The cheapest 5G Smartphone Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 , Xiaomi moves into 5G with the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G at MWC 2019,

The cheapest 5G Smartphone Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 , Xiaomi moves into 5G with the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G at MWC 2019 

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, now with added 5G

 Shara Tibken/CNET 

The flood of 5G phones continues. 

 Xiaomi on Sunday became the latest company to launch a 5G phone, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G. The device -- a variant of the recently released Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 -- will cost 599 euros ($679) and will launch in May.

  Xiaomi's initial 5G wireless partners include Europe-based Orange, Sunrise, Telefonica, Three, TIM and Vodafone. It didn't mention any plans to bring the phone to the US.

  "Essentially everything you loved about the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is now coming along with 5G," Donovan Sung, director of product management for the Xiaomi global team, said Sunday during a press conference at MWC in Barcelona.

  Xiaomi, when introducing the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 in October, said it would come in a 5G version. At the time, it touted it as the world's first such commercially available phone.

 The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G contains Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 processor and its X50 5G modem. It has the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3's ceramic body and will be available in two colors, onyx black and sapphire blue. It uses the same camera setup and other features of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, including the device's magnetic slider.

  CNET reviewer Aloysius Low last week said Xiaomi's 4G Mix Mix 3 is "almost the perfect phone," but noted it's not coming to the US.

  5G promises to significantly boost the speed, coverage and responsiveness of wireless networks. It can run between 10 and 100 times faster than your typical cellular connection today, and even quicker than anything you can get with a physical fiber-optic cable going into your house. It'll also allow device to connect to the network faster, with speeds as quick as a millisecond to start your download or upload.

Xiaomi will launch a 5G version of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 in May

Shara Tibken/CNET 

Experts expect 5G to change the way we live and even create new industries, much like how 4G LTE enabled the rise of apps like Uber, Instagram and AirBNB. Most carriers are just starting to turn on their 5G networks and manufacturers are still prepping their first 5G devices.

  "5G will become reality in this year and will drive future innovations in various industries such as smartphone and IOT," Wang Xiang, Xiaomi's head of international business, said during the company's press conference at MWC in Barcelona.

5G's rise

 Several of Xiaomi's rivals have made similar announcements over the past week. Samsung, the world's biggest smartphone vendor, unveiled its first 5G phone last week during its Unpacked event in San Francisco, and Oppo on Saturday talked up its first, not-yet-named 5G phone. Other major Android vendors -- including Huawei and LG --  are expected to announce their 5G phones later this week at MWC.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G

  By the holidays this year, every flagship phone -- at least when it comes to those running Google's Android software and using Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor -- will tap into 5G, Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon told CNET in December.

  Xiaomi, founded eight years ago, emerged as one of the hottest Chinese phone brands early in its existence, with fans clamoring to buy its latest phones. It even invites fans to its product launches, including Sunday's event at MWC in Barcelona. But Xiaomi recently has struggled against rival Huawei, which last year sold nearly twice as many phones as Xiaomi. 

 Last year, Xiaomi's sales rose 37 percent to 122.4 million units, according to Gartner. That made it the fourth biggest handset maker after Samsung, Apple and Huawei. Huawei's handset sales increased 35 percent to 202.9 million.

  While Xiaomi, Huawei and others have gained traction in markets like China, it's tougher to compete in the US. That market is still dominated by Apple and Samsung.

 5G pricing

Xiaomi is the first major handset maker to detail the pricing for its 5G phone. At 599 euros, the device could be one of the least expensive 5G phones on the market this year. It's even cheaper than many regular 4G handsets on the market in the US. The iPhone XS, for instance, starts at $999, while Samsung's new 4G Galaxy S10 is $900.

  The cheapest Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage, sells for around $490, £375 or AU$680 converted from its 3,299 Chinese yuan price. The version with 10GB RAM and 256GB of onboard storage costs 4,999 Chinese yuan, or about $845.

 Most initial 5G phones on the market are expected to be pricey. Most companies -- including Samsung -- haven't yet detailed what their devices will cost, but it's believed they could be significantly higher than 4G LTE variants. OnePlus, for instance, told CNET in December that its first 5G phone may be $200 to $300 higher than this year's flagship OnePlus 6T. That's a whopping 36 percent to 55 percent increase over the older device.  

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Originally published at 2:40 a.m. PTUpdate at 2:37 a.m. PT: Adds more details about the new phone Mobile World Congress 2019

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G Is the First Affordable 5G Smartphone 

None of Xiaomi's European carrier partners have offered dates for widespread 5G deployment, so early adopters will likely see spotty 5G service at best for the next 12 to 18 months.

 BARCELONA—The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G is a carbon copy of the original Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, which arrived last fall, with a few under-the-hood upgrades.

 The 6.39-inch Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 has a 93.4 percent screen-to-body ratio. A slider that houses the 24MP/2MP selfie cameras allows for a nearly bezel-less AMOLED display when closed. On the back of the phone there's a fingerprint sensor and dual-camera array with two 12MP sensors.

 But while the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G may look the same on the outside, it's a bit zippier on the inside. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset replaces the Snapdragon 845 processor found on the original Xiaomi Mi Mix 3.

 There's also a Qualcomm X50 modem that will connect to sub-6GHz 5G networks. While sub-6GHz networks offer better penetration and coverage than millimeter wave ones, they cannot offer the same high speeds and low latency. That said, Xiaomi claims the  Mi Mix 5G will be capable of data speeds that are 10 times faster than 4G LTE.

  Xiaomi is initially launching the phone in Europe for 599 euros (approx. $680) in May; buy it online, in Mi stores, and through participating carriers in Onyx Black or Sapphire Blue.

 The company has partnered with a handful of networks, including Orange, Vodaphone, TIM, and Three. But none of these carrier partners have offered dates for widespread 5G deployment, so early adopters will likely see spotty 5G service at best for the next 12 to 18 months.

Mi Mix 3 Specification

NETWORK	Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
	2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
		CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA
	3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
		CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
	4G bands	LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 28(700), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
		(5G capable)
	Speed	HSPA, LTE, 5G
	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes

LAUNCH	Announced	2019, February
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2019, May

BODY	Dimensions	157.9 x 74.7 x 9.4 mm (6.22 x 2.94 x 0.37 in)
	Weight	-
	Build	Front glass, aluminum frame (7000 series), ceramic back
	SIM	Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

DISPLAY	Type	Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	6.39 inches, 100.2 cm2 (~85.0% screen-to-body ratio)
	Resolution	1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density)
	Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
		- HDR

PLATFORM	OS	Android 9.0 (Pie); MIUI 10
	Chipset	Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm)
	CPU	Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 485)
	GPU	Adreno 640

MEMORY	Card slot	No
	Internal	64/128 GB, 6 GB RAM

MAIN CAMERA	Dual	12 MP (wide), f/1.8, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, 4-axis OIS 12 MP (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm
	Features	LED flash, HDR, panorama
	Video	2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 1080p@960fps

SELFIE CAMERA	Dual	Mechanical pop-up 24 MP, 1/2.8", 0.9µm Mechanical pop-up 2 MP, depth sensor
	Features	LED flash, HDR
	Video	1080p@30fps

SOUND	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	No
		- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

COMMS	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot
	Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE
	GPS	Yes, with dual-band A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
	NFC	Yes
	Radio	No
	USB	Type-C 1.0 reversible connector

FEATURES	Sensors	Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

BATTERY		Non-removable Li-Po 3800 mAh battery
	Charging	Fast battery charging 18W (Quick Charge 4+) Wireless charging 10W

MISC	Colors	Sapphire Blue, Onyx Black
	Price	About 600 EUR

Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.