Tag: Xiaomi India

Xiaomi Slashes the Price of the Mi 4i

Xiaomi is dropping the price of the 16GB variant of the Mi 4i. The new pricing will put the smartphone at Rs. 11,999 starting at 00:00hrs on 18^th November 2015 on Mi.com, as well as across all Mi India partners including Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, The Mobile Store and Airtel.

Xiaomi applied its powerful design and engineering capabilities to create Mi 4i, which was launched globally at a premiere in New Delhi in April this year. The 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.

<br />

Other features include a 13MP rear and a 5MP shooter. The dual-SIM device is powered by a 3120mAh battery. Connectivity options include Micro-USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi.

November 17, 2015
Xiaomi India Launches PickMi Doorstep Service

Chinese mobile companies like Xiaomi have established a popular base in India and are doing really well. In fact, they seem to be doing better than most other established OEMs. One of the most important point of interest for electronic consumers is the after sale service. Knowing that there are plenty of service centres around for your device, among other things, is what drive customers towards that brand. So it’s even better when these brands come to your doorstep, take your phone, service it, and return it back to you at your doorstep.

This is exactly what Xiaomi India is now providing. The company launched the PickMi service in India. It is a doorstep pick up and drop service for all Mi products at Rs. 189. According to a Facebook post, Xiaomi announced, “PickMi service across India! We bring our service to your doorstep. Call us on 1800-103-6286 and avail our pick up and drop service for all Mi products for just Rs. 189.”

Xiaomi has been busy expanding its services across India. The company has been tweeting and posting updates on Facebook about new service centers being introduced. Last week, Xiaomi opened two exclusive service centres in Rohini and Daryaganj, New Delhi. And just yesterday the company tweeted the launch of a centre in Ambala, Punjab.

With Mi, you never have to go far for help ! #MiService #Punjab pic.twitter.com/cmI7lXTlkg

— Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) October 11, 2015

Miezu is also getting into the doorstep service game. The company plans on providing the service once it launches around 40 customer care centres across 20 Indian cities.

The focus on customer service by these Chinese brands is providing the right push and the right image for them. Xiaomi is already off to a good start and must now keep up the pace and deliver the goods, quite literally.

October 12, 2015
Xiaomi Expected to Launch its First Made-in-India Smartphone Today

Last year in July, when Xiaomi entered the Indian market, it took the country by surprise. More than its potential buyers, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer managed to shake up the ground for its competitors. Today, a year later, the company has come a long way. Xiaomi is going to launch its first ‘Made in India’ smartphone, in Visakhapatnam, today. The launch will be conducted by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu; this event will also see Xiaomi make announcements for further expansion plans in India.

The seed of this project is said to have been planted, when the CM visited China, earlier this year. The event today will see CEO Xiaomi India, Manu Jain delivering the welcome address and Hugo Barra, VP Global Xiaomi, briefing the audience on the ‘Journey of Xiaomi in India’. It has also been reported, that Secretary DIPP, Govt. of India, Amitabh Kant, will be the Guest of Honour.

With India estimated to become the second largest smartphone market by 2017, after China, it is said, that many companies will be looking to invest in India, in the near future. However, China is not the first country to show interest in India, and specifically Andhra Pradesh; Japan and Malaysia have all shown an interest in being partners in capital construction and have also come forward to contribute to the construction of people’s capital. It has also been reported that PM Narendra Modi suggested Naidu to send a delegation to cities like Astana and Asghabat, to study and incorporate some of the best practices they follow.

Xiaomi is the third largest smartphone maker in the world, following Samsung and Apple, that has come to Visakhapatnam to launch its first main-in-India smartphone. The phone is being re-branded as MI and is looking forward to a successful launch.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/mobile-tabs/chandrababu-naidu-to-launch-first-made-in-india-xiaomi-phone-on-monday/”]Indian Express[/tw-button]

August 10, 2015
Power Struggle: Xiaomi and OnePlus Play Tug of War

These days if there is another gadget which is more sought after than a smartphone, it’s a powerbank. Since smartphone manufacturers have failed miserably at providing batteries that last more than a day, the powerbank industry is currently booming.

