Category: Xiaomi

Xiaomi Redmi S2 To Launch In India On June 7th

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 was launched in China on the 10th of May. In China, the base model is priced at RMB 999(Rs 10500 approx.) and the other one is priced at RMB 1,299 (Rs 13800 approx.). The Redmi S2 appeared to be another China-exclusive device but, it might soon launch in India. Redmi India has taken to Twitter to announce that another selfie-centric Redmi device will launch in India on the 7th of June.

Every step in your life is defined by a selfie. Find yourself, #FindYourSelfie

The BEST selfie smartphone is arriving soon. pic.twitter.com/OeQaSAI4TZ

— Redmi India (@RedmiIndia) May 14, 2018

The teaser confirms that the soon to be launched smartphone will be a part of Redmi’s Y series. The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and Y1 Lite were launched in November and were the first “selfie-centric” devices from the company. The Redmi S2, which is expected to launch as the Redmi Y2 will be the third iteration in the series. We expect the RedmS2 (Redmi Y2) to be priced at about Rs 9000. The smartphone will slot between the Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5.

The Redmi S2 takes a lot of design cues from other Xiaomi smartphones launched in 2018. It has the same vertically place dual-camera setup found on the Mi MIX 2s and Redmi Note 5 Pro. The aluminium unibody design is also familiar along with a circular fingerprint sensor placed on the back of the smartphone.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio which has become the norm for even budget smartphones.

Must Read: Xiaomi Redmi 5 Launched in India For Rs 7,999

Under the hood, the Redmi S2 runs on the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a tried and tested SoC for Xiaomi. That chipset is coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM along with either 32GB or 64GB of storage which is expandable via a microSD card. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery, which will charge via a micro USB port. The Xiaomi Redmi S2 runs Android 8 Oreo out of the box with MIUI 9 on top.

To the back of the smartphone will be a 12MP primary sensor along with a 5MP depth sensor. To the front is a 16MP AI-powered camera which is capable of clicking portrait mode selfies using just the software.

The Redmi S2 will be a peculiar launch by Xiaomi. It appears that the company is flooding the sub-10K category with its own smartphones. After the Redmi 5, Redmi 5A and the Redmi Note 5, the Redmi S2 will try to impress the average consumer.

May 14, 2018
Top Tech Deals On Gearbest

India is the second-most populated country in the world and the third largest smartphone market. Despite the potential in the Indian market, there are plenty of great smartphones that either don’t launch in India or launch too late to be relevant at all. Xiaomi, for example, has some great smartphones in China but, rarely launches any in India. The recently launched Xiaomi Redmi S2, for example, is a China-exclusive for now. However, it is available to buy on Gearbest and plenty of other smartphones are on sale as well!

Elephone Smart Band

Price: US$ 9.99 (Rs 681 approx.)

The Elephone Smart band for US$ 9.99 is one of the best deals out there for people looking to buy a fitness band. It has a Heart rate monitor, Sleep monitor, and Step/distance/calories counter. The fitness band will also notify you if there is a notification or an incoming call. At a price of Rs 700, the Elephone smart band is a great deal!

Buy it here

Xiaomi Redmi S2

Price: US$ 154.99 (Rs 10,000 approx.)

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio which has become the norm for even budget smartphones.

Under the hood, the Redmi S2 runs on the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a tried and tested SoC for Xiaomi. That chipset is coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM along with either 32GB or 64GB of storage which is expandable via a microSD card. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery, which will charge via a micro USB port.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 runs Android 8 Oreo out of the box with MIUI 9 on top. To the back of the smartphone will be a 12MP primary sensor along with a 5MP depth sensor. To the front is a 16MP AI-powered camera which is capable of clicking portrait mode selfies using just the software.

Buy it here

HOMTOM HT70

Price: US$ 164.99 (Rs 11,100 approx.)

The HOMTOM HT70 is built like a tank and has the battery capacity of one. The smartphone has a 10000 mAh battery which means it is a smartphone cum power bank

It has a 6 inch display with a 1440 x720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio, common among budget smartphones.

