If you've been patiently waiting for Xiaomi to release the upcoming Mi Note 3 phablet, you may be in for a nice surprise. According to a new rumor out of China, the company is looking to launch the device sooner than the Mi Note 2 came out last year - which was in November. That model was announced in October, but its successor could actually become official before the end of this month.

That's the earliest that Xiaomi might unveil the Mi Note 3, the rumor claims. If the handset doesn't step into the spotlight in August, then September will be the month of its launch.

All of this allegedly comes from sources inside Xiaomi's supply chain, but the usual caveats about rumors (and taking them with salt) apply. The phone is said to sport a Samsung-made Super AMOLED touchscreen with QHD resolution. It should be powered by the Snapdragon 835, aided by 6GB of RAM.

Source (in Chinese) | Via