OnePlus and Xiaomi, two manufactures that entered the Indian market last year, recently launched their own battery packs in the country. If you haven’t noticed, the young Chinese companies have kept an eye on each other. Their current flagships, the Mi4 and the One, both come with similar specifications and a similar price tag. So much so that the OnePlus One and Xiaomi Mi4 have even faced price cuts at the same time.

Now it seems like OnePlus and Xiaomi are playing the same game with their powerbanks.

OnePlus, after teasing their portable charger endlessly, finally brought it to India earlier this month. The charger provides 10,000mAh of power, can easily slip in your pocket and apparently charges the OnePlus One 3 times on a single charge. OnePlus introduced the power bank at an affordable price tag of Rs. 1,399. Less than a month later, Xiaomi retaliated.

Yesterday, Xiaomi announced they’re bringing in the massive 16,000mAh external battery, priced same as OnePlus’ power bank, down to the last Rupee.

Other than the amount of power they provide and their design, the two power banks are almost identical in features. Both feature two USB 2.0 ports and one Micro-USB port; both can charge two devices at the same time. Since it’s an additional device you need to carry around, it is worth mentioning that the OnePlus power bank weighs 225g and the Xiaomi power bank weighs, 350g.

We have an inkling that the OnePlus powerbank may face a price cut within the next few weeks. Only time will tell how the company decides to play its cards – it’s time for their move.

<br />

May 30, 2015
Xiaomi Collaborates with GadgetWood to Offer One-Day Repair Services in India

Xiaomi fans had been complaining about the poor after-sales services of its products since quite a while. Considering the complaints of its huge followers in India, the Chinese electronics producer has decided to eliminate the flaw. Xiaomi has partnered with a web-based portal, GadgetWood eServices, that provides repair and support services for devices like smartphones and tablets.

The Delhi-based start-up GadgetWood is committed to providing one-day repair services to Xiaomi customers at their doorstep. This includes pick and drop service within one business day of placing the request. The fee finalised for the service is Rs. 99. The Co-founder and CEO of GadgetWood Jayant Jha stated about the tie-up –

The Xiaomi brand has created ripples in the Indian market. With the combined synergies of this globally-reputed brand and GadgetWood, consumers can benefit from a great user experience as well as quick and seamless repair services. The partnership is a testament to the fact that we, at GadgetWood, are committed to solving all technical and usage-related concerns of the Indian consumer through our unmatched services.

Xiaomi India Head Manu Jain commented on this move, “We want to bring door-delivery services to customers, who otherwise have no time to travel and identify outlets to service their gadgets in.”

The press statement from GadgetWood revealed about the pilot project being carried out from the past two and a half months in Delhi and NCR. More than 500 users have already tested the service during this period.

After-sales service is one of the biggest factors that contributes to the establishment of an emerging firm in any nation. Xiaomi enjoys million of fans in India, and this partnership will strengthen its position even more in the country. Besides, it will also lead way to Xiaomi’s ambition of becoming an Indian company.

May 7, 2015
Xiaomi’s 1,000 Mi Band Units Priced at Re. 1 Might Cause Trouble for Other Buyers

Along the new Mi 4i, Xiaomi introduced another much-desired product to the Indian market – the Mi Band. Xioami’s fitness band is one of the cheapest available in the market and helps keep a track of users’ sleep, workout and overall fitness. The company announced at the Global Mi 4i Premier that it will give away the Rs. 999 Mi Band for just Re. 1. The first 1,000 units of the tracking device are going up for sale, but massive number of people are registering to secure it.

Xiaomi claims that the Mi Band is a reliable activity tracker which offers a battery life of 30 days. Users can set alarms, get missed call notification right on their wrists. The water-proof band is IP-67 certified and works under water. It connects with both iOS and Android smartphones through Bluetooth 4.0 and a companion app.

As Xiaomi has kept the price negligible at Re. 1 for the Mi Band Preview, a massive crowd is sure to login the official Mi website. To be the lucky one, willing buyers will continually attempt to make a purchase, which will cause an unwanted onslaught of traffic. This will cause a problem for the rest of the buyers who wish to buy smartphones, power banks or other accessories. There might be chances of the website facing a temporary outage. The registrations started from April 28, and the sale will commence at 2pm on May 5.

