Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 pictures leak, show a metal unibody chassis

Xiaomi's Redmi Note mid-range phablet was quite successful last year – announced in March, 2014, the phone pre-sold like hot cakes, probably thanks to the fact that it carried a 5.5" 720p display, an octa-core MT6592 SoC, 1 GB of RAM, and an 8 MP camera for the price equivalent of $130. Naturally, the manufacturer began planning a sequel for the model, and we've seen many rumors, speculations, and possible launch dates for the second iteration of the large handset.

Well, it seems that Xiaomi may be almost ready to announce the Redmi Note 2, as a leakster has released a set of images, which they report to be of the phablet itself. Interestingly, they depict a metal unibody build, which is a bit of a departure from what we've seen Xiaomi's more affordable phones to be encased in, and definitely not the plastic body that we've seen leaked before.

We would guess that Xiaomi took its time to redesign a much more desirable handset, since it's feeling the heat from Meizu on the Chinese markets – the Redmi Note has a formidable opponent in the face of the Meizu m1 note and both companies have made considerable efforts to sway customer interest in their direction. This could explain why the previously leaked Redmi Note 2 chassis looks nothing like the one we see now, assuming what we're seeing now (and what we saw back then) is actually a Redmi Note 2.

As far as specs go – the Xiaomi-made phablet is expected to tote a Snapdragon 615 with 2 GB of RAM under its hood and a 13 MP / 5 MP camera combo, but we wouldn't rule out the possibility for Xiaomi to surprise us with something more powerful.

Assuming this really is the Redmi Note 2, it would be interesting to see if an how Meizu would step up its game with the m2 note.