Xiaomi is openly facing increased competition as it missed its 2015 target of selling 80 million phones—the 70 million devices they did sell is a clear miss compared to an optimistic 80-100 million device target. According to a Reuters report, the Chinese company that fashions itself as the Apple of China is now planning new stores in hopes of doubling offline smartphone sales…
Xiaomi has announced that it sold over 70 million smartphones over the course of the entire 2015 fiscal year. The company didn’t state exactly how many smartphones were sold, but it has improved on its 2014 total by around 10 million units. It’s not all positive for Xiaomi though, it missed its own 80 million projection set for 2015 which itself was reduced from an original target of 100 million…
Not long ago, Xiaomi’s co-founder indicated we should expect to see its next flagship, the Mi 5, launch sometime after the Spring Festival (also known as Chinese New Year). The only other fact we knew for sure was that it will be powered by Qualcomm’s newest processor, the Snapdragon 820, which is being built using Samsung’s 14nm FinFET process.
While there’s no guarantee that these are definitive, or accurate, there have been a couple more leaks pointing towards what we should expect from the Mi 5 and when we should expect to see it…
Xiaomi has taken the wraps off a new variant of its flagship phablet, the Redmi Note 3. This new model is equipped with Qualcomm’s hexa-core Snapdragon 650 processor and is priced just a little higher than the MediaTek-powered models…
Lenovo has today launched a budget phone in China, and it’s called the Lemon 3. Notably, this is different than the phone that leaked last year that also had a citrus-y name. While the Lemon X (which launched in Chinese markets a couple of months ago under the name Vibe X3) is aimed at the mid-range, the Lemon 3 is aimed at the lower end of the market…
Investors are “beginning to question” Xiaomi’s $46B valuation after the company reportedly failed to hit its sales target of 80M smartphones in 2015, reports the WSJ. That target was itself reduced from 100M last summer, and the company has also not yet delivered on its promise of substantial revenue from Internet services.
Xiaomi has faced tougher competition from more established brands like Huawei.
Huawei’s engineering strength and brand image, built up over decades, make it difficult for Xiaomi to compete in China, analysts say.
“The competition in China’s smartphone market has intensified tremendously this year,” said a Xiaomi spokeswoman, who declined to comment on the company’s valuation or say whether it met its 2015 sales target.
Huawei comfortably overtook Xiaomi to become the Chinese market leader in October of last year …
Having been teased by the manufacturer a few days ago, the new Redmi 3 has finally been unveiled by Xiaomi. The company took to its Facebook page to announce the new phone this morning. As with all things made by Xiaomi, it punches well above its price-point, offering a premium look and feel combined with decent specs, at an affordable price…
Just a couple of days back, Xiaomi‘s SVP revealed on Weibo that his company is ramping up full-capacity production ahead of a February launch for its next flagship, the Xiaomi Mi 5. What he didn’t say is that the company is also planning to launch a smaller, more fashion-focussed phone very soon. Xiaomi has revealed two teasers for the Redmi 3 which will be unveiled in just a few days time, on January 12…
Xiaomi’s co-founder and SVP Liwang Jiang has confirmed on Chinese social network, Weibo, that the company is ramping up production of the Xiaomi Mi 5 ahead of a launch sometime after Spring Festival/Chinese New Year. The device will ship with the brand new quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor.
From the loosely translated page, it seems Xiaomi‘s production of the next flagship is hitting peak levels now to ensure that there’s enough stock for when the smartphone is released next month.
We don’t know much else about the Chinese manufacturer’s next smartphone. There have been rumors, as there always are, suggesting we’ll see a device equipped with a QHD resolution 5.2-inch display, giving it a huge pixel density of 565ppi. It’s also rumored to feature a massive 3,600mAh battery with Quick-Charge 3.0 support, suggesting we won’t see USB Type-C. Cameras are allegedly going to be 16MP and 13MP on the rear and front respectively.
As with virtually all of Xiaomi’s products, the Mi 5 is likely to punch above its price point. Pricing is rumored to be around the $300-$400 range, putting it right at the top of Xiaomi’s product line.
Perhaps more interesting than all the claimed specifications is watching to see if this device launches officially in more international markets. With Huawei stealing its thunder in China, Xiaomi needs to hit back and has been rumored to be planning a US launch at some point soon. With the Snapdragon processor inside, the Mi 5 could end up being its first major international handsets. Of course, that’s just speculation and wishful thinking. But it would be great to finally see the brand officially hit international store shelves.