April 29, 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 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
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
Xiaomi’s Next Band to Embrace One-Touch Mobile Payment Technology

Xiaomi’s smartbands are assumed to be the next big thing by the tech world; much because they are rightly speculated to be cheaper than the present offerings by other brands. According to a recent disclosure by a Chinese online publication, the next-gen Xiaomi smartband will incorporate a mobile payment solution, providing users a safer, more convenient payment experience.

Huami, the Chinese start-up set to partner with Xiaomi for fitness wearables, declared that it has inked a strategic cooperation in AliPay. The tie-up is aimed at developing a wearable device that fits modern one-touch payment system. The idea is to speed up the payment process and eradicate the need of providing passwords at retail stores.

With this, whenever a user will come in the range of an AliPay client, the mechanism will activate automatically, establishing a link with the client. Through the technology, the payment will be done directly through the wristband.

The smartband works in conjunction with smartphone to function. The band gets connected to the handset through Bluetooth to verify the user’s identity, thereby acting as a channel to enable payments. Once the identity is established, the Xiaomi band then authorizes it to make payments via AliPay client.

Xiaomi smartband payment system

Xiaomi smartband payment system

The start-up further mentioned about the verification technology stating that it uses industry standard encryption measures to make the payments secure. In this, every user is provided with a unique identifier which verifies the status of users after eliminating the password link.

However, the mobile payment technology is not new and many big names in the technology sector have already embedded it to their devices. Though this will widen the reach of the technology. As Xiaomi offers products at a reasonable price, the forthcoming band is expected to become a common accessory and bring a larger change in the retail payment mode used in China.

April 2, 2015
Xiaomi to Bring Out a Sub-Rs. 5,000 Smartphone on April 8 : Report

Xiaomi is known as an electronics firm that offers premium handsets at a reasonable price range. Since long, rumour mill has suggested Xiaomi is planning to release an entry-level smartphone. The same device has now appeared online through a leaked image. The handset is expected to debut on April 8 and will cost 499 Yuan (approximately Rs. 5,000).

From what it appears from the first look of the upcoming phone, it seems to be a cheaper version of Redmi 2. Some reports have also surfaced that throw light on the inner details of the smartphone. According to Chinese blog Mydrives.com, the phone will sport a 4.7-inch (720x1280p) screen. A 1.6GHz Leadcore LC1860 quad core processor, along with 1GB of RAM. The device will run on Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI skin on top.

Coming to its optics, an 8MP rear camera paired with a 2MP secondary shooter will sit on the device. The storage option includes 8GB of inbuilt space, which at this point of time is unknown if it would be expandable.

Until now, it is not known if the smartphone will make it to countries outside China, but some online publishers are claiming it may arrive in India by April 8. Few days back, Xiaomi teased a picture of a dress that had a NSSJ caption on top. The smartphone is stated to launch today at the occasion of the company’s fifth anniversary.

The launch event can take place anytime soon. We will keep you updated with information on the availability of the latest device as soon as something arrives. Keep checking back.

March 31, 2015
Xiaomi’s E-Store Goes Live in India, Sells Accessories But Not Smartphones

Till date, Xiaomi was dependent on its exclusive online partner Flipkart to sell its products in India, but not anymore. The Chinese electronics producer has finally opened an official Mi Store in India from where one can order products. The online store grasps the absolute authority Flipkart used to enjoy over the large chunk of Xiaomi followers in the country.

As stated by the firm, Xiaomi will only sell accessories in India and not smartphones. The exclusive rights to sell Mi handsets still remain with the e-commerce website. Meanwhile, potential customers can grab protective cases, earphones and power banks; the last one being out remains out as of now.

However, the company hasn’t turned down the fact that other products may appear on the online store in the future. This means that more products by Xiaomi like Yi camera and Mi Band (fitness tracker) arrive in the Indian market in coming months.

