July was a great month for Xiaomi, it saw them launch their very first PC, the Mi Notebook Air, and a new phone, the Redmi Pro. But these positive news have been marred by negative ones. The first one was of a Xiaomi Mi 4i catching fire while charging. Today we got to hear that a Xiaomi Mi 5 exploded as well.

While Xiaomi has sent the Mi 4i user a replacement unit they have not released any official details with respect to their findings.

The owner of the Mi 5 that exploded has uploaded pictures of the phone on Weibo showing a peeled off back but an undamaged front. There is also no mention of injuries sustained during the explosion, which is good news by the way. We believe Xiaomi has already been notified of the incident and will probably provide a replacement unit as well.

READ MORE: Xiaomi, Huawei, and Meizu are Working on Curved Screen Phones

While we wait for them to announce the results of the investigations, we should be careful when charging our devices and adhere to the following rules:

• Avoid charging your devices in hot areas as the temperature of the phone usually rises when charging. If the charging area is also hot, that’s risky.
• Keep charging areas free of liquids.
• Use certified chargers from trusted brands.

Exploding phones are not new occurrences but they can be deadly and cause a lot of damage if not properly managed. Other companies that have suffered similar issues include Samsung (S3 and S4) and HTC.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5 Reportedly Explodes in China appeared first on Gizmochina.

Back when Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Mi4i, we were all surprised to see that there was no domestic version of the device. Later, TENAA listing and leaks confirmed that a special version of the Mi4i, domestically called as the Xiaomi Mi4c will come to China in the coming weeks.

Now, we have more information about the device, thanks to a new leak which shows off the retail box of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi4c. The leak reveals most of the specifications of the device. Thanks to TENAA, we already knew that the Mi4c will feature a more powerful Snapdragon 808 hexa-core chip clocked at 1.8GHz. Other specs were expected to be similar to the Mi4i. However, today this leak reveals yet another surprise. The box states that the Xiaomi Mi4c will come with the new USB Type-C port instead of the traditional one that was used in the Mi4i.

It looks like the Chinese version of the Xiaomi Mi4i will be much more powerful and feature rich than the international model. Other specs are more or less the same. So, the Xiaomi Mi4c is expected to come with a 5-inch IPS display with full HD 1080p resolution. There will be 2GB of RAM on board along with 16GB of ROM, 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing one. Under the hood, expect a 3000mAh battery. The phone will come with Android 5.1.1 with MIUI 7 OS on top. The dimension are expected to be exactly the same as the Mi4i, 138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8 mm. Also, it should weigh just about 130 grams.

Interestingly, despite the powerful specs, the Xiaomi Mi4c is expected to retail for just 1,299 Yuan. That’s almost the same price as the international variant with the slower Snapdragon 615. It is said that the Mi4c will be announced in the first week of September.

The post Xiaomi Mi4c Retail Box Leaked, Reveals Snapdragon 808 & USB Type-C appeared first on Gizmochina.

For the past few weeks, we have been hearing a few rumors that the Chinese variant of Mi4i will feature a better processor than Snapdragon 615 that currently powers the device. It was said that the phone will be called as the Xiaomi Mi 4C, where C stands for China. In Mi4i, the ‘i’ reportedly stood for “International”.

Now, things are somewhat clear, thanks to the TENAA listing of the device. The Xiaomi Mi 4C supports all the three network carries in the country, thanks to its TD-LTE/ TD-FDD/ TD-CDMA/ WCDMA/ CDMA2000/ CDMA 1X & GSM standard support.

Specs wise, there’s one major difference. Instead of the Snapdragon 615 octa-core chip that powers the Mi 4i, the Xiaomi Mi 4C will come with the six-core Snapdragon 808 clocked at 1.8GHz. There will be 2GB of RAM on board along with a 13MP rear camera. Up front, there will be a 5-inch 1080p display along with a 5MP camera on top. Another difference in this new model will be the Android version, which is going to be Android 5.1.1 with MIUI 7 on top, instead of Android 5.0.2 on Mi4i.

Since the Xiaomi Mi4C has already passed TENAA, we expect a launch pretty soon. The pricing should be similar to the international version, so expect it to be around the 1299 Yuan mark.

Xiaomi is really stepping up its game in recent times. Snapdragon 808 is considered as a flagship level chip. It even powers the LG G4 flagship! So, getting this SoC in a mid-range device will really boost the performance of the handset.

The post Chinese version of Mi 4i, the Xiaomi Mi 4C Will Feature Snapdragon 808 Chip appeared first on Gizmochina.

A new Xiaomi smartphone has just been spotted on the Geekbench benchmark website. Interestingly, the device is code named Xiaomi Libra and comes with the premium Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset. The model also comes with 2GB RAM and managed to post decent scores in both the single core and multi-core tests.