In 2015, the smartphone or, more specifically, the Android smartphone market reached tipping point. What you can get for your money now compared to 12 months ago is pretty astounding. It started with the sub $300 Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 in March, and ended with the $100 BLU phone equipped with a full HD screen. With 2016 almost here, we’re right in the thick of a race to the bottom, and the price drops are being driven primarily by Chinese companies.
If 2016 is the going to be the year of anything, it’ll be the year more western consumers will be handing over their hard-earned cash for something designed and made in China. These are the companies to watch:
A Xiaomi device likely to be the Redmi 3 has passed through China’s TENNA regulatory agency and the process has revealed photos and specifications of the upcoming device. The Redmi is the company’s more entry-level smartphone and has specs to reflect that.
Having recently shown up on TENAA, China’s certification body for consumer electronics, the metal version of Xiaomi’s flagship Redmi Note 2 has been teased by the company’s co-founder. As we’ve already seen from the TENAA images, the press render shows a device with a metal back panel, adding a more premium look to the range which, so far, has only been available in a variety of colored plastics…
Back in August, Xiaomi launched the colorful plastic Redmi Note 2 phablet. The device featured a powerful 64-bit octa-core Helio X10 processor along with a full HD 5.5-inch screen, dual SIM support, 13MP Samsung camera and a huge 3,060mAh battery. On the specification side, the phone seems like a winner. Apparently, it just didn’t look like one. A leaked set of images from TENAA (China’s FCC equivalent) reveals the company is about to launch an almost all-metal version with a fingerprint sensor.
Qualcomm promised when it launched the Snapdragon 820 that it’s next processor would offer a huge jump in performance and efficiency over its predecessor. If a benchmark result on Geekbench is anything to go by, those claims look like they’ll be true. Those worried by the fact it’s ‘only’ quad-core should stop worrying now.
Xiaomi’s growth in its homeland may have been stunted recently by Huawei, but that doesn’t mean the company won’t continue doing what it does best: Churning out promising smartphones at crazy-low prices. Joining the new and improved Mi Band fitness tracker on store shelves on November 11 is a new ‘enhanced’ version of the Redmi 2.
The Xiaomi Redmi 2A features many of the same specs as its lesser-enhanced sibling, but with a couple of key improvements: More RAM and more storage capacity. Like the Redmi 2, the 2A features a 4.7-inch 720p display, 2200mAh battery, 8MP rear camera and 2MP front camera along with dual-SIM support and 4G LTE. Unlike the Redmi 2, however, it has 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, double the memory and storage of the original version. Inside the Redmi 2A, there’s a quad-core 1.5GHz chip made by Leadcore, which Xiaomi uses to run a skinned version of Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Like all Xiaomi products, it’s incredibly affordable. At just 499 Yuan (around $80), it’s the same price the original Redmi 2 launched at when it first hit the market. Also, like all Xiaomi products, getting hold of one this side of the Chinese border will be difficult. It’ll launch in China later this week, but no plans to launch internationally have yet been announced, at least not officially. If you really want to check it out, be sure to keep an eye out on sites like eBay, they typically make their way to the popular marketplace eventually, albeit at a slight premium.
Xiaomi sure knows how to make affordable products that punch above their price point. Whether it’s an Android-powered TV, flagship smartphone or a fitness tracker. The Chinese manufacturer just updated its range of fitness trackers with the second generation Mi Band, and it offers a lot for the money.
The updated Mi Band has many of the features you’d expect to find in a basic FitBit or Jawbone tracker. It’ll help you set goals via an Android app and calculate distance travelled, calories burned and track various exercises. It can track your sleep, and has a built-in vibrator motor to alert you when receiving calls. What’s more, if you manage to pick up the more expensive 99 yuan ($15 USD) model, you’ll get a heart-rate monitor too.
Design-wise, it’s a toned-down affair. It’s essentially a metal capsule containing all the necessary sensors and components inside a basic, flexible TPU wrist-band. No watch-face or screen of any kind, just a few LED lights. Saying that, it’s designed to be waterproof, drop-resistant and can last 30 days on a single charge. In other words: It’s not fancy, but has all the features necessary to be a great phone-connected fitness band and it lasts forever.
