Category: Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s Q1 Earnings May Not be as Good as You Think

Lately, Xiaomi has been in the news for all the good reasons. They’re constantly announcing high-speced affordable smartphones and earnings that are constantly on a rise. But seems like the good days of the company may be over played. The Chinese equipment manufacturer that took over Apple’s sales on its home ground a while back, is now witnessing a steep decline in its revenue.

Ben Bajarin from the market research firm Creative Strategies revealed the quarterly sales of Xiaomi. The figure shown below depicts a decline in the Q1 2015 from the last quarter of 2014.

Based on Xiaomi’s end of March statement they sold 100m smartphones in total, they did not have a good Q1 2015. pic.twitter.com/Bn9qwyKukW

— Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) April 28, 2015

According to the statement by Ben Bajarin, Xiaomi sold a total of 100 million handsets, which is less than its previous records. One of the major reasons for lesser business for the Chinese tech giant is the supply shortage. The flash sale model adopted by the company has worked both in its favour and against. When the company’s supply does not meet the demand, interested buyers begin looking for other options.

There is a possibility that the latest Mi phone may help recover the revenue. The new Xiaomi Mi 4i consists of the Mi 4 parts, which are easily available in the market. Their supply chain is expected to achieve an overall boost by this, consequently helping Xiaomi build its sales numbers. Let’s hope Xiaomi pays heed to these figures, and increases its units in the future.

April 28, 2015
Xiaomi Flaunts 3 Lakh Mi 4i Registrations; No Word on the Number of Units Up for Sale

When Xiaomi took the veil off its latest, affordable smartphone Mi 4i in India, it was speculated to have record sales. Going by the presumption, the device has garnered huge registrations for the flash sale to be held on April 30. The handset reported over 3 lakh applications in a mere four days period.

Xiaomi India Head Manu Jain confirmed the same via Twitter –

#Mi4i: we got 3+ lakhs of registrations for Mi 4i during 1st 4 days. Thank you everyone for your love and support :) @MiIndiaOfficial

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 28, 2015

At the launch event held on April 23, the Chinese electronics firm mentioned that users need to register on the e-commerce website Flipkart to participate in the sale. The registration process is done simply via a three step process.

Xiaomi hasn’t mentioned the number of devices going up for sale and users need to be online before the sale time (April 30, 2 pm) to grab the product. In the past, we have seen Xiaomi pushing 40,000-50,000 units of devices. Therefore, this time it is expected to release units close to the earlier figures. Those who haven’t registered yet can do it here.

Recalling the specifications, Xiaomi Mi 4i has a 5-inch Full HD OGS IPS display with 441ppi pixel density. The processor powering the phone is a 64-bit octa-core Cortex-A53; the four cores clocked at 1.7 GHz and the other four at 1.1 GHz. It features 2GB of RAM and 16GB of non-expandable storage space. The Mi 4i runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company’s MIUI 6 on top.

Optics includes a 13MP rear and a 5MP shooter. The dual-SIM device is powered by a 3120mAh battery. Connectivity options include microUSB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. Priced at Rs. 12,999, the handset will be available in white, blue, orange, yellow and pink colour options.

April 28, 2015
Ratan Tata Buys Stake in Xiaomi

Recently we heard the Chinese smartphone maker, Xiaomi, claiming that it wants to be an Indian company. Today, according to an official post by Xiaomi, Ratan Tata has acquired stake in the brand, making him the first Indian investor.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Xiaomi” link=”https://www.facebook.com/MiIndiaOfficial/photos/a.1504141266467106.1073741828.1495988390615727/1614587922089106″]

We are happy to announce that Mr. Ratan Tata, chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, has made an investment in Xiaomi. This is the first investment by any Indian in Xiaomi.

Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, is happy to say: “Mr. Tata is one of the most well-respected business leaders in the world. An investment by him is an affirmation of the strategy we have undertaken in India so far. This is just the start of an exciting journey, and we are looking forward to bringing more products into India.”

[/quote]

Xiaomi has already made it to number 4 in the Indian smartphone market, and with Tata’s investment the company might get major push in the Indian retail market especially Tata Croma retail stores, which will now carry Xiaomi phones.

Xiaomi recently launched a new cheaper version of the Mi 4 dubbed the “Mi 4i” which is expected to do well in the Indian market.

April 27, 2015
Xiaomi Wants to Become an Indian Company, Says Company CEO Lei Jun

Xiaomi has exhibited many a times how important India is as a marketplace for the Chinese electronics manufacturer. It has set up an R&D centre in Bangalore (India), launched a warehouse and is showing interest to invest in Indian start-ups. The China’s Apple is now planning to begin local manufacturing in India and is reportedly in talks to set up a plant, as per Economic Times.

