The Xiaomi Mi A3 saga continues: Latest rumor hints at 2 variants with different CPUs

The Xiaomi Mi A3 may be of interest to those in the market for a budget phone. Its series largely consists of rebranded Xiaomi or Redmi phones (for example, the Mi A2 is the Mi 6X in China, whereas the Mi A2 Lite is also known as the Redmi 6 Pro) with appreciable specs intended for markets such as the US. Once there, they are also often eligible for the Android One program.

The Mi A3 has been thought to be a particularly compelling prospect in light of rumors that it may be the international variant of the Mi CC9e. However, should the latest rumor on this subject prove true, it may disrupt this theory somewhat. Posted by MySmartPrice, it repeats a statement by the tipster Ishan Agarwal that the Mi A3 will be powered by the Snapdragon 730 (SD 730) - like the Mi CC9 proper.

As the Mi CC9e is powered by the less familiar SD 665, this means it and the Mi A3 may not be the same phone. Agarwal also now asserts that there is a Lite variant of the same upcoming phone in the works. However, as it apparently runs on the SD 675, the possibility of the Mi A3s and new CCs becoming interchangeable are getting slightly more remote.

This is a slight shame, as the Mi CC9 series offers new esthetics (in terms of novel 3D glass rear panel effects) along with their triple cameras and decent specs. On the other hand, there is nothing to say that these attributes may make it to the Mi A3s after all, just with slightly different processors in the mix.