Unfortunately, at this moment, we have no idea which is this new Xiaomi device. Snapdragon 808 is a premium chip from Qualcomm, however, it may not be necessarily be limited to flagship devices. Also, considering that its slightly slower than the Snapdragon 810 chipset, its unlikely Xiaomi will use this chip inside its upcoming Xiaomi Mi5 handset.

So, if its not the Mi5, then which is this Xiaomi Libra model? It could be the rumored high-end Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 smartphone, but it will most likely come with something less powerful like the Snapdragon 615. Hence, if we had to guess which phone is this, we would have to go back May, when leading Chinese Industry Analyst, Pan Jiutang had claimed that Xiaomi was developing a smartphone for China and international markets.

Given the limited availability of Xiaomi Mi4i, he had claimed that for the international markets, the company was working on something a little more powerful, which would be powered by the Snapdragon 808 chipset. This particular model would be placed between Xiaomi Redmi series and the Xiaomi Mi flagship series. It could be called as the Mi4i in the new markets, but we are not sure about the name.

Anyways, he had also said that the pricing should be similar to Mi4i, somewhere between 1,299 Yuan and 1,499 Yuan. Further, he added that the launch time should be around Q3 2015. So, it looks like this could be the smartphone that he was talking about.

At this moment, we have no other information, except that its powered by Snapdragon 808 with 6 cores clocked at 1.44GHz (a bit slower than usual) and it runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop version. However, if the device is going to launch anytime soon, we could see more information pretty soon. So, stay tuned to the website for more updates.

The post Xiaomi Libra Spotted On GeekBench With Snapdragon 808 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: VIDEO

All you need to know in the video review!

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: SPECIFICATIONS

Display	5″ 1080p, 441PPI
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (64-bit, octa-core, 1.7GHz)
RAM	2GB
Camera	5MP Front/13MP Back
Connectivity	Bluetooth, 3G, 4G, GPS, WIFI, GSM,EDGE, GPRS, UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+,
Battery	3.120 mAh Li-Ion (non-removable)
Dimensions	138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8 mm / 5.44 x 2.74 x 0.31 inches / 130g
OS	MIUI 6.5.5, Android 5.0 Lolipop
Storage	16GB (non-expandable)

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: UNBOXING

A plain box with all the contents put neatly but no premium presentation

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: DESIGN

ALTHOUGH THE XIAOMI MI4i DOES NOT CARRY PREMIUM MATERIALS LIKE METAL BUT IT STILL FEELS LIKE A WELL-MADE DEVICE WITH ITS UNIBODY PLASTIC SHELL

The Mi4i does not have premium materials in its design, but it comes in a high quality unibody plastic shell, which does not feel cheap at all.

On the top you can find a MI logo, notification LED, proximity sensor, earpiece and 5MP front facing shooter.

On the bottom of the device there are 3 nicely backlit capacitive keys. The backlight is not that bright, but it is visible even outdoors.

The top left corner is the place where Xiaomi implemented the 13MP camera along with dual tone dual LED flash and the noise cancelling mic.

On the bottom there is a loudspeaker and you will hear a sound test. Please check out a video review to hear a sound test.

Xiaomi decided not to implement the metal chassis, but stick with plastic on the sides of the device.

The left side is where you can find dual micro SIM tray. However, there is no MicroSD card slot. Sometimes I just can’t understand the reasons behind the lack of storage expansion option.

The right side is where you can find a plastic made volume rocker along with a power on/off switch. The buttons have a great tactile response and I have no complaints here.

On the top you can find a conveniently placed headphone jack.

Finally, on the bottom there is a micro USB charging port along with the main microphone.

Overall, the device feels like a premium piece of hardware despite its plastic build. It feels great in the hand, the button placement seems right and 5” display can be easily reached with with your thumb. Also, it is a nice compact phone that would not protrude out of your pocket.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: DISPLAY

a flagship-worthy display

One of the first things you are going to notice once you turn on the device is the display, which I believe is one of the highlights of the Xiaomi Mi4i. The 5” 1080 LCD panel is sharp, vivid, very bright and has a super sunlight visibility. I believe that it is one of the best panels I’ve seen in a while.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: UI

the miui 6.5.5 is sleek and runs very fast on top of android 5.0 lollipop. Also, google services are pre-installed out of the box

The Xiaomi Mi4i runs the MIUI 6.5.5, which is a highly customised version of Android 5.0 Lollipop. As usual for the Chinese manufacturers, there is no app drawer as all the apps sit on the home screens.

The device has tons of setting to play with and more importantly, there are many customisation options. Xiaomi is famous for offering literally hundreds of different themes, so you would find at least a few to suit your taste.

