Xiaomi launches the Redmi K50 Extreme Edition as the cheapest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 phone yet

After CEO Lei Jun's annual speech yesterday, Xiaomi launched the Redmi K50 Extreme Edition. Initially rumored to be the Redmi K50 Ultra or Redmi K50S Pro, the Redmi K50 Extreme Edition debuts as the top dog in the Redmi K50 series, and also appears to have the honor of being the cheapest smartphone yet with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.

The Redmi K50 Extreme sports a 6.67-inch 1.5K 120 Hz AMOLED, with HDR10+ and 12bit support. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, aided by up to 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Xiaomi is also marketing the phone's gaming performance, as it claims an average of 58.03 FPS across three hours of Genshin Impact gameplay.

Camera-wise, the Redmi K50 Extreme Edition features a 108 MP main camera. It's not the same sensor Xiaomi has used on previous sub-premium phones either. Gone is the ISOCELL HM2 on the Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 11 series, with the Redmi K50 Extreme sporting the ISOCELL HM6. There's OIS as well. The 108 MP camera is joined by an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, a 2 MP macro lens, and a 20 MP selfie camera.

Other features of the Redmi K50 Extreme Edition include a 5000 mAh battery, 120 W charging, 3.5 mm jack, and IP53 certification. Pricing is as follows: 8/128 GB: CNY2,999 (US$450), 8/256 GB: CNY3,299 (US$490), 12/256 GB: CNY3,599 (US$535), 12/512: CNY 3,999 (US$595). That starting price tag makes it the cheapest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 device on the market at the moment. 

Buy the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G on Amazon.