Category: Xiaomi

10 Reasons That Will Help You Decide Whether Or Not To Buy Xiaomi Mi3

Xiaomi has entered the market in India with a bang, everyone is talking about the ‘Apple of China’ that gives you amazing features at just 15k. But before buying any gadget, you need to make sure you know it well. Well, there is a certain taboo in India about things with the “Made in China” tag. Although Xiaomi is a Chinese company, we have to admit, they’re offering an amazing device.

Anyhow, here are our list of pros and cons, that’ll should help you decide:

1. Price

When Xiaomi was rumored to launch Mi3 in India, it was expected to be priced at Rs.14,999 and which was already pretty impressive, enough to give tough competition to the big players in the market. Surprisingly, Xiaomi reduced the price of the Mi3 further by Rs. 1000 at the Official press event held in Delhi and finally the 16Gb version Xiaomi Mi3 was priced at Rs.13,999. With all the hardware this smartphone has in it, the price of Rs 13,999 is a steal.

2. Hardware and Performance

The first thing that you will notice about the Xiaomi Mi3 is its impressive hardware specifications. The Xiaomi Mi3 is powered by a 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 800 quad core processor which is coupled with an ample 2GB of Ram and a Adreno 330 GPU . As for the display, the smartphone has a 5 inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080p (441 ppi pixel density). No other Android device in its price range offers a Snapdragon 800 processor and this is a major reason why the device stands out in the crowd.

3. Camera

The Xiaomi Mi3 has rear facing 13 MP camera with f/2.2 aperture and Dual led flash. Again, the best camera in its price range. Thanks to the F/2.2 aperture, the smartphone is able to capture impressive low light photography and adding to that the Dual led flash is a also a useful feature.

4. Android 4.4

Well, as we all know the retail units of Xiaomi Mi3 in India come loaded with Android 4.4.2 KitKat and this makes the Xiaomi Mi3 an amazing deal.

5. Non Removable Battery

The Xiaomi Mi3 has a non detachable/removable battery. In case the battery dies out, you won’t able to replace the battery yourself. You’d be required to make a tedious visit to the service centre.

6. Memory

With all the things that we would want to store on our smartphones, the option of expandable storage always comes in handy. However, the Xiaomi Mi3 has no option for expandable storage which is a major let down for a phone with such impressive specifications.

7. Tendency to Heat Up

While all phones tend to heat up while performing resource intensive tasks, but since the Mi3 has got an aluminum body, you get to feel more heat.

8. Warranty

A total of 36 service centers were announced by Xiaomi at the press event held in Delhi. Among these 32 service centers, two service centers located in Delhi and Bangalore will be exclusively operated by Xioami itself and will have a maximum turnaround time of 2 Hours.

9. Slippery build

The Xiaomi Mi3 body is made of brushed aluminum and this makes it extremely slippery. If you are planning to buy this smartphone, you should also consider investing in a good case and mind your clumsy habits.

10. Flipkart Angle

While the company has made a smart choice of cutting its retail costs by partnering with Flipkart. It is also one of the reasons we’re vary of the Mi3. The anonymity of suppliers is an issue. When there is a problem discovered in the delivered device, there is that possibility of Flipkart refusing to claim responsibility or help out.

So there you have it – the 10 pros and cons of the device. If these weren’t adequate, wait a while. We’ll be reviewing the phone soon.

July 26, 2014
Xiaomi Announced a Super Cheap Mi Band Along With Mi 4

Since the Xiaomi Mi 3 sold in India like hot cakes, we’re keeping our eyes on any and every device the company might soon offer. Yesterday, Xiaomi not only introduced the new flagship phone Mi4, but also a fitness tracker. The band looks quite simple with no display. It is a bold step for the company to enter the wearable market, but with their aggressive pricing strategy they are mostly likely to sell out within hours.

The Mi Band tracks your movement (walking or running) plus sleeping pattern, and you can also use it as a smart vibrating alarm to wake up feeling better. Interestingly, a single charge on this waterproof device will last up to 30 days, which easily beats its competitors that tend to last for a week or less.

Just like Xiaomi’s smartphones, the band is super-cheap compared to the ones available in the market priced at CNY79 (approximately Rs 789). At this price point, the Xiaomi could take the reach of wearable tech to a new level, in case it is launched as a standalone device that works with other devices too. However, there is the possibility that it may work only with Xiaomi phones.

Equipped with an aluminium surface with a micro laser perforation and no display screen, the Xiaomi Mi Band is water resistant (IP67). Once paired with the smartphone, the Mi Band can be used to unlock the user’s smartphone without typing a password or patterns. The Mi Band will be available in range of colour variants including Blue, Pink, Brown, Black, Purple and Grey.

