Tag: Xiaomi

Xiaomi is All Set to Launch the Mi4 in India Tomorrow

The Mi4 has been the next most awaited flagship by Xiaomi and without testing more patience of its fan base in India, the company is geared to launch the Mi4 tomorrow. The world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer has sent out media invites for the same.

The press invite adds a photo that depicts three similar devices in a row. On the top of them is a quote “Mi hits a 4 and 6.” Xiaomi has tapped on the right nerve to entice Indian customers by talking the language of cricket. It can be said that the Chinese smartphone maker might have special plans for Mi4 and a collaboration with sports can be expected.

Xiaomi unveiled the Mi4 in July last year. The phone flaunts a 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS display. The device is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor paired with 3 GB of RAM. Packing a massive battery of 3,080mAh, the handset comes with 16 GB or 64 GB of nonexpendable internal storage capacity.

On the camera front, the Mi4 has a power packed 13MP rear snapper with LED Flash, Sony IMX214 BSI sensor and 4K video recording, along with a whopping 8MP front shooter with Sony Exmor R sensor. The phone runs on Android 4.4.3 KitKat and includes connectivity options like 4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi Direct. The handset is likely to be priced under Rs. 20,000.

January 27, 2015
Xiaomi Ventures into Gaming Hardware; Launches Super-Cheap Bluetooth Gamepad

Xiaomi, few days back, teased a gaming hardware with the launch date expected to be 20th January. Now it has been revealed that this mysterious device was none other than a bluetooth game controller, which carries an amazingly low price tag (surprise, surprise) of 99 Yuan.

The Xiaomi game controller sports a D-pad, analogue sticks, Y, X, A, and B buttons, as well as two shoulder buttons on either side. It also has a back button, menu button, and a home button with Mi branding. It is powered by 2xAA batteries.

It looks awfully similar to the XBox One controller and according to the company, has a very ergonomic and comfortable feel while holding. The shell is made of tough materials manufactured by Samsung. Xiaomi claims that the remote controller is made using the same quality manufacturing process as the Sony PS4 remote.

Another interesting thing about the controller is that it is scratch and sunlight resistant. The company hopes that you can play your games for hours without getting tired.

The controller comes with some serious features for heavy gamers; 360-degree field of precision positioning, which has an accuracy of 0.172 degrees, shaking, center-specific anti-tampering measures of 0.5 degrees and high precision arrow keys which have a 360 degrees movement technology, ensuring a uniform gap around the keys. It connects with Android devices using Bluetooth 3.0 and comes with a power management system which turns the device into standby mode after 5 minutes of remaining idle.

The official website states that the first 300 buyers of the Bluetooth game controller would only have to shell out just CNY 1 (roughly Rs. 9) for the device. As mentioned above, the controller is priced very competitively at 99 Yuan which rounds up to about Rs. 1000 in India currency.

January 21, 2015
Xiaomi Fans Get Ready, the Mi4 is Coming to India

The long wait for Xiaomi’s Indian fans is coming to an end. For those who were anxiously waiting for the Mi3 to make a return for a Flipkart flash sale, this might be a bit disappointing. But for those who were eyeing the Mi4, it’s time of a happy dance.

In an exclusive interview with Indian Express, Xiaomi’s India Head Manu Jain, said that the company would be bringing the Mi4 to India on the 28th of January.

The Xiaomi Mi4 flaunts a 5-inch Full HD IPS LCD display. Its processing might comes from a 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor and possesses 3 GB of RAM. The device is available in 16 and 64 GB variants. It is powered by a 3080 mAh battery.

The Mi4 sports a 13 MP main camera and an 8 MP front camera and the device runs on Android 4.4.3 KitKat operating system.

The price of the device is expected to be around Rs 20,000. So if you were waiting for the Mi3 and had saved for it, you have about nine days to gather the rest of the money before the stampede begins.

January 19, 2015
Xiaomi Invests in Gaming and Software Giant Kingsoft

After gaining huge success in India and overseas through its impressive smartphone line-up, the Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi has plans to expand further. Seems like the company is now eyeing the games and software market.

Xiaomi recently acquired 3% of Kingsoft’s share and the deal was finalised at approximately $68 million. The partially acquired company is a Chinese games and software giant, which started by developing PC games and is now a renowned name in security, entertainment and enterprise products. With this buyout, Xiaomi seems to be laying the ground for dedicated a gaming experience and improved services for its loyal customers.

Until now, Xiaomi was inking deals in hardware only – a whopping $203.7 million investment in home appliance maker Midea Group and a strategic funding in wearable start-up Misfit. The Chinese top smartphone manufacturer bought the shares of Kingsoft from the Chinese investment holding Tencent and the deal is likely to finish by January end.

