Xiaomi Mi A3 could be the next Android One smartphone

Xiaomi has already launched a few Android One smartphones in the Mi series. Now, a recent report sheds light on the next-generation Android One smartphone that could be in the making. Recently, we came across reports that the company might foray into the Android Go initiative with the launch of a Redmi Go smartphone in the coming months. Users who want to get benefited by the affordable pricing of Xiaomi and enjoy the stock Android experience prefer these phones.

Given the launch pattern followed by the company, the Xiaomi Mi A3 could be the next Android One smartphone. A recent report by XDA Developers citing a discovery by a junior member Franztesca has revealed the codename of the upcoming smartphone.

Xiaomi Mi A3 details

As per the report, the codename 'orchid_sprout' has been spotted by the junior member known for the development of XiaoMiTool. This code appears to have been found while digging through the MIUI 10 firmware that is based on Android 9 Pie, which is meant for the flagship Mi 8. The same codename was also confirmed to exist in the latest MIUI 10 build rolled out to the Mi Mix 3.

The '_sprout' suffix was also used in the codenames of the previously launched Android One smartphones certified by Google including the ones from Xiaomi - Mi A1, Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite. Notably, 'tissot_sprout', 'jasmine_sprout' and 'daisy_sprout' are the codenames of the Mi A1, Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite respectively.

As of now, there is no word regarding the specifications and other details of the alleged Mi A3. We can expect it to be launched with support for NFC as the firmware points out at the support for NFC chip from NXP. If this turns out to be true, then the Mi A3 will be the first Xiaomi Android One device to arrive with NFC support.

Given the previous launch pattern followed by Xiaomi, we can expect the next Android One smartphone to be launched sometime in the middle of this year. As there is enough time for the same, we can expect to come across further reports giving us more clarity regarding the smartphone.