Xiaomi Mi Note & Mi Note Pro Launched. Bigger & Better, But Not Cheap!

So, it is not Mi 5 that was widely expected to be announced, but Mi Note series that will take the position of Xiaomi Flagship device. And before we move forward, please keep in mind that it is not the same as Redmi Note – Mi Note is Flagship device that replaces Mi 3 launched last year in India!

Redmi series is targeted at mid-lower segment, whereas Mi Note series is targeted at higher segment.

And Xiaomi surprised everyone by announcing not one but 2 devices – Mi Note and Mi Note Pro. Let us look at each in more detail.

Mi Note

Mi Note is a 5.7-inch phablet that comes with a full HD (1920×1080 pixels) display with dynamic contrast pixel adjustment technology, which automatically improves contrast of darker areas to make the display more punchier!

Interestingly it boasts a 3D curved Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the front as well as back making it scratch and shatter resistant!

Mi Note boasts the Snapdragon 801 2.5 GHz SOC coupled with Adreno 330 and a whopping 3GB RAM. As far as the camera goes, the read sports the same 13 megapixel camera, but comes with optical image stabilization that will ensure that you can get sharper picture even in low lights!

Apart from this, Mi Note has dual 4G SIM (micro/nano) and packed with a decent 3000mAH lithium-ion battery.

??Mi Note? is priced at RMB 2299 (16GB) and RMB 2799 (64GB), which converted into Indian rupees roughly costs Rs. 23,000 and Rs. 28,000 respectively.

At that price it is definitely not a budget phone and suggests a big shift in the kind of market segment they are targeting!

Mi Note Pro

Mi Note series comes with an even upgraded version, dubbed ‘Mi Note pro’ and sees higher specifications in nearly every aspect.

While the display size remain the same, Mi Note Display has a 2K resolution (2560 x 1440 at 515 PPI), which means even more crispier pictures than a Full HD screen.

The Note Pro has Snapdragon 810 64 bit 8-core coupled with Adreno 430 GPU. This is also only the second phone after ASUS Zenfone 2 that has 4GB RAM and comes with 64GB eMMC 5.0 Flash storage.The phone supports LTE-CAT 9, which gives up to 450Mbps download speeds!

Mi Note Pro is priced at RMB 3299 with 64GB flash, which converts into roughly Rs. 33,000/-

Why Xiaomi Shifted from Low Cost Phone Strategy

Profits…what else!

When they entered India, they wanted to create a brand and wanted people to know about them. Now that they have firmly entrenched themselves in Indian market, it is time for them to make some money!

Obviously on the Redmi series and Mi 3 series they hardly made any money given that they were priced so low.  With Mi Note, they want to ensure they laugh all the way to their banks.

However, Xiaomi needs to understand that India is a very price conscious market. They will immediately shun anything that they think is not value for money. At 23,000 Mi Note may still have good number of buyers, but Note Pro may appeal to a very narrow segment of Indian consumers.

We need to wait and watch how Indians respond to these devices.

Comments are welcome!