Today we are not going to talk about any new devices. Instead, we will go through the history of Xiaomi Mi series smartphones, so that you can get a better idea of what kind of brand Xiaomi exactly is. And how they have evolved over the past few years. 

The year 2020 marks the tenth year of Xiaomi, a company that is undoubtedly an industry legend. In this decade, Xiaomi has not only been ranked among the top five in the world in terms of smartphone sales year after year but has also made it to the top 500 companies in the world. And in its tenth year, the Xiaomi Mi 10 marked the beginning of a move away from being extremely cost-effective flagships and into the ranks of high-end and premium phones.

But we can’t talk about Xiaomi’s success without talking about its flagship phones. So let’s go back in time and see how the youngest ever Fortune 500 company went from zero to tens of billions of dollars in market capitalization.

What you may not know is that in the first year of Xiaomi, its first product launched was not a mobile phone, but a customized operating system based on Android called MIUI, whose smooth, user-friendly experience built up a good reputation for Xiaomi.

Xiaomi Mi 1

And in the second year, i.e. in August 2011, the first Xiaomi phone, the Xiaomi Mi 1 with MIUI was launched. In the first online sale of the phone, 300 thousand units were sold out in just 5 minutes. The popularity was not only due to the fluid experience of MIUI but also because of its unbelievable pricing strategy. While having a similar configuration to the Samsung Galaxy S2, it was only half the price of the S2. Coming with a Snapdragon S3 1.5GHz dual-core chipset, a 4-inch display with 245ppi, and 1GB RAM, all of which were top configurations back then, the Mi 1 was priced at 1999RMB, which converted to around 300USD. At that time, no one could do that, except for Xiaomi.

Since then, the number 1999, has become Xiaomi’s lucky number, and it’s like a Magic spell.

But to be honest, the design of the first Mi phone was not outstanding at all, which also became one of the most criticized points of the Xiaomi flagships in the latter years. 

Xiaomi Mi 2

In the summer of 2012, Xiaomi released the Mi 2, which not only had an upgraded SoC but also had a bigger screen with a 342ppi resolution, which was even better than the Apple iPhone 4s. And it was equipped with 2GB of RAM, which was not common at that time. The Mi 2 continued Mi 1’s trend of offering superb value for money and also continued to gain strong support from Mi fans at the same price of 1999RMB. Hundreds of thousands Mi 2 in stock were sold out within minutes each time. 

Xiaomi Mi 2S

However, the most famous model of Mi 2 series is not the Mi 2. Instead, it’s the Mi 2s released in 2013. In that year, Xiaomi released 3 phones: the Mi 2S, the Redmi 1,

and the Mi 3. The Mi 2S was an improved version of the Mi 2, with an updated MIUI, a new snapdragon 600 SoC, and, as usual, the same price at 1999RMB. 

While the Android phones of the same period were relatively less powerful, the Mi 2s had a clear advantage at the time with excellent performance and powerful software support. And thanks to the long official support from MIUI 4 to MIUI 9, the Mi 2s has become one of the longest-lived models among all the Mi phones.

Because of its strong performance, it is still able to run some of the mainstream apps of today. Even now there are some users who haven’t given up on this model. That’s why the 2s was also known as a classic magic model by Mi fans in China, just like the iPhone 4 for Apple.

Although Mi phones have had great sales success from the Mi 1 to the Mi 2s, too many consumers complained about the lack of stock all the time, many of them started questioning Xiaomi as a ‘monkey tricking’ company that uses thirsty marketing strategies to consume users’ patience and enthusiasm. But the partial reason might be that as a startup lacking production capacity, Xiaomi didn’t have the ability to quickly respond to the huge market demand. 

Redmi 1

By the way, the first Redmi phone was released in the same year. As Xiaomi’s first sub-brand, Redmi took on the role of Xiaomi’s foothold in the budget market. For only around 120 USD, you could get a branded quality phone that was good value for money, which was a rarity in the global phone market at that time. More than 9 million pre-sales orders also proved the Redmi brand was on the right path. And the Xiaomi brand continued to build up its strength to make a real high-end flagship. 

Xiaomi Mi 3

Now coming back to the Mi 3 flagship released later the year. Xiaomi abandoned the mediocre design of the predecessors and changed it into a totally new design with a more angular appearance. It came with the global debut of the snapdragon 800 soc and an upgraded 1080P display with a 441PPI resolution. And the M3 was the first Xiaomi phone that had a non-removable rear cover. Thanks to the more integrated body, its battery capacity was improved to 3050mAh. Even with all these significant upgrades, again, Xiaomi continued the pricing strategy of starting from 1999RMB, not disappointing fans who believed they could get the phone at the amazing 1999RMB price tag. 

Clearly, it must have taken Xiaomi a lot of courage and efforts to bring such an important product at such an affordable price tag. However, the Mi 3 became a unique model in the history of Mi Phones with people’s polarized reviews. In addition to the praises about the upgrades we mentioned, some accused it of copying the industrial design of the Nokia Lumia series and complained about its poor build quality. 

Xiaomi Mi 4

In the summer of 2014, after the controversial design of Mi 3, the Mi 4 was released. For the Mi 4, Xiaomi put its focus on the phone’s design upgrades. With the slogan of ‘a steel plate’s artistic journey’, it was the first time a Mi phone used a metal stainless steel frame. And shifting from the angular style of the Mi 3, the Mi 4 returned to the design of the Mi 1 and Mi 2 series. The back cover had a special pattern design, and the whole machine got a huge boost in build quality. Unsurprisingly, 2014 was another year of big sales for Xiaomi.

In 2015, there were no updates of the Mi series. Instead, a new series was launched – the Xiaomi Note 1. As Xiaomi’s first attempt to hit the high-end market, the new Note 1 was not successful. The lack of a fingerprint reader and the four-month delay in the launch of the snapdragon 810 SoC due to overheating issues, left the Note 1 behind most competitors as soon as it went on sale. The lack of a widely praised flagship model in 2015 hinted at the oncoming darkness for Xiaomi.

Xiaomi Mi 5

In early 2016, the Mi 5 eventually came out. With its first attempt at a ceramic back cover, a white front face, a home button with a fingerprint sensor, and the latest Snapdragon 820, it was supposed to sell very well for a starting price of just 1999RMB. but the sales of the Mi 5 again was delayed by nearly eight months and it was out of stock for a long time after it went on sale. The delay affected its sales significantly, and it was the time when the brand was called out most by fans for its ‘hunger marketing’ Basically fans were frustrated that Xiaomi’s best products were not easily available for sale. 

Mi Mix 1

But fortunately, there was another heavyweight that took to the stage in 2016, the Mi Mix 1. For the first time in its history, users saw and admired Xiaomi’s industrial design capabilities on the Mix 1. It came with a full-screen design with three super-narrow bezels and a selfie camera on the chin below., which made it pretty stunning at that time.

Even today, it still looks pretty impressive. The ceramic back cover is as gentle as jade, and the camera and fingerprint reader are placed in the upper center, in line with the symmetrical aesthetic. It’s no exaggeration to say that it has to a certain extent inspired future smartphone screen design. However, the Mix 1 was stuck in the stage of being a concept phone due to the difficulties in production. It wasn’t mass-produced, so there was no way to salvage the decline in sales in 2016. In these two years, Xiaomi suffered its first setback. 

Xiaomi Mi 6

Then came April of 2017, when the phone with the best reputation ever in Xiaomi history, the Mi 6 debuted. It came with a new home button integrated with a fingerprint reader without opening a hole, and also added a telephoto camera. Besides the commendable design and the excellent build quality, the debut of Snapdragon 835 SoC also made it almost impeccable at that time.

The Snapdragon 835 was the best Android chipset in recent years with its excellent power and cooling performance. With almost no shortcomings, it was no longer priced at that familiar 1999RMB, and became the first model in the Mi series to start at more than 1999RMB. However, the 2299RMB starting price didn’t stop fans from purchasing the device. The success of the Mi 6 finally broke the price barrier of its flagships and further verified the importance of the product quality and performance. And so far, the Mi 6 is still the only Xiaomi phone that has never dropped in price from launch to exit. 

Xiaomi Mi 8

In 2018, Xiaomi skipped the Mi 7 and released the Mi 8. The Mi 8 has been controversial since its release. It did look like the iPhone. And the Xiaomi Mi 8 became the least distinctive model of the whole series. Even the infrared emitter, a standard feature that Mi series pride themselves on, was removed. Despite this, sales of the Mi 8 continued to rise because of its excellent value for money. At that time, you only needed to pay 2699RMB to get a flagship having a snapdragon 845 Soc, dual-band GPS, and infrared facial recognition for unlocking even in the dark. And more importantly, this was also the first time that Xiaomi started paying attention to the phone’s camera. Meanwhile, the camera department started to run independently to serve all the Xiaomi phones. 

Xiaomi Mi 9

In 2019, the Xiaomi Mi 9, codenamed ‘battle angel’, was launched. It featured three rear cameras, a Primary camera, a wide-angle camera and another telephoto camera, first time achieving three stages of focal length coverage. The Mi 9 scored 107 in the DXOMark test at that time, placing itself in third place. It’s also the first time that we really saw Xiaomi being praised for its camera system. Another selling point of the Mi9 was the thinness of 7.61mm and the lightweight body of 173g. With a curved glass cover, the phone did feel pretty impressive when holding in hands.

But the compromise of the Mi 9 was that the battery capacity had to be cut down to 3300mAh. The limited battery life also became the main complaint for the Mi 9, which, to some extent, affected the overall sales of the model. 

At the same time, the Xiaomi founder, Lei Jun said at the launch that the Mi 9 selling for 2999RMB was the last phone to be priced at under 3000RMB. 

Over the years, Xiaomi prepared well for the transition to the high-end market. 

Xiaomi Mi 10

As expected, the Mi 10 powered by Snapdragon 865, which started at 3999RMB, was released this spring. The Mi 10 comes with a 100MP main camera, a 90Hz curved hole-punch display, LPDDR5 RAM plus UFS 3 ROM, and, most importantly, 5G network support. However, although the price was almost twice the initial price of 1999RMB, there were fewer complaints about the Mi 10’s pricing strategy. Compared to other brand flagships, Mi 10 is still one of the most competitive models in the market in its price segment. And besides the Mi 10 itself, Xiaomi offered several models of the Mi 10 series which were developed for different market segments and regions, such as Mi 10 Pro, 10 Lite, 10T, and so on. No doubt the most famous model is the Mi 10 Ultra specially made to commemorate Xiaomi’s 10TH Anniversary. It’s almost the first Mi flagship that took an all-around lead among Android phones and had such high pricing. 

Xiaomi has been recognized as a special brand to make phones with great value for money. Although the flagship Mi series will no longer come with a mid-range price tag, the sub-brand Redmi has taken up the market of budget cost-effective phones. For the past ten years, Xiaomi’s pattern has been imitated by a number of phone brands. However, most of them failed and didn’t survive in this highly competitive industry. 

On the other hand, we do have to add that Xiaomi is not perfect. At least it’s still facing the dilemma between pursuing higher brand value and maintaining its existing user base. And no doubt the success of the Mi 10 Ultra has encouraged Xiaomi to break the dilemma. 

The Mi 11 is about to be released. And we’re really looking forward to Xiaomi bringing us a surprise. 

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Xiaomi had introduced the MIUI 9 proprietary Android skin in July last year. The company began the roll out of the MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM from November. Xiaomi’s Global VP and Managing Director for India confirmed on Twitter earlier this week on the list of Xiaomi phones that are eligible to receive the MIUI 9 update. The eligible devise list reveals that even four-year old phones such as Mi 3 and Redmi 1S will be treated with the MIUI 9 update.

Here is the list of 21 Xiaomi phones that are eligible to receive the MIUI 9 update:

Redmi series: Redmi 1S, Redmi 2, Redmi 2 Prime, Redmi 3, Redmi 3S Prime, Redmi 4, Redmi 4A, Redmi Y1, Redmi Y1 Lite

Redmi Note series: Redmi Note 4G, Redmi Note Prime, Redmi Note 3, Redmi Note 4

Mi series: Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 4i, Mi 5, Mi Max, Mi Max Prime, Mi Max 2, Mi MIX 2

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi 5 Priced at Rs. 7,999 Has Arrived In India with Full Screen Design

Some of the aforementioned smartphones have already received the MIUI 9. Newer handsets such as the Redmi Note 4, Redmi Y1, Redmi Y1 Lite, Mi MIX 2, Mi Max 2 are receiving the Android Nougat flavored version of MIUI 9 update. However, some of the older phones such as Redmi Note 3 are receiving Android 6.0 Marshmallow flavored MIUI 9 update which lacks some of the features like split-screen mode.

The MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM should automatically arrive as OTA update on the above listed phones. Alternatively, users can manually check for the arrival of the MIUI 9 update by navigating to Settings > About Phone > System Update. It is recommended for users to perform the data backup for their device before installing the MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM.

(source)

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Xiaomi recently announced via its MIUI official Weibo page that the MIUI would soon bring a new screen recording feature which would be available at the end of February when the stable version of the feature would debut. The post did reveal that the feature has been on test on some devices like the Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 5 and Xiaomi Mi Note.

Two videos demonstrating the latest feature has appeared on MIUI forum showing how it works. From the video, it can be gathered that the feature allows users to freely select the resolution size, picture quality, the numbers of frames, display touch points, as well as the ability to show or hide the physical buttons, and so on. Also, the feature allows the user to set the screen mode to vertical or horizontal when recording something playing on the screen. There is also the option of selecting an automatic mode as well.

Related: MIUI 8 Patch ROM Bringing MIUI 8 To Non-Xiaomi Phones Released

Another cool thing about the recording feature is that it doesn’t affect or obstruct the smooth operation of other features on the phone. As stated, the Xiaomi Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 5 and Mi Note will get the feature first, while other Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI will join the fray later on. Here are the links to the demo videos in case you want to check them out.

Demo Video 1

Demo Video 2

(source)

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Xiaomi‘s exploding phone saga continues with the news of a Xiaomi Mi 4 exploding inside a classroom packed with students while it is being charged. Although, incidence of Xiaomi’s devices exploding are very rare, they sometimes occur all the same and this is one of such times.

According to the report, the Mi 4 was plugged into a charging source while the owner was using the phone inside a classroom in China when the explosion occurred. Although other details are sketchy, the photos of the incident points at the battery as the likely culprit. The battery was charred and in turn led to the melting of the plastic back cover of the smartphone as well as the damaging the plastic frame of the phone. Thankfully, no one was reported to have sustained any injury during the incident.

Related: Xiaomi Mi 4S vs Xiaomi Mi 4 Comparison: Upgrades

The Xiaomi Mi 4 isn’t a new smartphone in Xiaomi’s lineup. First released in 2014, the Mi 4 came with a 5-inch 1080p IPS display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801(MSM8974AC) quad-core processor with a clock frequency of 2.5GHz. The device has 3GB RAM and two storage versions of 16GB and 64GB respectively. The device cram a 3080mAh battery which is reputed to achieve full charge in 2.5 hours. Are we looking at a defective battery here or a case of using the wrong charger. We wouldn’t know until an investigation is carried out. We’ll keep you posted about that whenever further details pop up.

source

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If you are looking for a flagship smartphone for the cheap, now might be a good time to take a look at the Xiaomi Mi 4 flagship. Agreed, the phone is now 2 years old, but it still has a pretty good hardware to act as your daily driver. And when you can get the phone for just $129, you may feel that this turns out to be a better deal than the numerous other budget handsets out there in the market right now.

It’s possible that you might have forgotten the specs inside the Xiaomi Mi 4. So, here’s a recap on the hardware. The phone comes with the Snapdragon 801 chipset that currently powers the OnePlus X smartphone clocked at 2.5GHz. Despite being old, this was one of the best chipsets from Qualcomm at that time and still packs enough punch to get through your everyday needs. There will be 2GB of RAM on board along with 16GB of internal storage.

The Mi 4 comes with a beautiful 5-inch JDI Full HD 1080p display which translates into a pixel density of 445 ppi. Even the camera on the device is good, featuring a 13MP rear camera sensor from Sony and an 8MP front facing shooter. Under the hood, the phone comes with a decent 3080mAh battery which should easily last an entire day with the compact display and efficient processor.

The phone supports 4G LTE networks (LTE-FDD: 1800/2100MHz (B1/B3)). In case, you are wondering, there are a few drawbacks of the device, like the absence of a MicroSD card slot and only single SIM support. But if you want a cheap flagship and can ignore these two drawbacks, then the Mi 4 can turn out to be a good option for you.

So, what do you think?

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On August 16, Xiaomi will formally launch the long-awaited MIUI 6 OS and as of today, users may not enlist to participate in its beta tests.

Xiaomi announced in MIUI’s official Weibo account that users can sign up to participate in beta tests for the MIUI 6 in WeChats from today until the 15^th.

Please note that when you register, you have to provide information such as your profile name in the MIUI forum or your Xiaomi account number, your real name, your IMEI number, and a basic introduction of yourself. Xiaomi will select users to participate in the beta tests. Do not miss any important news about the MIUI 6 at this time.

The first batch of phones that Xiaomi will use for beta testing on August 16 includes the China Unicom and China Telecom versions of the Mi 3 and Mi 4. Other phones will be announced later.

Furthermore, users should remember that they will not get the MIUI 6 when it is launched on the 16^th as it will only go through beta testing. Open beta testing should start at around September.

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Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun disclosed the total sales of Xiaomi phones at the Xiaomi Mi4 launch event.

Lei Jun stated, during the last 3 years since August 16, 2011, Xiaomi released 5 phones, and total  sales reached 57.36million. In the first half year of 2014, Xiaomi had sold out 26.11million cell phones, pre-tax sales reached 330 billion RMB (about 53 billion USD).

Besides, Xiaomi also reported sales of specific cell phone models, statistics are as listed: Xiaomi Mi1 7.9million, Xiaomi Mi2 17.4million, Xiaomi Mi3 10.5million, Xiaomi Redmi 18million, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.56million. By now, the number of active MIUI users has reached 65 million.

At the end of the launch show, Lei Jun said Xiaomi planed to sell 60million at least in 2014.

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The Mi 4 vs. mainstream flagship phones      

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Xiaomi has finally introduced its newest phone, the Mi 4, to the world. Just as previous reports have said, the Mi 4 sports a 5-inch 1080p display screen, runs on the Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, and has 3GB and 16GB or 64GB internal memory space. It is powered by a built-in 3080mAh battery and sports a 8mp/13mp camera.

The MIUI 6 will be launched on August 16.

We’ll be posting news on the Mi 4’s launch as it’s happening.

Update: According to Xiaomi, the Mi 4 was first given the go signal on February 2013 and went through 6 prototypes for 18 months. It sports a metal frame and 304 stainless steel. It was made in 40 193-step procedures and processed in a CNC machine 8 times.

The metal frame of Xiaomi Mi4 will be manufactured at FOXCONN and HiP. 

Xiaomi Mi4’s specs:

– 5-inch Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) OGS IPS display screen made by JDI, 445 PPI
– Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.5GHz Quad-core CPU
– 800 Megapixel front facing camera/1300 Megapixel rear camera
-Lp-3GB DDR3 RAM, 16GB/64GB ROM(eMMC5.0)
-3080mAh battery

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The 3 pictures are leaked by a weibo user, he said he had used this phone for several days, it would be to late to show it if he do not leak it right now.

But it’s a bit different from the video show of Xiaomi Mi4(check the location of the rear camera at the back cover) in the launch event in Beijing, could that be Xiaomi Mi3s?

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From the images above we can see Xiaomi Mi4 became tinier compared to the Xiaomi Mi3. At the same time, Xiaomi Mi4 sports metal frame and there is only one SIM card slot on the left side, while all the physical buttons are located on the right side.

Xiaomi Mi4’s specs are really 5″ 1080p screen, 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 Quad-Core processor, 3GB RAM and 16GB ROM.

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Xiaomi’s annual product launch event will be on tomorrow. This is usually the time to keep secret. However, people leaked Xiaomi Mi4’s posters in Weibo. Xiaomi Mi4 have two color schemes, black and white. The material used in its metal frame, so-called 304 austenitic stainless steel, looks remarkable.

The white phone in the picture has a silvery frame that matches with the white device; the black phone has a champagne golden frame that looks chic and elegant.

Besides, the apparent change in appearance is that the frame becomes narrow, in line with fashion trend.

As for the specs, Xiaomi Mi4 have 5-inch 1080p screen, powered with 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 Quad-Core processor, 3GB RAM and 16GB ROM, 5 MP front facing camera and 13 MP rear camera, 3200mAh battery, running on MIUI V6 OS. Not surprisingly, the price tag will be 1999RMB, 340USD.

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 July 22nd product launch event of Xiaomi is around the corner, which is to be put forward for about a month, compared with last year’s. With competition so fierce, will Xiaomi find a way out? Before product launch event, let me sum up  all the leaks of Xiaomi Mi4 so far.

Xiaomi Smart Bracelet

July 4^th, Xiaomi smart bracelet’s Weibo account showed up on wechat public platform, which had been recognized with authentication information as “this account is supported by Xiaomi Technology Limited Liability Company”. Meanwhile, you can find the account “Xiaomi smart bracelet” on Weibo also, which remains not certified.

 Photos of Xiaomi bracelet on Lei Jun’s Weibo

Today, Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun posted a photo of Xiaomi bracelet on his Weibo. Heclaimed the price tag would be 99 Yuan($16) each.

Redmi 4G and Redmi NOTE 4G

The day before yesterday, two new models of Hongmi Note 4G 2014501 and 2014022 acquired network access permits in China;  These two cell phone models just appeared on MIIT’s website today. From the pictures, it may be two derivatives of Hongmi and Hongmi NOTE.

 Both the devices support China Mobile4G network (TD-LTE) and will come into public on July 22nd.

MIUI V6

According to exposed MIUI V6 OS, the new MIUI will change its color of theme when running different apps. With time display on left side, some changes will be taken on in the whole design. MIMU V5’s inability in optimization when running on large screens caused public complaint of MI3. It is believed that MIUI V6 will do some optimization accordingly.

Xiaomi MI4

1 The  Metal Mi-4: Type 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel

When Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun claimed that MI4 would use a kind of special metal on the body, but he did not know that would became a hotly debated topic on Weibo, that people are guessing what kind of metal that is.

 To everyone’s surprise, the kind of metal turns out be the metal used in pots and pans in our daily life, which gained lots of compliant. Yet later on, Wanqiang Li(Xiaomi’s co-founder and CEO) explained in his Weibo that Type 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel would not be used on the back cover of Xiaomi Mi4.

2 Mi4’s First Look

There’s a few leaks about MI4’s appearance. It seems Xiaomi did a good secrecy job. As far as I’m concerned, this time, Xiaomi will take on a brand-new look.

From the very beginning (no design is the best design) to MI3, Xiaomi changed a lot on the appearances. Nowadays, cell phones tend to have similar outlooks which in turn asks Xiaomi to do more on the its appearance design.

3 Xiaomi Mi4’s Specs 

MI4’s specs remain mystery. Deferred from the slogan “Born for You, Burn for MI”, MI4 will be powered with Snapdragon 805 processor, 5-inch 1080p screen, 3GB RAM+32GB ROM. The  500 mega pixels front camera and 1300 mega pixels back camera. As for the price tag, it will certainly be 1999 Yuan($341).

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Just two days ‘ time, MI4 will meet us in state. We are sure Xiaomi Mi4 is not equipped with metal postoperculum, only borders are made of metal materials. As for specific configurations, the 5-inch-touch 1080p screen will be used, equipped with Snapdragon 801 quad core2.5GHz processor, 3GM RAM and 16GB ROM, providing a  5 MP front-facing camera and a 13 MP rear camera, 3000mAh battery , running MIUI V6.
There is s user called @iLevon on Weibo said the phone priced at￥1999($241), and it will be sold along with Xiaomi band. With $340 you can get a top-range Phone and a smart wristband for free
In addition @iLevon_ also claimed that the MIUI V6 will get upgraded on Xiaomi MI4 and MI3.Well,What about my MI2 then.

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Xiaomi will hold its press conference in Beijing National Convention Center to unveil Xiaomi Mi4 at 22nd July. Most of the rumors said Xiaomi will release 4 products in the press conference, Xiaomi Bracelet, Xiaomi Mi4, Hongmi Note 4G and MIUI V6. Xiaomi had showed the Xiaomi Bracelet on it’s Weibo, and the other 3 new models as “2014215”, “2014022” and “2014501” have appeared in the National Quality Certification Center. Former two support 4G network, the latter only supports China Unicom 3G network.

Now, “2014501” and “2014022” both 4G models have appeared in MIIT. As described in the Ministry of the page, the former model is manufactured at Jiaxing, Zhejiang, while the latter model is manufactured  at Langfang, Hebei. Accoding to Xiaomi’s supply chain, we think the former manufacturers should be Wingtech communications, Inc., the latter is Foxconn.

Unfortunately, Xiaomi’s real pictures has not appeared on MII. But we can see that the former manufacturers used to manufacture Hongmi, the latter used to manufacture Xiaomi. According to the consumption, we think 2,014,501 should be Hongmi Note 4G while 2,014,022 should be Xiaomi Mi4. Both of them support TD-LTE/TD-SCDMA/GSM, but not WCDMA and LTE FDD. We believe they should be a tri-mode mobile version product. If all goes to plan, barring any unforeseen circumstance, there will be 4G version in the near future. But the China Mobile versions will be released first.

They say Xiaomi will use Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor (reportedly Xiaomi have not done MT6595 octa-core LTE models temporarily) in Hongmi Note 4G. On other specs might improve a bit compared to the older version.

While the Mi4 has 5-inch 1080p touch screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core 2.5GHz processor, 3GB RAM and 16GB ROM, a 8 MP front camera and a 13 MP rear camera runing MIUI V6!

Applicant:  Xiaomi Technology LLC.

Manufacturer:  Xiaomi Technology LLC.

Device Name:  TD-LTE digital mobile telephones.

Model:  2014022.

Equipment Origin:  Hebei Langfang City.

Date of issue:  2014/7/9.

Expiry Date:  2015/1/9.

Note: 1) This device supports TD-LTE/TD-SCDMA/GSM formats; 2) Operating system: Android.

Applicant:  Xiaomi Technology LLC.

Manufacturer:  Xiaomi Technology LLC.

Device Name:  TD-LTE digital mobile telephones.

Model:  2014022.

Equipment Origin:  Zhejiang Jiaxing City.

Date of issue:  2014/7/9.

Expiry Date:  2015/1/9.

Note: 1) This device supports TD-LTE/TD-SCDMA/GSM formats; 2) Operating system: Android.

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Shortly after Lei Jun claimed that the Xiaomi Mi4 press conference  invitation letter is made by metal , and the material of the next generation of Mi4’s body is Austenitic stainless steel 304. Which is allegedly can provide strong rust and corrosion resistance. It is easy to be stamping form by its excellent plasticity and toughness. Stainless steel 304 is one of the most common stainless steel with the density of 7.93 g/cm3 , Which is also called as stainless steel 18/8 in the industry. It can resistant high temperature, have good processing performance, thus it is widely used in medical industry and furniture decoration industry and food industry.

Although this kind of stainless steel is very common in China, the name “stainless steel 304 “comes from the United States. Many people thought that stainless steel 304 is one of the Japanese models, but strictly speaking, a Japanese official called for stainless steel 304 is the “SUS304”. There are three kinds of common Marking methods on the market, they are 06 cr19ni10, S30408 and SUS304, of which 6 cr19ni10 is generally signified ISO production, S30408 is generally signified ASTM standard production, SUS 304 is signified Japanese standard production.

As a kind of common stainless steel, stainless steel 304 is widely used to make equipment and parts which required a good comprehensive performance (corrosion resistance and formability). In order to keep its inherent corrosion resistance, the component of chromium in stainless steel must more than 17% , and the component of nickel must more than 8% . Stainless steel 304 is a brand that produced according to the United States ASTM standards.

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According to the picture, the profile of the invitation is quite similar to the phone (5″ screen), if there is no accident, MI4 would be the same size.
Last week, Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s CEO, announced that they would hold the press conference on July 22 at the China NationalConvention Center , if there is no surprises, then we could be able to see the real apperence of Xiaomi Mi4 for the first time.
Today some net friends exposed Xiaomi’s launch invitation letter in the social network, they unexpectedly used a steel plate as an invitation, which is quite different from former ones.

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A week before the product launch, details about MI 4 continues to be exposed. @C Technology just reveals in Weibo, that MI 4 will be integrated with fingerprint identification function, which in design works by sensing a finger’s touch (not by sensing a finger’s movement, which is used in Galaxy S5). It can go into different functions according to gathered fingerprint information, entering main interface by default.

Nevertheless, the question is where the fingerprint identification function will be placed in Xiaomi Mi4?

As is disclosed in previous spy photos (relatively with a high liability), MI 4 has a mainstream design, that is a front-panel display with 3 navigation bottoms below. There is no indication that MI 4 is able to carry the fingerprint identification function. However, what if such function is to be designed at on the backside? With reference to existing models, such design has little practicability, and that’s more to do with stunts.

Thus, MI 4 with a fingerprint identification function still puts a huge question mark.

As for the specific configuration, in summary, MI 4, running  MIUI V6 system, is expected to adopt a 5-inch 1080P screen, along with Snapdrago 801 processor（MSM8974AC）, 3-GB Built-in Memory, and 5-million-pixels front camera and 5-million-pixels front camera and 13-million-pixels rear camera.

The change in appearance is one of its attractions: ultra-narrow border and joined metal material help to enhance the quality of visual impact. Besides, the anticipated production capacity will increase a lot more, compared with before. When it comes to the selling price, it is said to be as high as 2499RMB($400). How much do you think?

The post Another Assassin’s Mace of Xiaomi MI 4 Disclosed! appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi’s press conference would be held at The National Conference Center on July 22th, Phoenix digital has received the invitation from Xiaomi as the media guest. The figure below was probably the steel plate of the back cover of Xiaomi. The invitation of the press conference was made of metal, engraved “ A plate of steel’s tour of art” on the back, in with echos to the twitter of Lei Jun, however the received invitation dos’t present the number “4”.

Most of the rumors said that Xiaomi M4 will be powered with 5″ 1080p screen, snapdragon801, 3GB RAM and 16GB ROM, 5MP front camera and a 1300MP rear camera, running MIUI V6, priced at 1,999 yuan($320).

The post Xiaomi’s Invitation Letter is Made of A Sheet of Metal, Could That be the Back Cover of Xiaomi Mi4？ appeared first on Gizmochina.

Recently, some information came out that the Mi 4 may be designed with a metal case which would lead to an increase in production costs. As a result, Xiaomi will increase price of the Mi 4 to 2499 RMB. 

The text in the poster for Xiaomi’s July 22 launch event says “A journey through steel.” Xiaomi’s vice-CEO, Wanqiang Li, also said in his Weibo account, that “comparing metal with plastic is like Germany playing against Brazil in the World Cup,” implying that the news about Xiaomi Mi4 using a metal design are true.

Many consumers compete with each other for Xiaomi’s smart phones because of their low prices, so this price increase may weaken this competition. Perhaps, this is just a psychological strategy Xiaomi is trying out with their prices. Whatever it is, we will just have to wait.

Here’s OPPO mart’s listing of the Mi 4.

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Lenovo Octa-core Golden Warrior

The Golden Warrior is a monster smartphone at a crazy price, it was announced last week that will hit availability status on the 18th of July, but before that at 10am on the 14th of July it will be available on the Chinese social network site Weibo at a discount purchase price. The phone really is unbelievable value, the octa-core Mediatek MT6592 processor, 5 inch display and 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage memory, the rear camera is a is 13MP with LED flash, and the front shooter is 5MP. The RRP is a staggeringly low $129 from China Mobiles and $145 from China Unicom.

Xiaomi Mi4

Xiaomi is also expected to launch a new handset on the 22nd July.  Today Bin Lin posted an image on his facebook page of the number 4. The post says “July 22nd, Xiaomi’s annual product launch event. We will tell the story about The journey of a piece of steel metal.” It was then shared on Xiaomi’s timeline with the announcement that “something big is brewing…mark your calendars for July 22nd”.

The announcement, intriguing as it may be, is most likely the announcement of the Mi4 smartphone. The new phone is said to have a 13 MP camera (according to photos supposedly taken with it). There is another post which states that the Mi4 will be available further afield in countries such as  the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, Brazil, Vietnam, Turkey, Thailand, and India.”

The Mi4 is expected to retail at $599.99, and have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 AC processor, running at 2.46GHz. There is also rumoured specifications of 3GB RAM, 16GB ROM and an excellent 8MP front facing camera. We can only wait and see on for certain on July 22nd.

The post Lenovo and Xiaomi releases imminent! Budget monster Golden Warrior and long-awaited Mi4 news. appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi’s CEO Leijung anouced that Xiaomi Mi4 Will Release On July 22th, and he posted a picture below:

to show Mi 4 will  use steel or other metal material as middle frame. We are sure Xiaomi Mi4 will support 4G LTE and the rumor said it will be powered with Snapdragon 805 and 2K screen, but we are not sure.

According to the Weibo user Mi4 will be a slim phone with  “bezelless” design, the size of the screen would between 5.2″ to 5.4″, and would bepriced at 1999yuan ($320). Xiaomi Mi3s would be priced at 1499yuan ($240) with 5″ 1080p resolution screen and snapdragon 801.

Xiaomi Mi3’s price might be drop to 1299yuan($208) after 22nd July the Mi4 launch event.

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Xiaomi CEO finally send invitation for their new generation phone launching event. The old product Xiaomi Mi3 can’t attract buyer since some Chinese phone manufacturers release themselives new smartphones: OPPO Find 7, Oneplus One, Vivo Xshot, Huawei Honor 6 and ZTE Nubia Z7. To face so many competitors, Xiaomi have to release their new products earlier (Over the past few years, Xiaomi always release new product in Augest.)

The invitation picture, show a big number “4” and a word: The Artistic Journey of A piece of steel plate. So the new Xiaomi phone must be Mi4, and the phone use steel or other metal material as middle frame.

Xiaomi start sell launching event ticket on official shop now, only 1000 units ticked for Xiaomi phone users.

Xiaomi Mi4 Launching time: July 22th, 2014, 2:00pm

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We have seen many of Xiaomi Mi4 leaks in the last 2 months and that’s what we had been proofed from the leaked pictures: 5inch screen, bezelless design, back cover made of special material and gotten unique finish. From what we know Mi 4 will be released at around 20th July. And Mi4’s render pictures with MIUI V5 had already went popular on Chinese social network.

And from what we had know from a previous leak, we have heard that the Xiaomi Mi4 will have 4G LTE, Snapdragon 805, 3GB RAM, and a 16 mega-pixel camera(SONYIMX214). Will you like the new Xiaomi, Mi4? Tell us how you feel about it.

The post Xiaomi Mi 4 render shows “bezelless” design with MIUL V5 appeared first on Gizmochina.

On the afternoon of July 4, someone in Weibo posted a photo of a mysterious device with Xiaomi’s logo on it. Based on comparisons with another photo that was leaked a while back, there is a big possibility that this device is the upcoming Mi 4. From the photo, we can see that the edges of the phone are fuller than the Mi 3’s. At the same time, it shows a very narrow bezel case, which solves the biggest problem that most people have with the Mi 3.

This photo could have been leaked from the factory it was made in based on the photographer wearing a glove in the photo and the environment surrounding it. This adds more credibility to the fact that this may be Xiaomi’s new phone.

The Mi 4 is predicted to come out this month or the next. What do you think it will look like?

From comparing the phone in the photo with the Mi 3, the Mi 4 should use a 5.2-inch (approximately) display screen. For now, a screen with this small should only have a resolution of 1080p.

This phone will probably use be the Snapdragon 805, have 3GB RAM and a 13mp camera with F/18 aperture, and be 4G-supported. Do you think it will cost 1999 RMB? (321.80 USD)

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