Xiaomi Mi3 review: Is last year's flagship better than this year's? If you are becoming more curious about the Chinese manufacturer and you want to try its two recent high-end smartphones, you will certainly find it slightly difficult to choose between the two. 

The good thing about the Xiaomi Mi3 is it is already available in a lot markets, even if its availability has been pretty late. Announced last December, the Android-powered smartphone only made its way outside of its home market in China this year. 

The phone packs a 5-inch display with Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, a Snapdragon 800 chipset similar to the one running on the Galaxy Note 3, a 2GB RAM, and either 16GB or 32GB of built-in memory.

At the back of the device is a 13MP primary camera with a 2MP front shooter for selfies. While the phone initially released running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, the new version which is available is already powered by Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat. 

Meanwhile, the Mi4 is the more powerful sibling of the Mi3. It boasts the same 5-inch 1080p display, but gets a bump in most of the specs including the chipset (Snapdragon 801), RAM, (3GB), and memory options (16GB and 64GB). 

Other changes include the 13MP primary camera at the back and the 8MP selfie shooter in front that is bound to shoot the best selfies around. 

The question now is which one would be a better fit for your needs. At only $325, the 16GB edition of the Mi4 is certainly tempting. The problem is that it isn't available at the moment in most countries, except you are in China. 

On the other hand, the Xiaomi Mi3 could be 1 year older, but still packs a high-end list of specs that even the best midrangers today cannot match. Only only below $300, it is definitely a bang for your buck handset. 

So basically, buying the Mi3 or Mi4 depends on your eagerness to get a new smartphone. If you want one now, the Mi3 is the clear choice. On the other hand, if you are willing to wait for a few months more, then you can save more on the Mi4 in the longer run.