It is worth mentioning that the device comes with the Google Services pre-installed out of the box, so you don’t need to worry about that as it is an issue with some of the Chinese devices.

Overall, although the MIUI may look a bit unusual at the first glance, it is definitely a nice and responsive interface worth trying out.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: PERFORMANCE

a great performer, which handles even the most graphically intensive tasks. but heats up in return.

The Xiaomi Mi4i has the 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 chip inside along with 2 GB of RAM and just 16GB of non-expandable storage. The overall package fits the upper mid-range class, but the lack of the MicroSD card slot may be a deal breaker for some.

The synthetic benchmarks are actually not that great as the device is definitely not on par with current flagship smartphones.

The Antutu score is 33997. 

On the other hand, graphically intensive games are handled without a sweat as I didn’t notice any difference between the Xiaomi Mi4i and devices powered by Snapdragon 801 chips.

However, the smartphone heats up very quickly and just after 3-4 minutes of use it becomes quite hot that it feels a bit uncomfortable in the hand. I know that Xiaomi has already addressed this issue and it is working on the software updates, but this is the thing you have to live with for now.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: MULTIMEDIA

multimedia consumption is great

1 of 5

The MIUI gallery app is just a pleasure to navigate through. It is easy to use and very responsive. In addition, the stock video player app can play a variety of different formats and scrolling through the footage is smooth.

The 5” display may be not be the biggest to enjoy the video, but the great sunlight visibility compensates that when watching a movie outdoors.

The music player app has a nice flat design, it is responsive and all the features can be accessed quickly.

The sound quality of the loudspeaker is not the best, but pretty good. Also, it is loud enough to listen to music or even hear it in noisy environments. Please check out the video review to hear a sound test.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: CAMERA

a good 13mp shooter, but the video recording quality could be better

The MIUI design language continues in the pre-installed camera app. It is fast and responsive, the shutter speed is very fast. In addition, there are tons of different settings and shooting modes if you feel like getting the picture the way you want.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: IMAGE QUALITY

awesome looking daylight images with a great amount of detail

The 13MP shooter turns out to be nearly excellent performer in the daylight. The pictures are sharp, have a lot of detail. Also, the colours look natural most of the time, but sometimes software makes it look more punchy.

The dynamic range is usually good, but if it struggles in difficult scenarios, the HDR mode does a great job helping out.

The low-light camera performance is a hit or miss. Sometimes you can get some great looking photos, which can be even on par with real flagship devices, but other times the images turn out to be blurry and have a lot of noise. Still, you can achieve some good looking results and the low light camera performance is one of the best I’ve seen in this price category.

DOWNLOAD FULL RESOLUTION SAMPLES

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: VIDEO QUALITY

the video quality is good but does not capture a lot of detail as flagship smartphones

The device is capable of shooting videos at maximum resolution of 1080p. The footage comes out quite good, colours look natural, auto-exposure works well. However, the video could be a bit sharper and the sensor could capture some more details. Still, I like what I’m seeing overall.

Please check out the video review to see the video sample.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: CONNECTIVITY

all the connectivity options work just fine

1 of 3

All the connectivity options including GPS, Wifi and Bluetooth work just fine. In addition, call quality is great. I could easily hear clear voices via earpiece and same can be said about people on the other end.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: BATTERY LIFE

a huge 3120mah battery performs well in real life scenarios

1 of 4

The huge battery delivers in real life as you can be sure that the juice pack will get you through the day even if you are a heavy user. Also, the screen on and stanby times are great as you can watch the HD video for around 10 hours, which is quite impressive. Overall, the battery life is very good.

Xiaomi Mi4i Review: CONCLUSIONS

A great device overall despite a few shortcomings

Is the Xiaomi Mi4i a flagship device as the company declares? Well, no it is not. Considering the specs sheet and synthetic benchmark results it is more like an upper-midrange device.

On the other hand, the real life scenarios suggest that the device can deliver almost flagship-grade performance. To begin with, it is very fast and even the most graphically intensive tasks are handled pretty well.  However, the more processing power you require, the more it heats up. Actually, the chip inside can overheat easily and may even make the device uncomfortable to hold it in your hand. I know that this is widely known issue, but I hope that Xiaomi will fix it as soon as possible. For example, I’ve reviewed ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini with the same processor, but I did not have these issues at all.

Still, there are plenty of things that work well on this device. I love the UI, which works fine most of the time. In addition, the camera is really great despite a few minor shortcomings.

Finally, the all the connectivity options work great and the battery life is amazing.

Overall, the Xiaomi Mi4i is a great upper mid-range device from a well-known Chinese manufacturer. Despite a few shortcomings, which can be fixed via software updates, I believe it is a great smartphone worth your attention.