The HOMTOM HT70 runs on the MediaTek MTK6750T chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The fingerprint sensor’s placement is similar to the Galaxy S8’s as it is right next to the dual-camera setup. The back of the device also houses a 16MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor. The front has an 8MP camera.

Buy it here

Blackview A20

Price: US$ 39.99 (Rs 2700 approx.)

Entry-level smartphones in India barely impress. The Nokia 1, despite being an Android Go device is not an entry-level device and Indian brands have failed to capitalise on this situation. The Blackview A20, however, could be the answer to entry-level smartphones woes. At an effective price of about Rs 3000, the A20 has a lot going on for it.

It has a 5.5 inch display with a 960 x 480 px resolution. Under the hood, the smartphone runs on the MediaTek MTK6580 chipset with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor. That is coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. There is no fingerprint sensor which is understandable for a smartphone at this price.

The one thing that the Blackview A20 does not skim out on is the number of cameras on the smartphone. It has a dual-camera setup on the back consisting of a 5MP primary sensor and a 0.3MP secondary sensor. The front of the device houses a 2MP camera.

Buy it here

May 14, 2018
Xiaomi Mi 7 With iPhone X Like Notch Leaked In Live Images

The Xiaomi Mi 7 will have a notch, making it a first for Xiaomi. The trend of the notch has had a polarising response so far where some people can’t stand it while the others believe it doesn’t look half bad. The smartphone makers have certainly grown accustomed to it as more companies embrace the notch. But, the Mi 7 could be the only Android smartphone that will truly justify having a notch on the display.

New images posted on Twitter by popular leaker Ben Geskin give us a glimpse of an iPhone X design with Android OS. The Mi 7 looks identical to the iPhone X but, it still has a chin, which the iPhone X doesn’t. The back of the smartphone has a vertically placed dual-camera setup again, very similar to the iPhone X but, Xiaomi appears to have adopted this design language for 2018.

The back doesn’t appear to be made of glass which is odd for a 2018 flagship device. However, users won’t complain about a solidly built smartphone and that is what we expect from Xiaomi. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the back in a central position. Xiaomi has been doing this for devices long before it adopted the 18:9 aspect ratio.

The most interesting part about the Mi 7 is the notch. Unlike a lot of Android smartphones which have a notch but, without a real purpose, the Mi 7 is expected to house hardware that will enable Face ID-like facial recognition system. This means the Face Unlock won’t depend on software and in turn, be much more reliable. If Xiaomi pulls this off, it will do a one-up over Apple since the Mi 7 will also have a fingerprint sensor.

iPhone X Face ID

A recent report from MyDrivers clams that the Mi 7 will launch in late-May as part of Xiaomi’s 8th-anniversary celebration. Here is where it gets a bit tricky. A previous report claimed that the Mi 7 won’t come out before the third quarter of 2018 since the company has not been able to develop the technol0gy required for 3D facial recognition. It is, however, possible that Xiaomi could unveil the Mi 7 sooner and then make it available for sale later in the year.

It is to be seen how Xiaomi goes about the launch of one of the most ambitious smartphones from the company. The Xiaomi Mi 7 will gain international attention if it becomes the first Android smartphone to replicate Apple’s Face ID.

May 11, 2018
Xiaomi Redmi S2 With 18:9 Aspect Ratio, 16MP Front Camera Launched

Xiaomi has launched a yet another budget smartphone in China, the Xiaomi Redmi S2. The smartphone from Xiaomi will be available in two variants, one with 3GB RAM/32GB storage and the other with 4GB RAM/64GB storage. The base model is priced at RMB 999(Rs 10500 approx.) and the other one is priced at RMB 1,299 (Rs 13800 approx.).

There have been rumours that the Xiaomi Redmi S2 might launch in India as an Android One smartphone. The Mi 6X could launch as the Mi A2 while the Redmi S2 will be a more affordable offering from Xiaomi, both running stock Android OS. However, these are all speculations so far and nothing can be said for certain.

