UMIDIGI S3 Pro now globally available at US$279.99, still a pretty good deal

Without doubt, Chinese brand UMIDIGI is one of the many underdogs that should be taken seriously by more people. The company's last achievement is the successful crowdfunding campaign for the MediaTek Helio P70-powered S3 Pro handset, which ended two weeks ago by going above the US$200,000 barrier (the goal was US$100,000, the same as in the case of the failed Meizu Zero phone, a radical design concept apparently way ahead of its time — or simply pointless).

The specs of the UMIDIGI S3 Pro units that are now available globally are not different from what we already know. In case you missed this handset so far, here is a quick roundup of its remaining highlights (next to the aforementioned processor): 6.3-inch full HD+ display with waterdrop notch, 6 GB of memory, 128 GB of internal storage, 48 + 12 MP main camera, 20 MP selfie shooter, 5,150 mAh battery with 18 W fast charging, Android 9 Pie software, NFC connectivity, USB Type-C, as well as a traditional 3.5 mm audio jack.

As you can see in the video below, the retail package of this handset looks pretty good, including a solid USB cable and a case. However, the protective case is not a transparent one, so the luxury ceramic back of the phone will be completely hidden from view. Nevertheless, the UMIDIGI S3 Pro is a good example of what can be achieved by the smartphone industry while keeping the price within reasonable limits. It only remains to see the build quality of this device and the kind of the software support it will get in the future.

Those interested can grab the UMIDIGI S3 Pro from AliExpress or directly from the manufacturer's website for US$279.99. Obviously, other Chinese websites like GearBest or Banggood should have it up for sale in the coming weeks as well.