Last week, Xiaomi amazed everyone with the launch of the 5.7-inch Mi Note. The company still has something in its bag and will unveil it on 20th January; it left its fans longing with an image that speaks of a mysterious new gaming hardware.

Recently, the news cropped up that the smartphone giant has plans to invest in Indian tech start-ups, as well as overseas media content. With Xiaomi investing in almost every business segment, there will be soon a day when this Chinese producer will beat the current top-listers and will dominate the tech industry.

January 19, 2015
Xiaomi Teases Mysterious New Device, Expected to Arrive on 20th January

Just when we thought Xiaomi had opened all its cards, it went ahead and released a new teaser. The teaser, launched on its official Weibo page, hints at a possible new announcement by the company on 20th January 2015. The interesting thing is that the teaser image comes not from its smartphone weibo account but from its official gaming account.

As always, the teaser image doesn’t reveal what the device could be. It includes three rectangles, with the title ‘Bigger is Better’. The fact that it comes from its official gaming page hints that this upcoming device might be gaming hardware.

The company had surprised us just a few days back. While everyone expected the Chinese manufacturer to launch the second generation Redmi Note or the Mi5, the company decided to take a step ahead and launched the Xiaomi Mi Note. The new device flaunts a 5.7-inch 1080p display and seems to be Xiaomi’s contender against the OnePlus One (with a price to match.)

Looks like we’ll have to wait and see what Xiaomi has in store next.

January 18, 2015
Here’s Everything Xiaomi Launched Today (Other Than the Mi Note)

Chinese smartphone powerhouse, Xiaomi has kicked off the year with the launch of its new flagship, the Xiaomi Mi Note. Going much further than its predecessors, this device directly takes an aim at the big name flagships and as usual comes with an extremely competitive price tag, although still higher than the usual Xiaomi pricing. The device packs some exceptional specs and the Pro version goes on to challenge the smartphones on the top of the food chain.

At the stage, Xiaomi founder and CEO, Lei Jun stated “We want to be the biggest phone company in the world,” and they delivered their products accordingly. It has expanded its portfolio to challenge the dominance of big brands with this launch event. So let’s take a look at all the other products that Xiaomi has unleashed today from its stage that got overshadowed by the awesomeness of the new Mi Note and Mi Note Pro.

Mi Smart Home App

Xiaomi began with explaining its plans to enter into the smart home market where the smartphone will be command center. The company offers a Smart Home App which connects all the appliance with one app.

Xiaomi has invested RMB 1.26 Billion($203 Million) in home appliances company Midea last December, to take its smart home objective forward.

Mi Headphones

Apple bought Beats and Xiaomi, as always following footsteps, launched its own headphones. They have dual 50 mm drivers and exchangeable ear cups.

In true Xiaomi fashion, these headphones are priced at 500 Yuan or about Rs. 5000. The Mi Headphones look attractive but we can only be sure about their quality when we put them to test.

Mi Box Mini

The next launch was the Mi Box Mini which is a tinsy tiny set top box from Xiaomi. This device is powered by a quad-core 1.3GHz processor along with 1GB RAM. It has 4GB internal flash memory and supports 1080p resolution along with Dolby and DTS audio and dual band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

So overall Xiaomi did what it is known for and it sure was a good show. Now that the products are out, get ready for a long line of speculations about their date of arrival on the Indian shores. Xiaomi does consider India an important market, but it may consider releasing these devices in India only after it gets out of the legal hassles it is facing in the country.

January 15, 2015
Xiaomi Directly Targets OnePlus One With the Launch of 5.7-inch Mi Note

World’s third largest smartphone maker, Xiaomi took a great leap in order to challenge the likes of Apple, Samsung and OnePlus with the new 5.7-inch phablet called the Mi Note.

Many expected the Chinese manufacturer to launch the second generation Redmi Note or the Mi5, but instead the company decided to take a step ahead and launched the Xiaomi Mi Note. The new device flaunts a 5.7-inch 1080p display and seems to be Xiaomi’s contender against the OnePlus One (with a price to match.)

The device is powered by a Snapdragon 801 processor and comes with 3 GB RAM. The phablet will be available in 16 and 32 GB variants. The company has also launched a Pro version of the Mi Note which is powered by 64 bit Snapdragon 810, comes with 4GB of RAM and has a 64GB version only. The pro version flaunts an enticing 2560×1440 at 515ppi screen (2k display.)

Both are powered by a 3000mAh battery. The devices also sport a 13MP main camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and a 4 MP front facing selfie camera. They run on MIUI 6, which is based on Android 4.4 KitKat. The Mi Note and Pro are 7 mm thin and weigh 161 gm.