Redmi Note 5 Pro

The Redmi S2 takes a lot of design cues from other Xiaomi smartphones launched in 2018. It has the same vertically place dual-camera setup found on the Mi MIX 2s and Redmi Note 5 Pro. The aluminium unibody design is also familiar along with a circular fingerprint sensor placed on the back of the smartphone.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio which has become the norm for even budget smartphones.

Under the hood, the Redmi S2 runs on the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a tried and tested SoC for Xiaomi. That chipset is coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM along with either 32GB or 64GB of storage which is expandable via a microSD card. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery, which will charge via a micro USB port.

Mi MIX 2s

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 runs Android 8 Oreo out of the box with MIUI 9 on top.

To the back of the smartphone will be a 12MP primary sensor along with a 5MP depth sensor. To the front is a 16MP AI-powered camera which is capable of clicking portrait mode selfies using just the software.

The Redmi S2 appears to be another impressive budget smartphone from Xiaomi’s sub-brand. It will be interesting to see if Xiaomi decides to launch the Redmi S2 in India as an Android One smartphone. If priced at under Rs 10,000 the device could be a great contender against the likes of Honor 9 Lite.

May 10, 2018
Use Your Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro As A Wi-Fi Booster with Wi-Fi Hotspot

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro was launched in India on the 14th of February. At the time of its launch, the smartphone received great reviews and many hailed it as the best budget smartphone currently. Over the course of time, devices like the Asus Zenfone Max Pro have launched in India at a competitive price and similar specifications. The Redmi Note 5 Pro, however, hasn’t seized to amaze us as we recently discovered that the smartphone has Wi-Fi repeater.

Usually, smartphones use the 4G/3G mobile data to make a Wi-Fi hotspot but, with the Redmi Note 5 Pro, the same can be done using a Wi-Fi connection. For this, ensure that your smartphone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. Once connected, head to the settings menu and click on Personal Hotspot and enable the Wifi Hotspot. Once enabled, the smartphone will then use the Wi-Fi connection to create a hotspot. Users can share the password of their hotspot with other people to access the Wi-Fi without requiring a password for the main router’s Wi-Fi.

This feature can also help you get a slightly better signal as the phone can be used as a temporary network booster. Do note however, speeds are not extremely impressive and it dumbed down a 100 Mbps connection to just 7 Mbps when routed though the Red Note 5 pro. This however may not be a problem for those looking for a quick guest network or a wifi boost.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Overview

The Note 5 Pro has a 5.99-inch display with a 2160 x 1080px resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset and an Adreno 509 GPU to handle the graphics. The Redmi Note 5 Pro will be available in two variants, 4GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/64GB storage. The 6GB RAM variant is a great prospect for users who multitask a lot.

The fingerprint sensor is placed on the back of the phone and it has an aluminium unibody build, similar to the Redmi Note 5. Out of the box, the Redmi Note 5 Pro will also run Android 7 Nougat with MIUI 9 on top.

The Redmi Note 5 Pro will also have the infamous Face Unlock feature. It won’t be available out of the box but, will be introduced via an OTA update in March.

The Redmi Note 5 Pro has focussed a lot on the front camera. It has a 20MP Sony IMX376 camera on the front with an LED light. Unlike the Redmi Note 5, it has Beautify 4.0 software which will result in better portrait mode photos, the company claims. To the back of the smartphone is a vertically place dual-camera setup. It is a 12MP colour sensor f/2.2 and 5MP f/2.0 colour sensor setup. The smartphone will click portrait mode photos from the front and rear cameras.

This new feature unearthed can come in handy in a lot of situations. Have you found any interesting feature in your Redmi Note 5 Pro? Let us know in the comments!

This story was made with inputs from Bharat Nagpal

May 8, 2018
Xiaomi Redmi S2 Price Leaked Ahead Of May 10th Launch

Xiaomi’s Redmi lineup of smartphones has had an impressive start to 2018. Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 5 Pro in India and has received great reviews so far. The company then launched the Redmi Note 5 Pro as the Redmi Note 5 in countries like China which has also been well received. Now, the company will launch its latest budget offering, the Xiaomi Redmi S2 in China on the 10th of May.

