Tag: Xiaomi

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

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’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
Android Vice President Hugo Barra Leaves For Xiaomi

Hugo Barra, VP of Product Management for Android, is leaving his post at Google and heading to Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. This news was first reported by AllThingsD, then later confirmed by Google.

Hugo Barra confirmed the news himself on his Google+ account.

“In a few weeks, I’ll be joining the Xiaomi team in China to help them expand their incredible product portfolio and business globally — as Vice President, Xiaomi Global,” he wrote.

Xiaomi is considered to be the “Apple of China” and makes mobile devices that run off the Android platform, so Barra won’t be completely distant from the OS he helped enthusiastically build. There’s no word yet on what the specific role Barra will play at Xiaomi.

Android, indisputably one of the most important endeavors at Google, has been undergoing some upheaval. In March, Andy Rubin, who guided the mobile software to be the world’s most popular over Apple, stepped down to “start a new chapter at Google.”

A Google spokesperson stated that “We wish Hugo Barra the best. We’ll miss him at Google and we’re excited that he is staying within the Android ecosystem.” Hugo Barra has been with Google since March of 2008. That’s a big position Google has to fill.

August 29, 2013