CSL Mobile, the mobile arm of PCCW-owned HKT, said it has become the first distributor in Hong Kong for the 4G LTE variant of Xiaomi’s Redmi Note smartphone.
The Redmi Note 4G, which is the first FDD LTE smartphone of the rapidly-growing Chinese handset maker, is expected to start selling on November 18 in Hong Kong for HK$1,199 ($155).
Bruce Lam, chief marketing officer of CSL Mobile, said the cellco is taking preorders from Thursday with the official launch and distribution of handsets to customers next Tuesday, when the Redmi Note 4G is available at Xiaomi's online store.
Lam said the contract price for the Redmi Note 4G is same as 3G data plans, which range from HK$298 (1GB)/month to HK$638 (10GB) / month.
The new Note 4G runs on MIUI v5 based on Android 4.4 and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8928 1.6 GHz quad-core processor and comes with a range of features, including a 5.5-inch IPS screen display, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 8GB flash memory and has a micro SD slot for memory card up to 64GB.
The phone supports the latest 802.11 ac Wi-Fi standard and is compliant with FDD-LTE, which can support up to 150Mbps download speed and 50Mbps upload speed.
In addition to Hong Kong, Xiaomi will also release the RedMi Note 4G in Singapore on November 18 for S$229 ($177) but the company has yet announced any partnership with mobile carriers in the city-state.
The company, which is making aggressive expand push in Asia Pacific, has leapfrogged Lenovo and LG to become the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer, according to research firm IDC.
“Xiao jumped into the top 5 list for the first time at the number 3 position thanks to its focus on China and adjacent markets, which resulted in triple-digit year-over-year growth. Key to its success was the launch of its Mi4 smartphone in August, which was positioned as a high-end alternative to the status quo. What remains to be seen is how quickly the company can move beyond its home territories to drive volumes higher,” the firm said.