A new leaked poster of the Redmi S2 reveals the antenna lines of the smartphone and the dual-camera setup. This is nothing new as the high-res images of the smartphone were leaked a few days ago. However, the leak has also revealed the possible pricing of the smartphone. The base model of the smartphone could be priced at under CNY 1000 (Rs 10500 approx.).

Must Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Prices Hiked, Starts At Rs 14999 Now

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution.

Under the hood, the Redmi S2 will run on the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a tried and tested SoC for Xiaomi. That chipset will be coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage which will be expandable via a microSD card. Powering the device will be a 4000 mAh battery, which is an upgrade over the previously suggested 3000 mAh battery.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 will run Android 8 Oreo out of the box with MIUI 9 out of the box. To the back of the smartphone will be a 12MP primary sensor along with a 5MP sensor. There are no details about the front-facing camera so far.

The launch of the Redmi S2 is just a couple of days away and there have been talks of the Redmi S2 being launched in India as an Android One device. A recent XDA Developers report claimed that Xiaomi might launch two Android One smartphones in India in 2018. One of them will be the Mi 6X and the other could be the Redmi S2 as a more affordable offering for the Indian market.

May 7, 2018
iGyaan Tech Tips: How To Install Third-Party Apps On Xiaomi Mi TV 4
The Xiaomi Mi TV 4 was launched in India on the 14th of February along with Redmi Note 5 and 5 Pro. At the time of the launch, the smart TV was priced at Rs 39999 which disrupted the Indian smart TV market. Since then, companies like Thomson, TCL etc have also launched affordable smart televisions to compete with the Mi TV 4. However, the Xiaomi Mi TV 4 now costs Rs 44999, which Xiaomi claims is in an effort to ramp up the supply after recent changes in PCBA import taxes and the depreciation of INR since the beginning of the year.

In our review of the Mi TV 4, we were really impressed with the product. The company’s AI-powered Patchwall UI needs a few more updates to be considered a real feature but, it works. Our main issue with the television was lack of native support for content streaming services like Netflix, Hoststar, Amazon Prime Video etc. We initially tried to install apps but, to no avail.

However, after a few and hit and misses, we have finally figured out a way to install apps on the Xiaomi Mi TV 4 for a much better content consumption experience. Follow these steps to the T and you should be able to enjoy Netflix, Hotstar and lots of other apps on your mi TV 4.
- Download the Apptoide app from here and copy it on a USB pen drive
- Go to Settings, then Security and allow Unknown Sources
- Then plug in the pen drive to your TV
- The moment you plug in the pen drive, a pop window will show up, make sure to press cancel
- Go to TV Manager, then head to Install apps via USB and select your pen drive. Then install the Apptoide app
- Once installed, go to the Apptoide app and install the apps of your liking
Apptoide is an app store for smart TVs wherein users can download video streaming apps, Android games and even social media apps like Facebook.
May 7, 2018
Apple iPhone X Was The Best Selling Smartphone In Q1 Of 2018

Launched in September of 2017 for a whopping US$ 999 starting price, the Apple iPhone X had its fair share of doubters. The new design complete with a notch initially did not impress many. The iPhone X also did not have the famed Touch ID and was replaced Apple’s own facial recognition system, now known as Face ID. With so many changes and a record high price, the iPhone X was still the best selling smartphone of Q1 of 2018.

In a new report by Strategy Analytics, Apple sold 16 million units of the iPhone X in the quarter, making it the best selling smartphone. Apple did announce record profits for the quarter and Tim Cook claimed that the Apple iPhone was the best selling smartphone in many markets. Apple announced quarterly revenue of US$ 61.1 billion, a year-over-year growth of 16% which is much higher than its street estimates.

Must read: Apple iPhone SE 2 Renders With Face ID And iPhone X Style Notch Leaked

A close second on the list of best selling smartphones was the iPhone 8 with 12.5 million units. The iPhone 8 Plus, launched along with the iPhone 8 and iPhone X was the third best selling smartphone with 8.3 million units sold. At number four on the list was the iPhone 7, a smartphone launched in 2016, with 5.6 million units sold during the quarter.

iPhone 8, 8 Plus

Xiaomi’s “Desh Ka Smartphone” Redmi 5A was fifth on the list with 5.4 million units sold. Credit has to be given to the Samsung Galaxy S9 for coming in sixth on the list. The smartphone was launched in late-February and went on sale in March. In all, the top six smartphones accounted for 1 in every 7 smartphones shipped in the world during the quarter.

