Xiaomi Mi 3 has been hitting headlines ever since it went on sale on July 22. Priced at Rs 13,999, the key highlights of the device are 5-inch display, Snapdragon 800, 2GB RAM, 13MP camera, among others.
Besides the great specs and price, it is also in news for some wrong reasons. Marred by pre-registration process, on and off stock issues and Flipkart’s inability to hold on to heavy traffic, if reports are to be believed than only 20,000 units are ready to be shipped for a phone that is desired by around 2,50,000 people.
As the next sale for the Xiaomi Mi 3 begins on August 5, and with no guarantee how many people will be able to get their hands on the device, we’ve jotted down a few alternatives to the swanky smartphone.
Moto G and X
The Moto G doesn’t pack specs as superior as Xiaomi’s Mi 3, but the device is a great alternative if you looking to buy a device right now at that price range. In fact, the recent price drop of Rs 2,000 now positions it as a complete value for money device starting at Rs 10,499, making it all the more desirable. It is also a good alternative if you prefer stock Android KitKat over Xiaomi’s ‘highly customised’ MIUI mobile OS. Xiaomi Mi 3 is better spec’ed, but remember Moto G comes from a seasoned OEM. Moreover, impressive specifications are good only if supported by easy to use and regular software and firmware updates.
However, if you are still looking for superior specs than the Moto X could be your next alternative. However, one will have to shell out a quite a few bucks more. With the latest Moto G price cut and rumours around the upcoming Moto X+ 1, we hope Motorola plans for a price cut for the device. Again, at Rs 23,999, Motorola is easily offering the best Android experience outside the Nexus clan and we feel this is great stock Android option to get under Rs 25,000.
Asus Zenfone 5
Asus’ colourful new Zenfone series of smartphones made an entry to the Indian market this month and the Zenfone 5 comes across as a great alternative to the Xiaomi Mi 3. The Asus Zenfone 5 starts at Rs 12,999, although at the launch, Asus said you could find it for as low as Rs 10,000, for the 8GB model. And if you are into custom Android UIs, then Asus’s offering has quite a few interesting features that add to the whole experience without making you feel like you are using an alien UI.
In our books, that seems like unbeatable value when you consider its rich feature-set and good all-round performance. Some of its features include 5-inch 1280 x 720 pixel IPS display, 8MP rear and 2MP front cameras, 2GHz Intel Atom dual-core processor and 8GB and 16GB onboard storage options.
Gionee Elife E7 mini
Another alternative could be the Gionee Elife E7 mini that is selling for around Rs 17,000. The device should be considerably fast with it MediaTek true octa-core processor that clocks at 1.7GHz. Unlike toned down mini versions that we’ve seen in the market, it came with all the goodies of elder sibling Elife E7 but in a smaller display size. It recent got the Android 4.4.2 Kitkat update, and some other key highlights of the device are a 4.7-inch display and the 13MP rotating camera that can be used as both rear and front facing camera.
Moreover, another Chinese brand OnePlus One is all set to enter the Indian market with far more superior features such as 5.5-inch display, Snapdragn 801, Android KitKat and 13MP camera. If it manages to nail the pricing, the device could give other budget droids a run for their money.