Mi Note is protected on both sides with 2.5D + 3D curved Gorilla Glass 3. According to the company, it’s highly resistant to scratches and shattering.

Xiaomi has become the world’s fastest growing smartphone manufacturer swelling its shipment three times last year. The new Mi Note will compete head to head with OnePlus’ One which was launched last year.

There is no doubt the company has a strong hold on the tech market, however, Xiaomi is still struggling with the idea of breaking into the western market. With the launch of Mi Note, we can expect the Chinese smartphone giant to break free from the Asian market and focus on a more global scale.

The Xiaomi Mi Note will retail for 2,299RMB, which is about $371 or Rs. 22,893, while the Mi Note Pro is priced for 3,299RMB, which is about $532 dollars or Rs. 32,800.

Correction (19/01/15) : Front facing camera 4MP with 2-micron pixels. Thickness 7mm

January 15, 2015
Xiaomi Teases its New Flagship Ahead of the 15th January Launch

Coming from nowhere to take over the world’s tech market, Chinese handset maker, Xiaomi is all set to reveal it’s new flagship device on 15th January. Creating a hype, in which the company can now be considered an expert, Xiaomi took to its Facebook page to tease a new flagship device that is set to unveil this week.

A short video teaser plays a little “fill-in-the-blank” game with the viewer hinting at the device’s design. It consists of sentences with missing adjectives which should be filled by the viewers.

Post by Mi.

The company has sent out invites for the launch event set for 15th of January. According to the official MIUI thread, the launch will take place at 2.00 PM Beijing time. The page doesn’t specifically state what new device they’re launching, but the general agreement is that this hype is for the Mi5.

This upcoming premium launch by Xiaomi is expected to sport a 5.7-inch QHD display. It will get its processing might from the 64-bit Snapdragon 810 SoC which will be supported by an Adreno 430 graphics engine and 3 GB of RAM. It will offer 16 GB internal memory and feature a fingerprint sensor. It is also expected to flaunt a 20.7 MP camera with Sony Exmor RS sensor.

There are also speculations that Xiaomi might unveil the new Redmi Note 2 along with the new flagship. An online listing of Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 on an online portal Oppomart is the cause of these rumours. The online listing has revealed the complete specifications and pricing of the Redmi Note 2. This may imply that either the Redmi Note 2 will be launched along with the Mi5 or the company will launch the Redmi Note 2 instead of the Mi5.

January 13, 2015
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Might Accompany Mi5 for the 15th January Launch

Xiaomi has already started rolling out the invitations for its January 15th event in Beijing. So far the rumours adamantly insist that we will see the Mi5 or the Mi4s for the first time. However, an online listing of a new Xiaomi handset has added new speculations.

A listing on Oppomart, an online reseller of smartphones, has revealed the complete specifications and pricing of the Remi Note 2. This implies that either the Redmi Note 2 will be launched along with the Mi5 or the company will launch Redmi Note 2 instead of Mi5.

It is said that the Redmi Note 2 will look nothing like its predecessor. In fact, it might take its design inspiration from the current Mi flagship i.e. Xiaomi Mi4. The front will be protected by Gorilla Glass; the rear Gorilla Glass body might be curved, according to rumours.

According to the listing, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 will come with a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB/ 32GB storage options. The screen size will be 5.7-inches and will be made of 2D glass, (an upgrade from the 5.5-inch screen on the current Redmi Note) and will feature a resolution of 192ox1080 pixels. There will be a 13MP rear camera (Sony IMX214 with zero shutter lag) and a 5MP front shooter on the device.

The invite only says that Xiaomi will unveil a new device on Jan 15.

Along with this, more details about another mysterious handset from Xiaomi have emerged. A $65 (approx Rs 4,000) Xiaomi smartphone has passed TENAA, which is the Chinese equivalent of the FCC. Going through the listing, this $65 handset may be the same handset which is expected to launch with the low cost Leadcore LC1860 CPU (clocked at 1.6GHz).

Other specs include the 4.7-inch, 720 x 1280 resolution display, 1GB of RAM and 8GB storage. An 8MP camera is said to be found on back of the handset, while a 2MP shooter adorns the front of the phone.

January 12, 2015
Xiaomi to Raise Curtains Off its Next Flagship Killer on 15th January

After a very successful year, where Xiaomi managed to became the most valued startup, the company is now about to bring out its next flagship product. The company has sent out invites for the launch event set for 15th of January. According to the office MIUI thread, the launch will take place at 2.00 PM Beijing time. The page doesn’t specifically state what new device they’re launching, but the general agreement is that this launch is for the Mi5.

