This manufacturer, known for its smartphones but also for other product categories, has launched in China the Xiaomi Walkie Talkie 3. The device has the look and feel of a walkie-talkie but adds a surprising option: the ability to communicate with a range of 5,000 km.
How is it possible for it to achieve something like this, when other devices can barely go more than a few kilometers? Easy: because this device take advantage of Netcom 4G networks which are especially popular in China.
Wait, a nanoSIM slot in a walkie-talkie?
These devices have a two-inch screen, are IP54 protected and They have a 3,000 mAh battery which according to the manufacturer makes it possible to have an autonomy of 60 hours of use.
They charge through a USB-C port, and in addition to the 3.5mm jack it is possible to use them with Bluetooth headphones.
The sound has been improved thanks to a 40mm main speaker. These devices have a new audio processing chip that is capable of increasing the volume by 30% and that also reduce ambient noise for clearer communications.
What is striking comes with its communication capabilities, which thanks to the support of those 4G networks that the big train operators of Chinese telecommunications use. This function requires the use of a nanoSIM card (4FF), something that those responsible for Xiaomi only detail in the specifications.
According to the product specifications, the supported bands are B1/B3/B5/B8 in FDD-LTE networks (frequency division multiplexing, popular in countries like Spain) and B34/B38/B39/B40/B41 in TDD-LTE. LTE (time division multiplexing, much more used in China and even in the US). Some of them are bands for 3G GSM communications (and not 4G) also compatible in Spain.although other bands are not used in our country.
The walkie-talkie is the latest iteration in a family we’ve talked about in the past. It has functions such as the creation of independent groups, the rapid formation of teams or the ability to be used as a private intercom. You can also receive OTA updatesallowing you to add features or fix problems in the future.
Actually these types of products are not new and there are alternatives that for example do work in other markets such as Spanish.
The idea is the same, and examples like this product mix those mobile functions —including others such as GPS— with those of walkie-talkies to propose an idea that Xiaomi has now wanted to adapt to its new devices.
Price and availability of the Xiaomi Walkie-Talkie 3
The new Xiaomi Walkie-Talkie 3 are available in China, where its price is 399 yuan (about 58 euros to change).
It is not known if Xiaomi will market this product outside of China, or at what price if he ends up doing it.
More information | Xiaomi
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism