Within six months of its launch in India, Xiaomi has become one of the most popular smartphone brands in the country. All the smartphones launched by Xiaomi; the Mi 3, the Redmi 1S, the Redmi Note 3G, and the Redmi Note 4G, have become the best-sellers in their respective price ranges. However, brands like Asus, Huawei, and Lenovo are catching up to the game with their new smartphone launches. To compete with them, Xiaomi has launched two new smartphones this year; the Mi Note and the Mi Note Pro.
Xiaomi Mi Note
The Xiaomi Mi Note is a high-end phablet with a 5.7-inch 1080p IPS LCD display, a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 16/64GB storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery. It is equipped with a 13-megapixel primary camera with OIS, dual-tone LED flash, and 4K video recording. The front-facing camera has a resolution of 4 megapixels, which wouldn't seem much, but has a 1/3-inch camera sensor, which equals to the size of most smartphones' primary cameras. It is a dual-SIM smartphone with 4G LTE connectivity and fast-charging capabilities.
Xiaomi Mi Note Specifications
- 5.7-inch IPS LCD display, 1920 x 1080 pixels, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- MIUI v 6 based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat operating system
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2.5GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU, and Adreno 330 GPU
- 3GB RAM, 16GB/64GB storage, no microSD card slot
- 13-megapixel primary camera, autofocus, OIS, dual-tone dual-LED flash, and 4K video recording
- 4-megapixel secondary camera, 1/3-inch sensor, 2µm pixel size, and 1080p video recording
- dual-SIM (Micro-SIM/Nano-SIM), 4G LTE (150Mbps DL/50Mbps UL), Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, and Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Bluetooth v4.0, GLONASS A-GPS, microUSB v2.0 port with USB Host, and 3.5mm headphone jack
- Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, digital compass, ambient light sensor, and
- Active noise cancellation with dual-microphone setup and Hi-Fi Sound
- 3,000 mAh battery, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 2.0 (60 percent charging within 30 minutes)
- 155.1 x 77.6 x 7 mm and 161 grams
The Mi Note competes with the likes of OnePlus One, Sony Xperia Z3, and the Samsung Galaxy S5, but will come at a much lower price tag, $450 (~ Rs. 27,628) to be exact for the 64GB variant. Also, none of its competitors have two SIM card slots, at least in India, but the Mi Note does.
Xiaomi Mi Note Pro
The Mi Note Pro is a beefed-up variant of the Mi Note, and the main changes are the screen resolution and the processing guts. The device comes with a 2K IPS LCD display and a more powerful 64-bit Snapdragon 810 chipset with octa-core CPU and Adreno 430 GPU. Thanks to a new chipset, the device is compatible with faster 4G LTE networks (450Mbps download) and driving even higher resolution display. The camera combination stays similar to that of the Mi Note; a 13-megapixel primary camera with OIS, dual-tone LED flash, and 4K video recording as well as a 4-megapixel front-facing camera with 1080p video recording.
Xiaomi Mi Note Pro Specifications
- 5.7-inch IPS LCD display, 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- MIUI v 6 based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat operating system
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 2GHz octa-core CPU (4 x Cortex A57 + 4 x Cortex A53), and Adreno 430 GPU
- 3GB RAM, 16GB/64GB storage, no microSD card slot
- 13-megapixel primary camera, autofocus, OIS, dual-tone dual-LED flash, and 4K video recording
- 4-megapixel secondary camera, 1/3-inch sensor, 2µm pixel size, and 1080p video recording
- dual-SIM (Micro-SIM/Nano-SIM), 4G LTE (450Mbps DL/50Mbps UL), dual-band Wi-Fi ac/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, and Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Bluetooth v4.0, GLONASS A-GPS, microUSB v2.0 port with USB Host, and 3.5mm headphone jack
- Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, digital compass, and ambient light sensor
- Active noise cancellation with dual-microphone setup and Hi-Fi Sound
- 3,090 mAh battery, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 2.0 (60 percent charging within 30 minutes)
- 155.1 x 77.6 x 7 mm and 161 grams
The Mi Note Pro competes with the likes of Samsung Galaxy Note 4, LG G Flex, the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6. It has a 64-bit processor and a large high-resolution display. The 16GB variant of the Mi Note Pro is priced at $372 (~ Rs. 22,839), while the 64GB variant is priced at $532 (~ Rs. 32,663). The only other phablet with a high-end processor and dual-SIM card slot in India right now is the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro, which is priced at Rs. 32,999.
Xiaomi Mi Box Mini
The Mi Box Mini is a small-sized set-top box which can be used for streaming and playback media on a connected display, TV, or monitor. It is powered by a quad-core Cortex A7 processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage, and is as small as a mobile phone charger, hence the 'Mini' moniker. The Mi Box Mini is four times smaller than its predecessor, the Mi Box. The device competes with the likes of Google Chromecast and Roku is already on sale in China for around $30 (~ Rs. 1,842).
Xiaomi Mi Box Mini Specifications
- Quad-core Cortex A7 processor, 1GB RAM, and 4GB storage
- Android 4.4.2 KitKat
- 1080p video output, Dolby and DTS Audio
- HDMI port, dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth Remote Control, inbuilt power supply
- Colours: Orange, Green, Pink, Red, Yellow, and Blue
Xiaomi Headphones
The Mi Headphones are Xiaomi's first audiophile-grade headphones. They come with both on-the-ear and around-the-ear covers, so you can use it the way you like. Beneath those ear covers, the Mi Headphones have large 50mm drivers for clearer and spacious sound, but with a low 32-ohm impedance, which means that it can be well driven even by smartphones. They are priced at CNY 499 (~ Rs. 4,914) in China, but we don't have an India-specific release date or price yet.
Xiaomi products launched in India
Xiaomi started selling the Redmi Note 4G for the first time in India through offline stores, though not the conventional smartphone retailers. Priced at Rs. 9,999, the Redmi Note 4G is now available for purchase through Airtel stores in India. The Redmi Note 4G features a 5.5-inch HD IPS LCD display, a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage, microSD card slot, 13-megapixel primary camera with 1080p video recording, 5-megapixel secondary camera, Android 4.4 KitKat, 4G LTE connectivity, and a 3,100 mAh battery. Unlike the 3G variant, the Redmi Note 4G has only one SIM card slot.
Xiaomi is also expected to launch the Mi 4 in India this month, and it could be priced below Rs. 20,000. It features a 5-inch 1080p IPS LCD display, a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 16/64GB internal storage space, Android 4.4 KitKat, 4G LTE connectivity, and a 3,080 mAh battery. It is equipped with a 13-megapixel primary camera sensor with 4K video recording and an 8-megapixel secondary camera with 1080p video recording.