There is no word on the availability of the device in India. We wonder if Xiaomi plans to bundle it with the Mi 4. While, Xiaomi is little known in the West, where it does not yet sell devices, there is an emerging popularity of the company in India. Furthermore, the firm disclosed that its first batch of Mi 3 went on sale in India and sold out within 38 minutes earlier.

July 23, 2014
Xiaomi Introduces The Mi 4 With LTE and an 8MP Selfie Cam

After taking India by storm with their Xiaomi Mi 3, the chinese smartphone dragons have released their next “flagship,” the Mi 4. Yesterday Xiaomi did something that nobody thought was possible; they pulled a MOTO. Xiaomi’s first India offering, the Mi 3, flew off the shelves within an hour of launch on Flipkart. Even though the companies had provided a pre-registration option, the phones simply vanished, and also managed to crash the website.

Coming back to the star of the moment, the Mi 4. The phone comes with stainless steel styling elements which sets it apart from the Mi 3. The 5-inch 1080p smartphone gets its processing powers from the 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC. The phone has 3GB of RAM and comes with 16/64 GB internal storage options.

The camera on the phone is a 13 megapixel shooter with a wide f/1.8 aperture, so night shooting is going to get a boost from it. The selfie camera is a massive 8 MP; a major upgrade in the MI series. The phone also gets an LTE radio and is juiced up by a 3080 mAh battery. The phone will be sold at CNY 1999 which in Indian currency is about Rs. 19,000 and CNY 2,499 for the 64 GB model which would come out to Rs. 24,000 in India.

The Phone provides multiple back panel options

The phone also comes with IR blaster so that it can be used as a TV remote, a feature that is available in some of the top-end phones in India. Staying true to its customizable origins, the MI 4 also comes with options for designer back panels.

Xiaomi and MIUI fans will probably wait for the phone to come to India as it is only released in China currently. Considering the massive response the Mi 3 got in India, Xiaomi would want to take maximum advantage of the market. It has also increased the appreciation for Chinese products in India. With the amount of specs packed in the Mi 4, its seems that the ‘Apple of China’ already has the next winner of the smartphone race in their hands.

July 22, 2014

Unboxing The Xiaomi Mi3

The Xiaomi Mi3 goes on sale tonight for the Indian market at a mere Rs. 13,999. Despite the fact that Xiaomi is a Chinese manufacturer the phone has one of the best specs and benchmarks in its price bracket. This device is set to release in India tonight and will be available for purchase exclusively on Flipkart.com.

The Xiaomi Mi3 has a 5-inch screen with a 1080X1980 p display on a Qualcomm MSM8274AB Snapdragon 800 chipset. The CPU is a Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 and the GPU is an Adreno 330. Presently this phone runs on an Android OS, v4.4 KitKat.

The optics are fitted with a primary 13 MP camera, with a 4128 x 3096p, autofocus and a dual LED flash. It also has a secondary camera of 2 MP capable with 1080p video capabilities. The phone has 16 GB internal Storage. Additionally it has a 2 GB RAM which is sufficient to ensure smooth functionality of the device.

Further features also include micro USB port, Bluetooth and Wi-fi and a non-removable Li-Ion 3050 mAh battery.

For a device in its price band it certainly promises to be one of the most dynamic and feature-ful phones. In terms of its functionality and UI it certainly hit all the check boxes. For any person on a fixed budget this flagship introduced by Xiaomi is the phone to order.

Read the Full Specs below:

Size	144 x 73.6 x 8.1 mm (5.67 x 2.90 x 0.32 in)
Weight	145 g (5.11 oz)
Display	5 inch,HD 1080 x 1920 pixels
Android	Android v4.3 (Jellybean)
Sim Card Type	Single Mini Sim
Network	2G Network-GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 19003G network-HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
Memory	Total Storage: 16 GB RAM: 2 GB
GPS	A-GPS, GLONASS
Sensors	Accelerometer,Gyro Sensor,Proximity Sensor,Compass and barometer
Connectivity	3.5 mm sterio audio jack Bluetooth® 4.0 Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Camera	Primary:13 MP, f2.2, 28mm, 4128 x 3096 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash Secondary: 2 MP, 1080p@30fps
Price	Rs. 13,999
Battery	Non-removable Li-Ion 3050 mAh batteryStand-by-Up to 500 hrsTalk time-Up to 25 hrsMusic play-Up to 50 h

July 22, 2014

Xiaomi Mi3 Launched in India for Rs 13,999

As a pleasant surprise, Xiaomi announced the Mi3 in India at a price tag of Rs. 13,999, which is less than the initial price revealed by the company earlier this month. Along with Mi 3, Redmi 1S and Redmi Note have also been launched at the price of Rs 6,999 and Rs 9,999, respectively. The Xiaomi Mi3 is up for pre-registration today and will be available via FlipKart on July 22.

