Previously, supposed leaks have mentioned that Xiaomi will release another lineup soon. However, the so-called Xiaomi Meri is said to be a lineup addition instead of a new handset series. Supposedly, the upcoming release is the much-rumored Xiaomi Mi 5c.

According to speculations, reports out of China mention that the Xiaomi Meri is supposed to come out next month. However, it seems that the Meri moniker is an internal code and the unannounced device will debut as the Mi 5c. While Xiaomi has yet to come out with confirmed details, adding a new step-down variant is highly likely. The flagship's predecessor, the Mi 4, also has a step-down Mi 4c version. With the current Mi 5 already having a Mi 5s refresh, it is possible that the next addition is a watered-down version of the flagship.

Meanwhile, the China-based tech maker has yet to come out with the specs and features list for the new addition. However, supposed hardware components for the Mi 5c have already floated online. Allegedly, the upcoming iteration will be the first device to feature Xiaomi's own, homegrown Pinecone chipset. Supposed leaked benchmark results also show that the upcoming Xiaomi release will feature a 5.5-inch display with full HD resolution. The new Pinecone processor will be paired with 3 GB of RAM, and the device will come out with Android Marshmallow 6.0 right out of the box.

The supposed leaks also point out that there are already prototypes of the device and that the Dec. 12 tag is actually its release date. Should this be the case, it is expected that the Xiaomi Meri aka the Mi 5c will be launched earlier, either by the end of the month or the first week of December.

Should the Xiaomi Mi 5c make it as a late 2016 release, it will be the latest in a string of releases for the tech maker. Just recently, Xiaomi also released its new flagship, the Mi Note 2. The tech maker also launched its concept phone, the Mi MIX.