The post asks the users on the thread to vote on what phone they expect Xiaomi is launching with the option given as Mi4s, Mi5 and others. With 70% in favour, Mi5 leads the polls.

The invite only says that Xiaomi will unveil a new device on Jan 15.

This upcoming premium launch by Xiaomi is expected to sport a 5.7 inches QHD display. It will get is processing might from the 64-bit Snapdragon 810 SoC which will be supported by Adreno 430 graphics engine and 3 GB RAM. It will offer 16 GB internal memory and feature a fingerprint sensor. It is also expected to flaunt a 20.7 MP camera with Sony Exmor RS sensor.

There are also speculations that Xiaomi might unveil the new Mi Pad 2. It is expected to feature a 7.9-inch display with 2048X1536 resolution. It will come with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. This does look like a quality update to the Mi Pad line and the resolution of the display might attract a good number of consumers.

If Xiaomi prices it as competitively as it usually does, then it sure would have a winner on its hands. With the specs being offered in this edition of Mi smartphone, Xiaomi is directly challenging the authority of the flagship devices. Having knocked off Samsung from the top spot in China, Xiaomi has seriously taken a bullish approach to the market. Let’s hope it lasts long and encourages other manufacturers to duplicate Xiaomi’s business model and give consumers more functionality at affordable costs.

January 10, 2015
Airtel Collaborates With Xiaomi to Sell Redmi Note 4G Offline

In a bid to attract more customers to its super fast fourth-generation mobile services, Airtel India has collaborated with Chinese handset maker Xiaomi, to provide 4G device Redmi Note at a price of Rs 9,999 in six cities of India.

The Airtel-Xiaomi collaboration will let users buy Redmi Note 4G handsets from 133 Airtel stores across six cities including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and Kolkata. Users will be able to book the handset from Airtel’s dedicated Mi page and select their preferred Airtel store in the aforementioned cities where they wish to pick up the device. While the booking process has already started yesterday, the sales will commence today.

Similar to Xiaomi Tuesdays flash sales, where the company puts up a flash sale via online retailer Flipkart, Airtel plans to organize a ‘Mi day’ each week at select stores to allow customers to buy the device without having to book it online.

Airtel postpaid customers having at least 500 MB 3G data pack activated on their connection can easily move to the Redmi Note, however, Airtel prepaid and non-Airtel customers will have to first opt for an Airtel postpaid myPlan when they purchase the Redmi Note 4G.

Airtel postpaid users in Bengaluru, where Airtel already has a 4G network, can get up to 10GB free 4G data by logging on to company’s Airtel Live website via their Redmi Note 4G smartphones. In cities where there’s no Airtel 4G network, customers will be automatically upgraded to 4G whenever it is rolled out there.

Following are the tariff plan details on Airtel’s 4G services:

January 2, 2015
Xiaomi Get a Clean Chit from Taiwan in the Data Breach Investigation

Xiaomi has had a fantastic year, but it also had to face several allegations and controversies. One of the prominent embarrassments for the company was the allegation that the company’s smartphones were sending user’s personal data to their servers in China without permission. This was seen as a serious allegation and it prompted a probe in Taiwan for Xiaomi and other smartphone brands.

It was a security agency called F-secure which found that Xiaomi was automatically syncing the files on the cloud. This incident led the Taiwanese authorities to initiate an investigation into handsets from major companies to check whether they are breaching data protection laws. Xiaomi responded by saying that cloud syncing was activated by default, which led to the issue. It then issued a new update which let the users decide whether they wanted to sync their data on the cloud or not.

It is important to know that it wasn’t just Xiaomi which faced the scrutiny from Taiwanese authorities. The National Communications Commission of Taiwan investigated 12 brands in total which also included devices from Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony, along with Chinese brands like Huawei and ZTE. All of these were cleared by the commission.

The investigators did ask the companies to strengthen the transfer of information on their devices and make them more secure. The Xiaomi data breach issue had also led the Indian Air force to issue a directive to its staff to refrain from using Chinese smartphones, especially Xiaomi. The company had then responded by moving its Indian user’s data to servers in India. It even plans to launch a local data center in India in 2015 to serve the needs of (and store data for) their Indian users.

It seems like after a few hurdles, Xiaomi’s ship is now in smoother waters. The company has some big plans for 2015 including a new flagship and more devices coming out of its stable. After this report, you can go ahead and register for the next flash sale with an ease of mind.

December 31, 2014
Xiaomi Redmi Note Fly Off the Shelves Within Seconds

The much awaited 4G variant of Xiaomi’s blockbuster Redmi Note was officially up for grab today. The flash sale started (like always) at 2PM today on Flipkart allowing registered users to buy Redmi Note 4G for Rs. 9,999.