Redmi 5A

It is a mind-boggling statistic that the top five best selling smartphones were from the same company, Apple. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which were believed to be unimpressive when compared to the iPhone X managed to be among the best selling smartphones of the quarter. This report also contradicts many claims from analysts that the Apple iPhone X is not in demand anymore and the Apple is planning to stop the production of the iPhone X.

Must Read: OnePlus 6 Price In India Leaked, Starts At Rs 36999

Samsung Galaxy S9

With smartphones like the OnePlus 6 launching in May, more smartphones would be thriving to enter that list for the coming quarters of 2018.

May 5, 2018
Xiaomi Mi 7 Leak Reveals It Will Have An iPhone X Like Notch

Most of the flagship smartphones in 2018 will have a notch. We have already seen a few Android OEMs embracing the notch and upcoming smartphones like the OnePlus 6, LG G7 ThinQ will also sport it. Xiaomi was expected it to launch the Mi MIX 2s with a notch but, the company stuck to its original MIX design and avoided a lot of backlash. However, it looks like Xiaomi will give in to the industry trend with the launch of the Mi 7. New images of the Mi 7’s tempered glass reveal that it will have a notch as well.

The images do look real are taken from different angles. Unlike a lot of leaked images, these are high-res images giving us a clear view of what the display of the Mi 7 might look like. It is clearly visible that the glass has a cutout for a fairly large notch. It is worth noting that this notch is bigger than the ones found on the Huawei P20 Pro, Asus Zenfone 5Z or even the upcoming OnePlus 6. In fact, it resembles the iPhone X in terms of the size of the notch.

Must Read: 2018 Apple iPhone With LCD Display Won’t Have 3D Touch

The reason behind a bigger notch compared to other Android devices could be facial recognition. For weeks it has been rumoured that the Xiaomi Mi 7 will have an iPhone X like facial recognition system. This means that its Face Unlock feature won’t rely on just software and have the hardware for a much secure facial recognition system. Hence, there are quite a few cutouts in the notch as well. These cutouts could be for the depth-sensing cameras, similar to the iPhone X.

iPhone X Face ID

A previous report claimed that this technology won’t make its way to the market before the third quarter of 2018, which is when we can expect the Mi 7 to be launched. The report also mentions that Qualcomm, Himax Technologies and Truly Opto-Electronics have a joint venture for creating a 3D sensing module. However, this only works on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 platform. Since smartphone makers like Samsung and Huawei use their own chipset, they won’t be the first OEMs to introduce Face ID like technology on an Android smartphone.

Must Read: OnePlus 6: Everything We Know So Far

This means that a recent leaked official-looking poster of the Mi 7 is fake. The poster claims that the Mi 7 will be launched on the 23rd of May. The Xiaomi Mi 7 will certainly be an exciting Android smartphone with its 3D facial recognition technology. However, it does seem that the launch of the Mi 7 is still a few months away. So far, a launch in the third quarter of 2018 seems most likely.

May 1, 2018
Xiaomi Could Launch 2 Android One Devices In India

On September 5th, 2017, Xiaomi launched the Mi A1 in India. It was the first-ever Xiaomi smartphone to run stock Android OS and so far, it is the only one. On 25th April, Xiaomi launched the Mi 6X in China, which is highly anticipated to succeed the Mi A1 in India. That is mainly due to the fact that the Mi A1 was nothing but a rebranded Mi 5X. Hence, a similar move is expected from Xiaomi this year as well. However, it appears that Xiaomi might be planning something else for its stock Android loving Indian consumers. New firmware files obtained by XDA Developers reveal that the company might launch two Android One smartphones in India.