At the offered price and with its set of features, the Mi 3 is here to trouble other Indian smartphone makers. It will compete with the Nexus 5 and the HTC One M7 with it’s mighty Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 SoC. Moreover, Xiaomi has also put in some thought when it comes to the pressure sensitivity of the display.

The touch feature on the Mi3 allows users to operate the phone even with wet and gloved hands. In addition to launching the phones, the company has released a new India theme in the MiUI themes store. It features refreshed iconography and UI elements, with a very India design aesthetic that features henna patterns, elephants and a wallpaper that shows the Taj Mahal.

As per the recent phablet trend, the Mi 3 comes with a large 5-inch display featuring a 1920 x 1080p resolution. The full HD display ensures that the pixel density goes all the way up to 441ppi. The company says that ‘Mi 3’s backlit display is fused directly to the touch screen’, ensuring deeper colors which pop up for a great visual experience.

The RedMi 1S is Xiaomi’s budget smartphone. It has a 4.7-inch 720p IPS display, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. The phone comes with a microSD card slot and a 2,000mAh battery. It also has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.6-megapixel rear camera. It runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean underneath the MiUI user interface.

Xiaomi Redmi Note phablet sports a 5.5-inch 720p IPS display. It is powered by a 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6592 octa-core processor and 1.7GB RAM. It holds 8GB of internal storage and is expandable to 32GB through the microSD. The phone has a 3100mAh battery and runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with Xiaomi’s MiUi layer on top. It sports a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera.

For those who were skeptical about the customer service, Xiaomi has also set up a network of service centers in 20 big cites in India. There will be 2 exclusive Mi centers in New Delhi and Mumbai, which will have two hour turn around times. Additionally there will be 34 partner operated service centers that will have one day turn around times.

During its launch in Singapore, 5,000 units of Redmi Note, priced at S$199 (Rs 9,600 approximately), were sold out in just 42 seconds. Judging by the pricing of Mi 3 in India, we expect the company to unveil the other phones at an equally competitive prices.

July 15, 2014
5 Things You Should But Don’t Know About Xiaomi Smartphones

The entry of Xiaomi in the Indian market has already created a stir amongst the domestic smartphone players. It may be difficult to imagine that any smartphone firm other than Apple and Samsung can cause such a commotion, let alone a Chinese one. But what is Xiaomi? At first, we couldn’t even pronounce its name properly (it’s Shiao-Me). Well tell you what, we give you 5 reasons to consider Xiaomi as a strong contender in Smartphone market.

1. Lockscreen

The MiUi (Xiaomi operating system) lockscreen has multiple functions. To lock the screen, press the home button till you see a LED light being activated. Double tap the lock screen to control the music menu. Got an unread SMS? Just tap the center of the screen to directly answer the text.

2. Interface

All apps in MiUi are gathered at the main interface along with the widgets as MiUi does not have an app drawer. While Android can quit all applications that run in the background with a long press on the menu button, MiUi users can choose the applications they want in the background, while exiting the rest of them. Also, MiUi’s call interface looks similar to that of Android but it offers additional functions. When making a call, users can opt to write a note and record the conversation in an MP3 format.

3. Messaging

MiUi’s messaging application seems normal but it has an ability to ensure important messages are always on the top by using the pin. Most importantly, MiUi has a Private Messaging function, which allows users to hide sensitive messages with the use of password. You can even select your private messaging contacts and save them in a password protected format. The function can be accessed by dragging down the Messaging interface several times.

4. Intelligent Front Camera

The front camera of Mi 3 has special functions. It comes with an ability to detect gender and age, and subsequently chooses the right filter to enhance pictures. Good news for selfie lovers as no editing is needed before posting pictures in social network. The Mi3 which is going to enter Indian market soon, flaunts a 13 MP rear and 2 MP front camera.

5. Backup

MiUi has its own Backup application. Users can create a backup and save it somewhere else, such as a laptop. This backup can be used if the gadget faces problems in the future. Each function can be reinstalled with Backup. It comes with it’s own local backup system, inclusive of 3rd party applications and data. You can also activate automatic backup timing, which will execute data backup at your specific intervals.

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July 15, 2014
What to Expect From Xiaomi’s Entry Into The Indian Market

Xiaomi, ‘Apple of China’ as it is often called, has now become a hot topic with its entry in the smartphone business in India. Chinese manufacturer has launched its first smartphone in the Indian market, the Xiaomi Mi 3. The phone is priced at Rs.14,999 ($250) and will officially go on sale on July 15. The Xiaomi (pronounced as ‘shao-mee‘) Mi 3 is the company’s flagship device is a pleasant surprise if you take its price into consideration.