The post Xiaomi Mi4i Review – A Flagship or Not? appeared first on Gizmochina.

Finally, we will get to see a showdown between two powerful, but affordable, Smartphones. The Chinese brand showed guts going up against ASUS, unveiling itself in one of the biggest Smartphone markets, India. Both bring to the table some powerful specs and full HD display. However, despite their obvious similarities, big differences can make one superior to the other.

First of all, the Mi4i has beaten ASUS, hands down, being the cheapest full HD LTE enabled flagship. While being the lighter one of the two flagships, in terms of weight and price, the Mi4i offers no less than the Zenfone in terms of power and speed. Mi4i bears a Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor at heart, whereas ASUS shows hardcore loyalty to Intel Chipset. Moreover, Xiaomi’s 3120 mAh battery is more powerful than ASUS’s 3000mAh while the latter’s processor is more battery consuming; it is clear who the winner is in this round ⁽¹⁾. However, the Zenfone has a better front camera and more storage, with 16GB (non-expandable) on Mi4i against the 16GB expandable memory on the Zenfone.

Currently, the price stands at $200 for the Mi4i which is the same price as the ASUS Zenfone 2 (2GB model). However, depending on the RAM and other specs, prices can vary. With hardcore specs like that, it’s quite a sweet deal don’t you think?
You can compare every specs of the devices in details from the table below.

The post Xiaomi Mi4i vs Asus Zenfone 2 – Let the showdown begin! appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi just unveiled the brand new Xiaomi Mi4i flagship. The device comes with a beautiful unibody polycarbonate body in over 5 different colors including white, black, blue, yellow and pink. The Mi4i boasts of an amazing cost to hardware ratio, which is why we feel Xiaomi has launched a winner today.

The phone comes with a full HD 1080p 5-inch display with Snapdragon 615 and 2GB RAM. There will be a 13MP rear camera with dual tone flash and a 3120mAh battery from Sony.

We have already written a detailed post on the features, pricing, specs and availability of the device. If you haven’t seen that yet, you can check it out from this link.

The phone looked beautiful in pictures and now its time to see some hands-on pictures of the device. The unibody design especially gives it a solid and premium look much like the Lumia series, but the overall design language is similar to the earlier Xiaomi Mi series smartphones.

Anyways, take a look at the hands-on pictures of the Xiaomi Mi4i and let us know what you think about the new device.

The post Hands-on with the polycarbonate unibody Xiaomi Mi4i appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi Mi4i is coming and we are just hours away from the official launch event. For the first time, Xiaomi has decided to launch the device first in India, which clearly shows that the company is eager to establish its brand in international markets. Given that there are millions of Xiaomi fans in India and the immense potential for growth, its not surprising that the Xiaomi Mi4i is launching in the country first.

If you are interested in seeing the event live, you can do so from the link given below. The company has decided to stream it live to fans all over the world, that too in English. So, you can head over to the link below to check out what the company has in store for us today.

WATCH XIAOMI MI4i EVENT LIVE FROM THIS LINK

The event starts a 4 PM IST (2am PT | 5am ET) in New Delhi, India.

We have already written a detailed article on the pricing and the specs of the upcoming Mi4i. So, you can check it out directly from this post.

The post You Can Watch the Xiaomi Mi4i Launch Event LIVE HERE appeared first on Gizmochina.

It looks like Xiaomi has yet another product that will be unveiled pretty soon. The company revealed a teaser recently on its Xiaomi India page, saying “i is coming”. Many predicted that the teaser was for the global launch of the Xiaomi Mi Note flagship series which was announced back in January. But it looks like the company was teasing another product for launch in India.

A new variant Xiaomi Mi4 was spotted on the Singapore IDA database and later on the GeekBench3 website. The device was called as the Xiaomi Mi4i and is probably the low-end version of the company’s flagship Mi4 smartphone.

Thanks to the GeekBench3, we have some of the tech specs of the device. The Xiaomi Mi4 will use a 1.6GHz octa-core Qualcomm processor, which we guess is none other than the Snapdragon 615. It will come with 2GB RAM on board and Android 5.0.2 OS version. Other specs are still not clear.

This leak answers at least some of our questions. The reason why Xiaomi’s teaser stressed so much on “i is coming” is probably because the low-end Xiaomi Mi4i is launching that day. Given the downgraded specs, we expect the pricing to be around 1599 Yuan, or even lower.

So, what do you think about Xiaomi’s move to release a new Mi4i version for a slightly lower price tag?

The post Mid-Range Xiaomi Mi4i spotted: Could be unveiled at April 23 India Event! appeared first on Gizmochina.