There were only 40,000 units up for sale, whereas, according to Flipkart, 200,000 people registered for the Redmi Note 4G variant. Like in the past, this one was also a torrid affair and the Redmi Note 4G was out of the stock in seconds. Although, last week the Redmi 1S, after a prolonged ban, did not get the expected response.

The major difference between the 4G and 3G variants of the Redmi Note is the processor and connectivity support. As the name suggests, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G is a 4G LTE ready device. It is further powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU coupled with 2GB of RAM.

Although Xiaomi will be pleased with the response, there continues to remain a partial ban on the company and it will be interesting to observe how this Chinese superpower will proceed. As as now Xiaomi seems to be stronger than ever, KUDOS!

December 30, 2014
After Conquering the Smartphone Segment, Xiaomi Now Targets Laptops

Inspite of recent controversies surrounding the Chinese smartphone giant regarding patent infringement, the company seems undeterred. After raising funding of $1.1 Billion over the last couple of days, Xiaomi seems to be diversifying into the Laptop market as well.

Their latest addition to the portfolio (as leaks online suggest,) may be a Xiaomi MI Laptop. Earlier Xiaomi had already come out with the Mi Power bank (in the 10,400 mAh and 5,200 mAh variant) which was quite a hit. Although there were speculations regarding Xiaomi entering the Computing market however, this is the first time that there have been conclusive pictures as well as some details regarding its configuration.

The leaked specs allegedly reveal that it would have an Intel Haswell i7-4500u processor with 2 x 8GB dual channel memory. Further, it would have a large 15-inch 1080p display up front and would run on a linux OS customized by Xiaomi. Additionally, it is expected to be priced at approximately $480 (Rs. 30,000).

The leaked pictures of this laptop uncannily resemble the Macbook Air. Who knows it may even be called the Xiaomi Air when released.

The leaked pictures of this laptop uncannily resemble the Macbook Air. Who knows it may even be called the Xiaomi Air when released.

The leaked pictures of this laptop uncannily resemble the Macbook Air. Who knows it may even be called the Xiaomi Air when released.

If these specs are anything close to reality, then this seems to be a device worth every Dollar, Yuan or Rupee spent on it; which would make the Chinese a superpower in the Laptop category as well.

In the past, Xiaomi has been quite successful in selling their devices in India through flash sales via Flipkart. Rumours also surround the market that Xiaomi is working on a dual edge smartphone known as the Xiaomi Arch, a device in direct competition with the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.

Unfortunately nothing has been officially declared by Xiaomi regarding the Notebook and the fans would have to wait a while before the company announces the same. This device, if and when released, could be a game changer destroying many domestic companies which are presently enjoying the benefit of the lower and middle-end consumers.

[poll id=”26″]

December 30, 2014
Xiaomi Grows Stronger With New Investments Worth $1.1 Billion

Chinese powerhouse Xiaomi refuses to look back in its pursuit to the top. The smartphone maker has become a major disruptive force in the industry. Industry Sales reports show that Xiaomi has reached the third spot in the global market, behind Samsung and Apple. That’s a phenomenal rise for a company that came into existence in 2010. Now, Xiaomi has taken a step ahead by raising $1.1 Billion in the latest round of funding, and its valuation now stands at more than $45 Billion.

The USP of Xiaomi is to provide devices with high specifications at prices comparatively lower than the competition. This coupled with an exclusive internet-based flash sale model makes the device more desirable for the users.

With more than $45 Billion in valuation, Xiaomi has now become the most valuable startup.

Investors in this round of funding included private equity firms like All-Stars Investment, DST Global, Hopu Investment Management, Yunfeng Capital, and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC. The company was previously been supported by Temasek Holdings Pte, Qiming Venture Partners, Morningside Venture Capital and DST.

Xiaomi has seen a meteoric rise in its valuation over just a year. Last year it garnered $10 Billion after the last round of financing. This year it crossed over $45 Billion, thereby towering over its contemporary startups like, Uber, Dropbox, Pinterest, etc. It can, in fact, be considered the most valuable startup right now.

In India, it faces some challenges, thanks to a patent infringement complaint by Ericsson. We’ll have to wait till January to know the fate of companies India plans. Xiaomi has said that India is an important market for them and by the looks of it, Indians have embraced the brand too. It just a matter of time that the company uses its new found wealth to devise a strategy to overcome its hurdles with amicable solutions, something rich corporations have done in the past. This is a rising horse that requires an equally formidable competitor to bring it down.

December 29, 2014