In three short years Xiaomi has established itself as a tech beast. The electronics enterprise conquered China few months back as the biggest smartphone vendor and lately, it defeated Apple and Samsung in India and became the biggest seller of 4G devices for January. Its smartphones have done a total sale of over a million since July last year, and considering its affordable price policy, Xiaomi seems to be breaking all records.

The organization came out with Note series in January and launched Mi Note and Mi Note Pro. The latest addition to the series is the Bamboo edition of Mi Note. It is also heard that another flagship called Mi Note Plus is next in line to release.

March 19, 2015

Redmi 2 Vs Redmi 1s : What is the Real Difference?

Today, Xiaomi expanded its smartphone lineup in India with the launch of the new Redmi 2, the successor of Redmi 1s. Along with that, the firm brought to India its first tablet, the Mi Pad.

Now, shifting the attention back to the new smartphone, the Redmi 2 is another pocket-friendly device by the Chinese electronics brand. From the overall look, the Redmi 2 may look familiar with its predecessor, but its specifications are what makes it stand apart. With a revamped processor, front camera, GPU, battery, RAM, and many more things, the phone stands above the other devices in the same price bracket.

Have a look at the major tweaks done on the new phone:

Specs	Redmi 1S	Redmi 2
Display	4.7 inches 720×1280 pixels 312 ppi	4.7 inches 720×1280 pixels 312 ppi
Processor	1.6 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 400	1.2 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 410
GPU	Adreno 305	Adreno 306
RAM	1GB	1GB
In-Build Meory	8GB	8GB
Expandable Up to	32GB	32GB
Rear Camera	8MP	8MP
Front Camera	1.6MP	2MP
Operating System	Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with MIUI 5.0	Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI 6.0
Battery	2000mAh	2200mAh
Price	Rs. 5,999	Rs. 6,999

Registration for the handsets will start today at 6pm and the phone will be available on March 24 through flash sale model.

March 12, 2015

Xiaomi Reportedly Setting Up a Manufacturing Unit in India

Xiaomi is doing incredibly well in India as well as overseas. Infact India is one of the most critical markets for Xiaomi both in terms of user base as well as revenue. That’s the reason, the heads at Xiaomi are seeing India as the major market place. A report has arrived which says that the China-based smartphone manufacturer may enter India soon.

The Chinese producer is planning to expand outside China, and India and Brazil are reportedly the possible destinations. With latest updates coming from Digitimes, the Chinese giant has joined hands with Inventec and the former company will be doing its manufacturing business in Chennai, India, through the Inventec. It is said that the smartphone production will commence in second or third quarter of 2015.

A few days ago, Xiaomi said that it would soon retail its devices in India on its official Mi India website, rather than Flipkart. It shows the company’s inclination towards the Indian smartphone market. Additionally if this deal does materialise there would be an even further reduction in the prices on account of savings due to custom duty and octroi.

Meanwhile, there is no official word from the company and these continue to be mere speculations. An event is going to take place on February 12 in San Francisco, in which Xiaomi is expected to make certain announcements including this one.

February 5, 2015
Xiaomi to Setup its First Ever R&D Base in India

Xiaomi, who recently boomed the Indian Market with the MI handsets, is ready to establish its research and development base in Bangalore, India. It will be the first such facility outside China.

India is one of the largest market for Xiaomi. All the three devices by the company, Mi 3, Redmi 1S and Redmi Note, cumulatively sold more than a million devices since it was first launched in 2014.

Xiaomi India Head Manu Jain said-

We have always stated that India is one of our most important markets. We are in process of signing the lease on a facility in Bangalore, which will be our R&D unit. This is the first one outside China, the R&D unit will focus on India-specific products to begin with. We will focus on localization, themes and then India specific features to cater to local requirements here.

He, however, refused to disclose the investment details and the number of people who would employed at the centre.

The company expects the centre to be fully operational in the next few months.

This could be a big step to boost their sales even further espcially with the launch today of the Xiaomi Mi4, which will be available on Flipkart on 19th February, 2015.

January 28, 2015

Tag: Xiaomi India

Specs

Redmi 1S

Redmi 2