The Founder and CEO of Xiaomi Lei Jun said in a statement –

The most important market for us in 2015 is India. We want to become an Indian company. So, we want to build an R&D team, manufacture phones, set up data centre in India and invest in ecosystem companies in India.

He further disclosed the company has a team working on local manufacturing project. It is in conversation with its partners along with the government of two nations. Xiaomi wishes to make it happen as early as possible, but all this would take up to two years. The unit yet to establish in India will initially assemble the devices.

The electronics start-up which emerged in 2010 has become a customer favourite all over world. The devices offered by the firm come with considerable specifications and a reasonable price tag. It now stands neck and neck with notable electronics players like Apple, Samsung, HTC and more who are in the smartphone game since long.

Recently, the world’s third-largest smartphone producer conveyed that its goal is to become an Internet giant, not a handset dealer. It expects to reap nearly $1 billion from mobile services this year. Xiaomi aims to make Internet services e.g. smartphone games and payment app a pivotal part of its business and hopes to turn smartphone buyers into paying customers with its services.

India is on top of the company’s list to expand outside China, and the company launched Mi 4i in New Delhi. It is the cheaper version of Xiaomi Mi 4 costing Rs. 12,999 and includes an India-specific feature called Visual IVR. Xiaomi is presently the world’s most valuable technology start-up.

April 25, 2015

Xiaomi Brings Out the Lighter ‘Mi 4i’ With a 13MP Rear Camera

The time for which we all had been waiting for has come. Xiaomi has finally pulled the curtain off the ‘i’ mystery and showcased the world, Xiaomi Mi 4i. The Chinese electronics manufacturer has been teasing the device for quite some time. As speculated, the fresh handset is an affordable variant of Xiaomi Mi 4 and comes at a price of Rs. 12,999.

Talking about the exterior of the handset, the Mi 4i sports a polycarbonate unibody. It weighs a mere 130g and features dimensions 138.1mm x 69.6mm x 7.8mm. As compared to the original version, the Mi 4i is slightly smaller and lighter than Xiaomi Mi 4.

The device has a 5-inch Full HD OGS IPS display with 441ppi pixel density. The screen comes with a new technology called Sunlight display that adjusts the brightness when outdoors. The processor powering the phone is a 64-bit octa-core Cortex-A53; the four cores clocked at 1.7 GHz and the other four at 1.1 GHz. The device has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage onboard. The phone doesn’t have a MicroSD card slot. There is an Adreno 405 catering to graphics quality. On the software front, the Mi 4i runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company’s MIUI 6 on top.

Coming on to the camera, then the Mi 4i has a changes camera setup. The phone boasts a 13MP shooter with F/2.0 aperture along with dual-LED Flash and Autofocus, while the front is a 5MP shooter with F/1.8 aperture. The camera app has got some new features like image filters. Besides that the current tools have been modified to provide better picture quality such as HDR and Beautify.

The dual-SIM device is powered by a 3120mAh battery. Connectivity options include microUSB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. The handset will be available in white, blue, orange, yellow and pink colour options. The handset will be available from April 30 on e-commerce site Flipkart. Meanwhile, users can register to for the same today from 8pm.

Check out its specs below:

Specs	Xiaomi Mi 4i
Display	5-inch Full-HD, 441ppi
Processor	64-bit octa-core Cortex-A53
RAM	2GB
Storage	16GB
Camera	13MP Rear, 5MP Front
Battery	3120mAh
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop with MIUI 6
Price	Rs. 12,999

April 23, 2015

Xiaomi Mi Power Banks are Back in Stock on Flipkart

One of the reliable and affordable power banks in India, Mi Power Bank, was unavailable on Flipkart since long. The e-commerce website has now restocked its cart with both the variants of Mi Power Bank – 5200mAh and 10400mAh. The 5200mAh version will come at a price of Rs. 599, while the latter one will cost Rs. 999.

Xiaomi has also launched a 16000mAh power bank, but it’s not out for sale yet. The highest capacity portable charger will go on flash sale on April 24 at 12 noon.

Coming back to the available Mi Power Bank variants, the Mi 5200mAh external charger boasts an elegant design and is extremely portable. It can charge a regular-sized battery (2100mAh) twice, e.g. iPhone 5s can be charged two times on a full charge. On the other hand, the 10400mAh power bank on a complete charge can refill a regular battery four times.

