Tech Guide – Redmi started the trend of flagship K series smartphones with the launch of the Redmi K20 series in China in 2019. The company then continued to release its successors the following year with the Redmi K30 and K30 Pro. And in 2021, it is back with the Xiaomi Redmi K40 series.
Since the news about the Redmi K40 series leaked, there have been many rumors about these two models, but it is clear that this is not a 2 million rupiah phone because it is in the premium class. Therefore, let’s take a look at the specifications and what we know so far before the launch.
Redmi K40 Series Design
Xiaomi has always maintained a different design from Mi and Redmi flagships so far. The Redmi K20 had a full-screen display, and a circular camera layout at the back, whereas the Xiaomi Mi 9, launched the same year, had a notch display and a vertical pill-shaped camera layout.
The same case occurred last year, but leaked images of the Redmi K40 Series, namely the Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro, show that the gap is narrowing between them in terms of design this year.
The teaser images of the Redmi K40 series show a camera layout exactly like the elongated version of the Xiaomi Mi 11. The similarity can be seen in the rear design below.
In terms of design, the Redmi K40 series will stand out. It will discard the pop-up camera mechanism found in its predecessors for a punch-hole panel in the center. Lu Weibing has confirmed that it will feature the smallest punch-hole display in the world.
Estimated Specifications of Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro
Interestingly, just like the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro, this year’s devices are expected to share many specifications between them with slight differences. Note that these are specifications that have appeared in the TENAA listings in China and some other reports.
- Dimensions: 163.7 x 76.4 x 7.8mm
- Display: 6.67-inch punch-hole display (Expected: Samsung E4 AMOLED with 2400 × 1080 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate)
- Processor: Snapdragon 888 chipset (in Redmi K40 Pro), Snapdragon 7xx / 870 (rumored in Redmi K40).
- Camera: AI Triple-Camera (Possibly 64MP main – on Redmi K40, 108MP large 1/1.5 inch sensor on K40 Pro)
- Battery: 4,420mAh (could be marketed as 4,500mAh) with 33W fast charging
- Memory: 6/8 GB DDR5 RAM, 128/256 GB UFS 3.1 storage
- Other features: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, Dual Stereo-Speaker
- OS: MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11
If these specifications are accurate, then it can be confirmed that the K40 will become one of the best Xiaomi phones.
Redmi K40 and K40 Pro Launch & Price
Regarding the launch, Redmi has confirmed that the Redmi K40 series will debut in China on February 25th. As for the price, the Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro might start from 2,999 yuan ($462 or Rp 6.5 million). That is still the launch price, not the release price in Indonesia.
Since the launch first takes place in China, do not expect an overseas debut soon. However, some unclear rumors say that the K40 might debut under the POCO brand in countries like India. We will have to wait for the official confirmation.
That’s a bit of information about the best Xiaomi phone, the Xiaomi Redmi K40 and K40 Pro. Xiaomi is indeed known for having various products with cheaper prices for the same specifications, like some recommendations for 1 million rupiah phones.