, just like most other co-branded phones.
When will you be able to by the Redmi Note 4X? It was made available in February, starting around $200. The Redmi Note 4X was only for China for quite some time, and while we previously told you that a wide international launch outside Xiaomi’s established markets seemed unlikely, Xiaomi has now proved us wrong by launching the handset in Mexico.
In early May, the company announced that the Redmi 4X would be made available for 4,000 pesos, or about $210. A specific release date has yet to be set. Donovan Sung, Xiaomi Global’s director of product management and marketing, said of the launch, “Xiaomi’s products combine cutting-edge technological innovations and great design while defying price expectations. We are really excited to be bringing even more of our amazing products to fans in Mexico and the region across numerous offline and online partners. Mexico is a really important market for us and acts as our starting point to reach the rest of Latin America. We hope to continue growing our presence here with the constant support of our passionate Mi fans.”
Article originally published on 02-07-2017 by Andy Boxall. Updated on 05-10-2017 by Lulu Chang: Added news of availability in Mexico.