Meanwhile, Mi Power banks are available on Flipkart only, and its latest online partners Snapdeal and Amazon India are yet to stuff their carts.

Check our review of the Mi Power Bank below:

Click here to buy now:

April 22, 2015
Here’s How You Can Watch Xiaomi’s “Global Mi Phone Premier” Live

The forthcoming Xiaomi event is going to be grand in many ways. It’s the first time that the Chinese electronics firm has chosen India for Global Mi Phone Premier and today, Xiaomi announced another first. The firm came up with a statement saying that the global Mi event will be live streamed on April 23 at 3.30pm IST. Users can visit the official Mi page to watch the event live.

For now, the Mi page features a countdown to the event. On April 23, the timer will be replaced by a live streaming video for the Xiaomi fans. Also, the live stream of the event will be in English for the majority of the world to understand. The audience sitting in their homes can also participate in the live event by sending tweets with hashtag #MiLaunch2015.

As we all know, the launch event is open for all, and anyone from fans and media can walk in to witness the launch of the new phone.

Xiaomi teased the new smartphone with a tagline “i IS COMING”. Since then, much has been speculated about the forthcoming device. There have been reports that the next device is the low-end version of the Mi 4. A device with title Mi 4i was also spotted on the GeekBench3, which brought to light scare details of the phone.

Fortunately, there are just two more days for the new device to launch, and it will put an end to all the anticipations. Keep checking back for more updates on the next Mi Phone.

April 21, 2015
Xiaomi Plans to Invest in More Than a 100 Start-ups

Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi, which was once a start-up, has now grown to become the third largest consumer electronics firm in the world. It has gained a foothold in its home market as well as the native markets of other renowned electronics titans. The tech major is working towards turning every budding business into an empire.

According to a recent report, Xiaomi is betting on emerging businesses to help them copy the growth model of the company. The CEO of Xiaomi has announced that the company plans to invest in hundred startups to help them financially. This step is in accordance with the earlier move to back 20 startups that has shown productive outcomes.

Lei Jun commented about its plan that Xiaomi’s strategy is to enable the company into an “ecosystem empire” with major focus on software firms. He further stated –

We plan to move full steam ahead in its quest to become an ecosystem empire.

Investing in software firms would help Xiaomi link anything; consequentially aiding its product portfolio expansion.

Recently Xiaomi’s backed robotics manufacturer Ninebot acquired Segway. The buyout seized the attention of the industry-watchers as a small industry is expanding rapidly, but more than that, it was a call for big celebration for Xiaomi. Late last year, Xiaomi became the world’s most valuable technology start-up after gaining $1.1 billion from investors.

Xiaomi has made use of its small associates and has launched a bunch of smart products such as air purifiers, smart bulbs, smart televisions, etc. With its new approach to software firms, we may soon hear of some unconventional innovations amongst their smartphones.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi has shown significant interest in the Indian market. It has announced to establish a physical warehouse and an R&D center in Southern parts of India.

April 20, 2015
Xiaomi Announces Mi Note Pro’s Arrival Date and a New Limited Edition Mi Note

The Chinese upstart manufacturer Xiaomi recently launched a special black edition of the Mi Note. The Black version adds to the already released Mi Note Bamboo and Mi Note Pink edition, along with the original white version. The Black Mi Note Edition is currently up for sale in China for $400 (approximately Rs. 25,000).

Other than the change in design, specifications and features of the Mi Note Black Edition are similar to the original version. It holds the identical 5.7-inch display with 386ppi pixel density with 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor providing computing power to the device.

The company hasn’t mass produced the Black Mi Note and only 30,000 units of the special version will be available. Hence, we’re almost certain that this edition will not be arriving in India.

Meanwhile, we have also learnt about the Mi Note Pro is arriving on May 6 in China. The device was announced alongside Mi Note in January. The CEO of Xiaomi Lei Jun announced through his Weibo account about the availability of the Pro edition of the Mi Note.

Recalling the specifications of Xiaomi Mi Note Pro – the smartphone flaunts an enticing 2560×1440 at 515ppi screen (2k display) and is powered by 64-bit Snapdragon 810, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB version internal memory space. The device has 3000 mAh battery and comes with 13MP rear and 4MP front camera. The handset runs on MIUI 6 based on Android 4.4 KitKat.

The Mi Note Pro is priced for 3,299RMB, which is about $532 dollars or Rs. 32,800.

