The original Xiaomi Phone offered both of high-end features and a low-end price tag: a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 8MP camera, GPS and GLONASS support, and a capacious 1930mAh battery for around $310. Now, its successor is on the way and it’s reported to be a quad-core beast with a 720p display. Better still, it’s going to sell for about the same price as the original. The downside, of course, is that it’s probably also going to be a China-only phone.

Like its predecessor, the new Xiaomi is being built by Foxconn — and that’s reportedly where these leaked images came from. While the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip and 1280 x 720 touchscreen sound like nice upgrades, the phone still lacks a front-facing camera. Its battery has also been reduced to 1700mAh from the original’s 1930mAh, which was good for about two days of real-world use. That should still provide plenty of juice, however, given that the quad-core HTC One X battery is just 100mAh larger.

What might be more of a concern is that a second leak regarding the new Xiaomi Phone says that the battery isn’t user-replaceable. That seems like an odd change in direction for the company — they went so far as to offer color-matched rear covers and batteries for the original.

There’s been no official announcement yet, but that may be coming soon: tipsters have pegged August 16 as the big day. Of course, that’s only good news for those of you living in or travelling to China. Those of you who want a powerful, cheap Android phone with the attractive MIUI GUI preloaded (and don’t care about video calling apps) may have to do some digging to find a reputable retailer who’s willing to ship beyond the great wall.