The much-awaited Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus, the company’s first-ever budget smartphones with an 18:9 display, will launch on December 7, it has been widely reported.

Xiaomi also confirmed the date by posting this image on China’s Weibo social platform.

Xiaomi’s post on Weibo reveals the launch date of the Redmi 5 and the Redmi 5 Plus. (Via GSMArena)

Apparently, the upcoming Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus will be introduced by members of Chinese pop band SNH48. “A phone for a thousand,” the headline reads, suggesting the Redmi 5 will likely start at 999 yuan (about P7,614 or $151) in its native China. And while it could end up being slightly more expensive than its predecessor, this probably won’t deter fans from getting the Redmi 5 or the Redmi 5 Plus on release day.

READ ALSO: Xiaomi Mi A1 Android One phone review: Pure Android all the way

The poster also revealed the design of the phones — although it wasn’t surprising to see a tall, thin-bezel display slotted in the front of the device. The back (predictably) houses a single-lens camera, as well as a fingerprint reader.

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The Xiaomi Redmi 5 has already stopped by TENAA for Chinese certification — and for a photo shoot and a spec spill. Visually, the phone resembles previous releases, except the front area, which makes room for a 5.7-inch, 18:9 display running at 720p. The front camera is a modest 5 megapixels, whereas the rear includes a more advanced 12-megapixel unit.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 as seen on TENAA. (Via Droidholic)

It will likely ship with MIUI 9 on top of Android Nougat at launch and will see multiple memory configurations to go along with a 1.8GHz octa-core processor. To keep the lights on, a 3200mAh battery will be on duty.

READ ALSO: Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 review: World-class piece of art

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, on the other hand, pairs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor under the hood with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage. Its tall, full-resolution screen measures 6 inches and will be powered by a 4,000mAh battery.

Main image via Tutto Android

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Ramon Lopez

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Reviews editor: Ramon "Monch" Lopez has 16 years of professional experience creating and editing content for print and digital publications such as Yahoo. He headed the gadgets-merchandising division of one of the Philippines’ largest retail operators somewhere in between.