Xiaomi Mi A1

Along with a Mi series Android One device, Xiaomi is expected to launch a Redmi smartphone running stock Android OS as well. CEO of Xiaomi, Lei Jun hinted at this possibility last week:

Yes, we plan to have more Android One devices. Some of our users in India seem to like stock Android, and we are willing to bring in more devices with Android One including the Redmi series.

Now, the the firmware files of a device codenamed “daisy-sprout” were accessed. It is worth noting that the “sprout” was the codename for the first generation Android One devices. This Redmi Android One smartphone will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, the same SoC found in the Xiaomi Mi A1. However, considering this will be a Redmi device, it will be marketed as a budget smartphone.

This is all the more interesting considering the Redmi S2 will soon launch in China. It is extremely likely that the Redmi S2 might be rebranded as an Android One device for India. If true, we can expect this Redmi Android One smartphone to be launched under Rs 10,000 in India.

Mi 6X

The next set of files retrieved are of a device codenamed “jasmine_sprout.” The codename of the Mi A1 was “tissot_sprout” where “sprout” signifies Android One. According to the report, the Mi A1 successor will be based on the recently launched Mi 6X but, whether it will be a rebranded Mi 6X or not can not be confirmed right now.

Certain similarities between the mystery ‘Mi’ series Android One device and Mi 6X have been found. For starters, the “jasmine_sprout” will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset, the same chipset found in the Mi 6X. Also, the Mi 6X and the Android One smartphone will have the same front-facing 20MP Sony IMX376 sensor.

These files certainly point towards a Xiaomi strategy that wants to build on the success of the Mi A1 in India. It does make sense for Xiaomi to launch a more affordable Android One device considering how price sensitive the Indian market is. Having two solid offerings under Rs 10000 and Rs 15000 running stock Android OS could be a game changer for the Chinese smartphone maker.

April 30, 2018
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Prices Hiked, Starts At Rs 14999 Now

Xiaomi has just announced that the Redmi Note 5 Pro has received a price hike. The budget smartphone’s base model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage will now retail for Rs 14999 instead of its original price of Rs 13999. Manu Kumar Jain, MD of Xiaomi India announced the news via Twitter and said that the price hike is an effort to ramp up the supply of the smartphone after recent changes in PCBA import taxes and the depreciation of INR since the beginning of the year.

Mi fans! In order to ramp up supply for #RedmiNote5Pro & #MiTV4 (55), we're marginally increasing the prices. This is because of the recent changes in PCBA import taxes & INR depreciation.

This will help us bring more units to all of you!

Read more: https://t.co/T6aykphV0q pic.twitter.com/3NrgS4sxFd

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 30, 2018

The Mi TV 4, Xiaomi’s 55 inch smart LED TV has also received a price hike. The company has cited the same reasons and increased the price of the TV to Rs 44999. This is an increase of Rs 5000 since the original price of the television was Rs 39999. Xiaomi has also announced that it will honour the preorders of the Redmi Note 5 Pro and charge the consumers Rs 13999 only. For new orders and subsequent flash sales, the Redmi Note 5 Pro will retail for Rs 14999.

Mi TV 4

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro was launched in India on the 14th of February at a starting price of Rs 13999. At the time of the launch, it was the only smartphone in India to run on the Snapdragon 636 chipset and is still one of the best budget smartphones in the country. However, we have recently seen strong smartphones being launched in that price category. Asus has launched the Zenfone Max Pro in India at a starting price of Rs 10999 which runs on the same Snapdragon 636 chipset. In fact, the Zenfone Max Pro also runs stock version Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro

The price hike of Rs 1000 means that Xiaomi wants to get rid of the flash sales and increase the supply of the in-demand Redmi Note 5 Pro. However, in a price sensitive market like India, any sort of price hike can be colossal, especially considering that the Zenfone Max Pro is very able replacement for the Redmi Note 5 Pro.

April 30, 2018
Xiaomi Redmi S2 Images And Specs Leaked

Xiaomi has recently been launching a lot of mid-range smartphones in China and other major smartphone markets like India. For a while now, a new budget smartphone, part of the Redmi series has been doing the rounds on the internet. New images of the Xiaomi Redmi S2 have been leaked by a Czech Republic publication. However, unlike the usual sketchy looking leaked images that we are used to seeing, these are high-resolution images which have been clicked with a lot of time in hand.