April 17, 2015
Xiaomi Mi 4 Faces a Price Drop in India, Ahead of Tentative Mi 4i Launch

The Mi 4 was one of the top-selling products by Xiaomi, and it is still taking a lead with its amazing specifications and reasonable pricing. The Chinese consumer electronics firm has given one more reason to its customers to pick the handset over the 2014 flagship killer OnePlus One. Xiaomi has slashed the price of its Mi 4 handset, making both the 64GB and 16GB variants cheaper by Rs. 2,000.

The official Mi India website speaks about the refreshed price tag of the Mi 4:

The 64GB version will now cost Rs. 21,999 instead of Rs. 23,999, while the 16GB version can be purchased at a price of Rs. 17,999 down from Rs. 19,999. Users can buy it through Flipkart or The Mobile Store, whereas the recent online partners Snapdeal and Amazon will receive it soon. Xiaomi India Head Manu Jain notified about the same via Twitter:

#Mi4PriceDrop – new price is permanent. Mi 4 is available on @Flipkart n @themobilestores. It’ll soon be available on @Snapdeal n @amazonIN

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 16, 2015

Unlike the Mi Fan Festival flash sale that offered the Mi 4 at discounted rates, this price cut by Xiaomi is permanent. Also, it should be worth noting that the announcement of the price cut came a week before the Global premier of a mysterious new smartphone. The upcoming smartphone is speculated to be a low-end version of the Mi 4.

Meanwhile, we earlier surfaced the news that the company is working on a bigger sibling of Mi 4, the Mi 5. The smartphone is said to mark the debut of the new interface MIUI 7. According to official AOKP blog, the new interface is codenamed MiKangy, and will be a whole new take on the Android UX, combining the salient features of top ROMs like CM, PA, Omni and AOKP.

The Mi 5 is yet to go official. Till then, you can buy the Mi 4 through the links provided below:

April 16, 2015
Xiaomi Might Launch a Low-End Version of Mi 4 at the Global Mi Phone Premier in India

A couple of days back Xioami sent out media invites for the launch of their next smartphone. The company disclosed that it will be holding a global premier of the next Mi phone, and both fans and press were invited. The Chinese startup updated its official Mi India page with a teaser that reads “i IS COMING”, and it seems like we now have an idea what they meant by the “i”.

According to the Chinese tech online daily GizmoChina, a new variant of Mi 4 has been spotted on the GeekBench3 website and Singapore IDA database. The device is possibly the low-end version of the company’s latest flagship, Mi 4. The reason it is considered to be launching on April 23, is its name. As per the source, the handset has been titled as “Xiaomi Mi 4i”, the last alphabet compelling us to consider it as the upcoming offering.

As the device is listed on the GeekBench3, we have some details of the handset. The Mi 4i will come with a 1.65GHz Qualcomm processor with 8 cores, along with 2GB of RAM and Android 5.0.2 Lollipop.

Being a low-end version of Xiaomi Mi 4, the device is likely to be priced less than the Mi 4 (possibly around Rs. 16,000). As always, we expect Xiaomi to come up with something that gives a cut-through competition to the present offerings in the market.

April 13, 2015
Xiaomi’s New Teaser Hints at an All-New Product Line

Xiaomi is setting up new benchmarks for its contenders to follow now and then; whether it’s about record sales figures or being the no. 1 smartphone vendor. Lately, the Chinese electronics firm has set a world record by selling over 2 million smartphones in just 12 hours across the globe. It has restlessly expanded its product portfolio in its 5 years of existence and it now offers devices such as air purifier, power banks, TV’s and more. Xiaomi is now set to expand its portfolio again by stepping into yet another segment.

The company sent out a teaser image that speaks of a completely new product. The image reads April 15 as the launch date of the unknown forthcoming product.

The teaser image disseminates the information that Xiaomi is talking about two different poles. The ‘N’ and ‘S’ characters at the extreme sides likely represent North Pole and South Pole. Below mentioned is the name of a famous personal electric vehicle manufacturer Ninebot. The firm is known for making self-balancing electric robot.

The teaser seems to point out to a product that is entirely different from its current product portfolio. Since it has something to do with Ninebot, the next product is anticipated to be a smart vehicle, or it may be a GPS related product; since there is pole concept.

Xiaomi’s poster has raised our curiosity, and we are excited to see the next smart product in its kitty on April 15. Keep checking back for updates on iGyaan.

