Xiaomi just launched their first 5G smartphone in Australia without carrier support

The good news? Xiaomi's first 5G phone is now available in Australia. The bad news? It's launched without carrier support.

As of this morning, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G version and the new Mi Band 4 fitness tracker are both officially available for Australian customers via the www.mi-store.com.au online storefront.

In terms of specs and design, the Mi Mix 3 5G is pretty much a rehash of the regular Mi Mix 3 (review here). The only major difference is that Xiaomi have swapped out the Snapdragon 845 processor inside the device for the more recent and powerful Snapdragon 855 and X50 modem. Other than that, it boasts a dual-lens rear camera, 6GB of RAM, slider design, full screen display and 128GB of storage.

At $1399, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G is also the cheapest 5G handset to hit Australia yet. However, the benefits of that next-generation connectivity are naturally going to be limited to the capabilities of Australia's nascent 5G networks. For more info on this, check out our guide to all things 5G.

We've reached out to Telstra to confirm whether the device will play nice with Australian carriers but, in theory, there's nothing stopping you from buying the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, pairing it up with one of Telstra's SIM-only plans and engorge yourself on 5G goodness.

Of course, the timing here is a bit rough. It's one thing to announce local availability for your first 5G phone. It's quite another to announce local availability for your 5G phone on the same day that Samsung debut the Note 10 and Note 10+.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G is available now via www.mi-store.com.au, Amazon, Catch and eBay for an Australian price of $1399.