The leaked images remind us a lot of the recently launched Redmi Note 5 Pro and Mi 6X. The smartphone has the 18:9 aspect ratio and a vertically placed dual-camera setup on the back. It appears that this will become a staple design for Xiaomi mid-rangers in 2018. It also appears that just like the Mi 6X, the Redmi S2 will be available in few colourful options as the one in the images is Pink in colour.

The publication has also revealed all the specifications of the smartphones. It has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution.

Under the hood, the Redmi S2 will run on the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a tried and tested SoC for Xiaomi. That chipset will be coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage which will be expandable via a microSD card. Powering the device will be a 4000 mAh battery, which is an upgrade over the previously suggested 3000 mAh battery.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 will run Android 8 Oreo out of the box with MIUI 9 out of the box. To the back of the smartphone will be a 12MP primary sensor along with a 5MP sensor. There are no details about the front-facing camera so far.

The Redmi S2 should be launched soon considering such detailed specifications and images of the smartphone have been leaked now. Xiaomi, however, has not hinted at any launch event so far.

April 28, 2018
Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Might Have An 18:9 Aspect Ratio

Xiaomi has had a lot of success with its smartphones in India. The Chinese company is now the top smartphone vendor in India, which is one of the largest smartphone markets in the world. The Chinese tech giant also makes very impressive Android tablets, something that cannot be said for most major Android OEMs. The Mi Pad 3 was launched in April 2017 and the launch of its successor, the Mi Pad 4, is imminent.

XDA Developers have now got hold of a few firmware files that shed some light on the Mi Tab 4. According to the files, the Xiaomi Mi Tab 4 could have an 18:9 aspect ratio but, it cannot be confirmed right now. The boolean value in the MIUI configuration file called “is_18x9_ratio_screen” is set to “true.” While this a hint of a tall display, folks over at XDA Developers are not very confident about this particular piece of information.

The Mi pad 4 will run on the Snapdragon 660 chipset, same as the recently launched Mi 6X. The maximum CPU frequency in MIUI’s configuration file is set to 2.0GHz for the big cluster, which hints at the Snapdragon 660 rather than the Snapdragon 636 which is found in the Redmi Note 5 Pro. There is no information on the RAM and storage options, but, it is possible the Mi Pad 4 could have 4GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage. This particular configuration is extremely common among budget devices.

The Mi Pad 4 will have a single camera on the front and back. The rear-facing camera will be a 13MP OmniVision OV13855 sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. To the front will be a 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. Tablets are rarely judged for their camera capabilities because it tends to be the least used function on a large sized device. However, a good front-facing camera is ideal for video calling .

The tablet industry has been dominated by Apple iPads for a while now. With most Android manufacturers shying away from manufacture of tablets, Samsung and Xiaomi are the only major brands especially in the budget category. Hence, the Mi Pad 4 could fill in a gaping hole in the tablet industry. Whether it will be successful at that or not, is yet to be seen.

April 27, 2018

Xiaomi Mi A1 To Mi 6X Here Is What Has Changed

Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi Mi 6X in China as a successor to the Mi 5X, which was a highly popular smartphone in both China and in India launched as the Mi A1. The pricing will start at CNY 1599 (Rs 16800 approx.) for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant. The 6GB RAM/64GB storage variant will be priced at CNY 1799 (Rs 19,000 approx.), while the 128GB storage model will retail for CNY 1999 (Rs 21,200 approx.). As was evident from previous teasers of the smartphone, the Mi 6X will be available in Cherry Pink, Flame Red, Sand Gold, Glacier Blue, and Black colour variants.

In India, if it happens, the Xiaomi Mi 6X will be launched as the Mi A2 or the Mi A1 (2018) with stock Android OS instead of MIUI. The Mi A1 was launched at a price of Rs 14999 in 2017 and considering the pricing of Mi 6X, the Mi A2 could be a bit pricier this year. However, by the looks of it, the Mi 6X looks like a sizeable upgrade over the Mi A1.