The Mi 3 has already won hearts in the east, and predictably Xioami seems to be expecting a huge turn over in India. They have an advantage since the specs they’re offering at this price, are quite good. The budget segment in our country is currently super crowded with low spec mobile phones. One of the biggest competitor Xioami has to face is the Moto G.

The Xiaomi is packed with a 5.0-inch, 1920×1080 resolution IPS panel from LG or Sharp, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC with quad-core 2.3GHz CPU and Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage (non-expandable), 3050mAh battery and MIUI 5 on Android 4.3.

The phone has got a 13MP rear camera with dual-LED flash. Equipped with ultra large Exmor sensor and f/2.2 aperture, you can expect the camera to perform well in various light conditions. For your video conferencing needs, Mi 3 offers a decent 2MP camera on the front. The 3050 mAh battery, will give you about 500 hours of standby time; or about 50 hours of music playback, or 25 hours of talk-time or 21 hours of 3G Internet use.

Another important feature is that while the Xiaomi phones don’t come with the Play Store and Google Apps in China, the company has decided to provide support for them India. You’ll also get about 10 GB of free online storage, which you can use to store your phones contact list, photos, videos, documents and texts.

So far, no official word on retail availability is out but it is said that Xiaomi has signed a deal with Flipkart to sell this phone exclusively through them. However, this is not the only device that Xiaomi will be launching in India this year. Along with the Mi 3 smartphone, Xiaomi has also launched the Mi Power Bank in 10400mAh and 5200mAh capacities but without pricing and availability details.

Also, a recent teaser posted by the company on its official Facebook account suggests that few more devices will be launched very soon.

Although there is no word out about the phones that are going to be launched in India after this one, but there are speculations that Xiaomi could launch the Redmi series, which comprises of Redmi Note and the Redmi 1S, on 15th July as well. If the devices get launched in India sooner than expected, the other players in the market like Micromax, Karboon and Lava will have to match to the competition sent by our neighbour.

July 12, 2014
Xiaomi Set to Launch its First Phone in India

In the battle field called the Indian mobile phone market, a new entrant will try to lay its claim on the throne. Beijing-based Chinese electronics company Xiaomi will launch a phone on the 11th of July to mark its arrival in the Indian market.

On its Facebook page, the company announced that it had “something special” in store for India which it will unveil on the 11th of this month. The company which is sometimes called the Apple of China will also compete with its compatriots Gionee, Oppo, Lenevo, ZTE, Huawei from China.

The company already has an Indian website which might get operational on the 8th of July. The website currently is hosting a contest for users to guess which phone the company will release in India. The winner will get to own the phone.

Like Alcatel and Motorola, Xiaomi has also said to have signed an agreement with the e-commerce giant Flipkart. As it’s just beginning in India, it might be a good step for Xiaomi to sense the water before diving in.

Launched in 2010 the company has since seen massive growth in China. It is one of the biggest manufactures in China which develops and sells Mobile phones. Along with Phones the company also sells mobile apps, routers and other consumer electronics.

Xiaomi really needs to bring some really distinguishable products to stand out in the market which is as populated as the population of India. Its colored backpaneled devices can also be a hit amongst the colorful Indians.

July 7, 2014
Xiaomi Confirms 5.5 inch Redmi Note in a Teaser

Xiaomi’s latest Redmi phone was spotted online a couple of days back thanks to a leaked image. The company has now confirmed in an official teaser that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5.5 is headed for the Chinese markets.

The addition of the “note” moniker could mean that the device may come with a stylus, or not as the teaser doesn’t indicate either. What is confirmed is the 5.5-inch screen supposedly of 720p resolution and the octa-core processor (1.4GHz or 1.7GHz).

The phone is expected in the market for a price of around US $ 200 or approximately Rs. 12600. The phone goes up for pre order on the 19th of March for those in China, and the others may need to wait.

March 16, 2014
Xiaomi’s next Budget Phone with Octa Core Mediatek Chipset bounces online

Xiaomi’s new Redmi handset is supposed to be a sequel to their previous budget phone, has now finally been spotted online. The sub Rs. 10,000 / US $130 handset supposedly is called the Redmi aswell thanks to the red android buttons on the front of the handset.

It’ll feature a 5.5-inch, 720p IPS display), as well as Android 4.2.2, 1GB of RAM and an octa-core processor coming in two versions: 1.4GHz and 1.7GHz.

Designed to be sold for China Mobile the handset will be unlocked to 3G, TD-SCDMA, WCDMA option and CDMA 2000.

The Camera bundle includes a 5 MP front camera and a 13 MP main shooter. There is 8 GB of storage and 32 Gb expandability for the handset that comes with just 1 GB RAM. The Redmi will still miss out on LTE whereas other manufacturers are now gunning for LTE handsets in the sub 10,000 price bracket.

March 13, 2014