April 11, 2015
Xiaomi Announces ‘Global Mi Phone Premier’ to be Held in India

Unlike Apple, Xiaomi understands the potential the Indian market holds. In a first, Xiaomi announced it is all set to introduce its next smartphone to the world – by holding its premier in India. The Chinese startup has sent out invites for the premier of the global Mi Phone in India, which will be held in New Delhi on April 23. The company has updated its Mi India page with the launch information and also notified about the forthcoming product via its Twitter account –

i IS COMING. Register for our global Mi phone premiere in New Delhi on 23 April. http://t.co/H8GdKvulca #MiLaunch2015 pic.twitter.com/0pxgSe4Mu0

— Mi India (@MiIndiaOfficial) April 10, 2015

The media invite reveals that the premier event of the undisclosed smartphone will mark the presence of top managements of the company. Lei Jun (CEO & Founder), President & Co-Founder of the company Bin Lin, and Hugo Barra (VP Xiaomi Global) will be addressing the conference, where both the press and fans are cordially invited. Xiaomi fans can register for the premier on official Mi page here. The show will commence at 2pm.

Xiaomi has proved its remarks that India is an important marketplace for the electronics giant. It’s the first time the firm has announced a global product premier in India. This clearly signifies that the forthcoming device is entirely new, and we are anticipating that it can be the Mi 5. Lately, it came to light through Android Open Kang Project (popularly known as AOKP) that Xiaomi is working on the successor of Mi 4, and it is titled Mi 5. According to the AOKP blog post, the Mi 5 will debut with a new user interface MIUI 7 based on Android Lollipop.

However, things are uncertain, and we can only guess what it could be. For now, all the Mi fans need to underline the date and wait for the official unveiling of the next Mi Phone.

April 11, 2015
Xiaomi to Open Warehouse in Bengaluru To Strengthen its Retail Might in India

Xiaomi is stressing on building a firm ground for itself in the Indian sub-continent. After planning to set up an India-centric Research and Development (R&D) centre in Bengaluru, the Chinese electronics giant is gearing up to open its warehouse in the country. Xiaomi is setting up its storage base in south Indian city’s industrial hub, Bommasandra.

Xiaomi’s India Operations Head, Manu Jain spoke on the news –

We are building the warehouse for the Mi Store (Xiaomi’s e-commerce store) that we will launch this year. We would not like to comment more about something that is not operational yet.

This step by China’s Apple is expected to give a push to its online retail business in India, conducted through the Mi.com website. It may also be considered as a move to boost its offline presence in the country by opening up a physical store.

The new warehouse will stuff all the products launched in India, and will gradually build to include more devices from Xioami’s global cataogue. Meanwhile, the devices present in its India product portfolio include Redmi 2, Mi 4, Redmi Note 4G, and Mi Pad. While the Mi Note is set to join the already existing offerings soon, the 49-inch 4K TV may arrive later this year. Other equipments expected to be launched in India include a range of connected devices, fitness band and air purifier.

According to Cyber Media Research, Xioami recorded a steep fall in sales in Q1 2015. OnePlus and Micromax’s YU gave tough competition to the Chinese brand, which lead to decline in sale units from nine lakh to six lakh units. Xiaomi has planned to recover the declined business and has reworked on its business proposals.

The company has made some alterations in its business plan and finished its exclusive partnership with Flipkart. The company will now sell its products through Snapdeal and Amazon, together with its old partner Flipkart. The company has also adopted the offline sale policy by selling its smartphones in collaboration with The Mobile Store.

April 10, 2015
In 12 Hours, Xiaomi Sold Over 2 Million Smartphones Across Seven Asian Countries

On the occasion of completing five years on 8^th April, Xiaomi had decided to give the public something worthwhile. Hence, the Chinese firm staged a 12-hour ‘fan festival’ across seven Asian countries. This event saw a total sale of 2.12 million smartphones, more than 38,000 Mi TVs and over 770,000 smart appliances, amounting to a revenue of RMB 2.08 billion ($335 million).

In the words of Xiaomi, the company has truly established itself as an Internet company, with e-commerce proving to be the best way to reach its customers. In 2014 alone, Xiaomi sold over 61 million handsets worldwide and are aiming to complete a 100 million by the end of this year. This feat has landed them as the third largest mobile manufacturer in the world. The company has been on a tear lately, quadrupling its valuation while other established handset makers, including smartphone giant Samsung, have stumbled.

Xiaomi will soon be launching its Mi.com online store in US and Europe, although this store will only be selling accessories like the Mi band and the ridiculously cheap power banks.

Xiaomi has been grabbing headlines in the Indian market too with the release of the Red Mi, Mi Pad and many other products. You can read more about it here.

April 9, 2015