Xiaomi Mi 4i release: the Global Mi phone

Twitter/Xiaomi India

Xiaomi is prepping for the release of its Global Mi phone tomorrow, April 23. Although the Chinese company never really specified whether a new product line is going to be introduced or one of their handsets is getting a successor, many are convinced the affair will put a spotlight on a device called the Xiaomi Mi 4i. 

Xiaomi's emphasis on the coming of "i" is enough to make media outlets believe that the Xiaomi Mi 4i, which is touted to be a cut-rate version of the Xiaomi Mi 4, will be the star of tomorrow's big show. 

According to reports, the blooming tech firm caked the Xiaomi Mi 4i with plastic to shred a bit of the price. The original 2014 release was packaged with metal and glass. Small changes on the device's innards reportedly helps lower down the cost but the 5-inch full HD (1080 x 1920) display is unchanged. 

Bearing this in mind, it makes sense that Xiaomi will not be keeping the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 for the device's processing power. Instead, the handset may be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 or a processor of that range. 

Rather than having a 3 GB RAM like what the Xiaomi Mi 4, the "global" device will get 2 GB RAM. It may also only come in a 16 GB flavor with a memory card slot for expansion. It is expected to have dual SIM support and LTE connectivity as well. 

As for the imaging department, the upcoming handset will reportedly sport the same 13-megapixel rear-facing camera used in the Xiaomi Mi 4. However, the selfie snapper will be set at 5 megapixels in place of the 8-megapixel shooter in the original handset. 

When it comes to pricing, fans can expect around CNY 1,300, which translates to around is $209 or €195. Other reports claim that the Xiaomi Mi 4i will bear a $161 price tag. Either way, users will only have to wait less than 24 hours to know more about the Global Mi handset.