So, what has changed from the Mi A1 of 2017 to the Mi 6X or possibly, the Mi A2 in 2018? Let’s find out!

Specifications	Xiaomi Mi A1	Xiaomi Mi 6X
Price	Rs 13999	Starts at CNY 1599 (Rs 16800 approx.)
Display	5.5 inch LTPS IPS LCD	5.99 inch IPS LCD
Resolution	1920 x 1080 px 16:9 403 ppi	2160 x 1080 px 18:9 403 ppi
Battery	3080 mAh	3010 mAh QuickCharge 3.0
Chipset	Snapdragon 625	Snapdragon 660
RAM	4GB	4GB/6GB
Storage	64GB Expandable up to 256GB	64GB/128GB Expandable up to 256GB
Primary Camera	12MP f/2.2 12MP f/2.6 Telephoto	20MP Sony IMX486 f/1.75 12MP Sony IMX486 Telephoto f/1.75
Primary Camera Video	4K @ 30fps	4K @ 30fps
Secondary Camera	5MP	20MP Sony IMX376 Soft light LED flash
Add-Ons	Fingerprint sensor	Fingerprint Sensor Face Unlock

As the specs sheet tell us, the Mik 6X is a very substantial upgrade over the Mi A1. The Mi A1 turned out to be a smash hit for Xiaomi and the company would want to build on the Mi A1’s popularity in India. This should convince Xiaomi to launch a successor to the Mi A1 and the Mi 6X, at least on paper, looks like an ideal candidate for that.

April 25, 2018

Xiaomi Mi 6X Launched With Snapdragon 660 SoC

Xiaomi has launched the follow up of its highly popular Mi 5X, the Xiaomi Mi 6X at an event in China. The Mi 6X will be available in three variants, the base model will have 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, the second will have the same storage and 6GB of RAM and the priciest version of the Mi 6X will have 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage.

The pricing will start at CNY 1599 (Rs 16800 approx.) for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant. The 6GB RAM/64GB storage variant will be priced at CNY 1799 (Rs 19,000 approx.), while the 128GB storage model will retail for CNY 1999 (Rs 21,200 approx.). As was evident from previous teasers of the smartphone, the Mi 6X will be available in Cherry Pink, Flame Red, Sand Gold, Glacier Blue, and Black colour variants.

The Xiaomi Mi 6X has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution. This is the same display found on the Redmi Note 5 Pro in India and the size of the bezels is also identical.

Redmi Note 5 Pro

Under the hood, the Xiaomi Mi 6X runs on the Snapdragon 660 chipset, coupled with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage which won’t be expandable. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the back of the smartphone which has been the case with almost every Xiaomi smartphone.

Powering the smartphone 3010 mAh battery. Interestingly, the smartphone supports QuickCharge 3.0 which means it also has a USB type C port, something that a lot of Xiaomi fans wanted on the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Out of the box, the Mi 6X will run on Android 8 Oreo with MIUI 9.5 on top. This means that the Mi 6X will also have Face Unlock feature, like the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The Mi 6X will also support Project Treble for faster software updates.

The AI-powered dual-camera setup was teased a lot leading up to the launch. Out of the two cameras on the back, the main sensor is a 20MP Sony IMX486 with an f/1.75 aperture and 2-micron pixel size. The secondary sensor is 12MP Sony IMX486 telephoto lens with an f/1.75 aperture and 1.25-micron pixel size. The AI is used to identify over 206 scenes in the camera app which includes food mode, text, greenery, sky, beach, snow, cats, dogs and many more. Once a scene is detected, the camera automatically tweaks its settings for, in theory, a better image. On the front of the Mi 6X is a 20MP Sony IMX376 sensor with soft light LED flash.

The Mi 5X was launched in India as the Mi A1 with stock Android OS. The Mi A1 turned out to be a smash hit for Xiaomi and the company would want to build on the Mi A1’s popularity in India. The Mi 6X, if launched as the Mi A2 or Mi A1 (2018) would be a sizeable upgrade over the Mi A1, provided Xiaomi keeps the pricing of the device competitive.

April 25, 2018

Category: Xiaomi

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