Xiaomi's Redmi Note 3 launched for Rs 9,999

Some features include its metal body and a huge 4,050mAh battery that can last a full day on a single charge

In a bid to take the lion's share in the mid-priced smartphone segment, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Thursday launched

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM

-- the world's first device equipped with Snapdragon 650 processor in India.

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Available in two variants - 2GB RAM, 16 GB ROM for Rs 9,999 and 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM for Rs 11,999 - the smartphones will be initially available on official Mi website and e-portal Amazon.com from March 9.

"We are extremely excited to launch Redmi Note 3 in India, which is the start of many firsts for us in 2016 and more than meets the demands of our hardcore Mi fans," Xiaomi vice president Hugo Barra said in a statement.

"With Redmi Note 3 we are redefining what you can get in the category of 'phablets' below Rs 10,000 in India. 2016 is a significant year for us and we are looking forward to introduce even more amazing products in India in the year to come," he added.

Two of the many features of Redmi Note 3 are its metal body and a huge 4,050mAh battery that can last a full day on a single charge. The device supports 5V/2A Qualcomm Quick Charge technology, charging up to 50% in one hour and taking only three hours for a full charge.

Xiaomi's first-ever smartphone with a fingerprint sensor, Redmi Note 3 uses capacitive scanning technology for accurate, secure and fast performance, unlocking the device in just 0.3 seconds.

Due to its impressive MIUI 7, the scanner can be used for unlocking apps, accessing hidden folders, and even taking a front or rear camera selfie.

The 5.5-inch display phone weighs only 164 grams and measures only 8.65mm at its thickest point.

The device also incorporates "Reading Mode" that cuts down blue light emitted by the display, which reduces eye fatigue.

The new Wallpaper Carousel feature in MIUI 7 delivers stunning wallpaper images daily, so your lockscreen looks refreshingly different every day.

Powered by Snapdragon 650 processor, the first Qualcomm Technologies' chipset equipped with ARM's two Cortex-A72 performance cores and four A53 CPUs makes it exceptionally fast.

It features the latest Qualcomm Adreno 510 GPU, which provides impressive graphics performance for an unparalleled gaming experience without heating problems.

"Qualcomm Technologies is very pleased to work with Xiaomi on their latest smartphone Redmi Note 3, featuring the Snapdragon 650 processor designed to deliver amazing performance, thanks to its powerful 64-bit capable hexa-core CPUs and super-fast 4G LTE connectivity," said Qualcomm India president Sunil Lalvani.

The phone comes with 16MP rear camera, which has dual ISPs for more powerful post-processing of photos.

It also comes equipped with Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) for faster focusing, as well as "Local Tone Mapping", which adjusts contrast at a pixel level to deliver images with much better contrast levels.

Redmi Note 3 has been designed for full compatibility with India's cellular networks and supports all Indian LTE bands allowing the users to fully utilise the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology.

The smartphone will also be available on Flipkart, Snapdeal and offline partners soon.

The company also announced the launch of its colourful range of powerful bluetooth speakers in the last week of March - around Holi in India.

The speaker has a 1,500mAh battery and gives a eight-hour playback, while aluminium body speakers, which measure less than a pencil case, are available for Rs 1,999.

The company also announced that their Mi5 smartphone, which was recently launched in China, would be launched in India next month.