The 2nd gen Mi Band is launching in China on November 11, and the company hasn’t announced its plans to ship internationally. However, you should still be able to pick them up on specialist Chinese tech import sites in Europe and the US cheaply. A quick search on eBay reveals that the first gen Mi Band isn’t hard to get hold of, although you may have to pay a couple of dollars extra to get it. The 2nd gen will undoubtedly follow soon.
Xiaomi has reiterated what feels like a half dozen times that the United States is in its long-term view, so that shouldn’t come as much surprise to those who have payed close attention to the words of VP of International Hugo Barra, and more recently, reports from The Wall Street Journal. But interestingly, we now have tangible evidence that the company might be doing just a bit more than just “thinking” about coming to the US. If new documents (via Lilliputing) are to be believed, the company is already seeking FCC approval to bring one of its phones, the Xiaomi Redmi 2 Pro, to the United States…
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Following Synaptics’ announcement that it would be offering pressure-sensitive touchscreen controllers to allow Android manufacturers to offer features similar to 3D Touch on Apple’s latest iPhones, it appears that Xiaomi will be adopting the technology.
It has previously been suggested that Samsung plans to use the Synaptics system in next year’s flagship Galaxy handsets.
The report from a well-known Chinese tipster says that Xiaomi has patented a technology similar to 3D Touch, notes GforGames. It’s unclear whether Xiaomi plans to use the Synaptics controller or has created its own technology.
According to data obtained by Canalys (reported by WSJ), Huawei became the largest smartphone maker in China, overtaking Xiaomi during Q3 this year. The smartphone maker’s shipments grew a huge 81% year-on-year, while Xiaomi saw its own shipments drop in the same period. It’s a significant achievement for Huawei, and marks the first time the company has been in top spot in China.
Although Canalys didn’t reveal exact sales figures for the third quarter, it did say that it will release a detailed report at the end of this month. It did note however that Xiaomi’s year-on-year drop in shipments is also a first, suggesting the two companies are moving in opposite directions.
It’s an interesting time for both companies. On the global scene, Huawei has seen its brand become far more recognizable over the past 12 months. Now, with the launch of the Nexus 6P and Huawei Watch, the manufacturer is on the cusp of becoming one of the ‘big brands’ in terms of sales and mindshare among consumers. In stark contrast, Xiaomi relies on sales in its homeland, China for its growth. With Huawei outperforming Xiaomi in China, and the Mi-makers not having a well-known brand outside Chinese borders, it could spell a slowdown in momentum for the once all-conquering Xiaomi. What’s more, Xiaomi is no longer the only company producing competitive phones at low prices. Brands like OnePlus, Oppo and Meizu are all producing similar devices.
While Xiaomi uses Chinese social media to create buzz in its home nation, Huawei has been far more active in its marketing abroad. What’s more, Huawei has its own sub-brand — Honor — which sells great value handsets in Europe offering performance and build quality that’s hard to beat at their price-points. Devices like the Honor 7, which we unboxed recently, offer a near-flagship experience for a fraction of the price.
Xiaomi has today unveiled its new 60-inch Mi TV 3, the follow-up to the 48-inch Mi TV 2S that it showed off earlier this year. While the set does have features and specs that set it apart from its competitors — especially at its RMB 4,999 price point (~$786) — the TV also ditches its internal main board components, now found in a separate, much cheaper, Mi TV Bar add-on. This is a really interesting move for the smart TV space in general, and of course, the main board powers the set’s OS, MIUI, which is based on Android…
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Xiaomi has a growing reputation for releasing smartphones with impressive spec lists and features for very affordable prices. Its latest “flagship” was unveiled just a short while ago and features some flagship matching specs, but with a price that’s far below what you’d expect it to be…
Xiaomi just announced on its official forums that it will be releasing a ‘new flagship’ device on September 22nd. The company is coy on what this new smartphone will feature, or where it will be released, but does state that it will be called the Mi 4c. This news comes just a couple of weeks after Xiaomi launched its budget phablet, the RedMi Note 2.
The current generation Mi 4 features a quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor and a 5-inch display as well as the go-to 13MP Sony camera sensor on the back. If we had to speculate, we’d guess that the quad-core chip will be swapped out in favor of a more current octa-core processor. Apart from that, your guess is as good as ours, although the ‘c’ does suggest we might see some colorful additions to the range. The current Mi 4 only ships in black or white.
In an attempt to perhaps tease us a little, Xiaomi does specifically, but cryptically mention availability in other countries, not just China:
And it is time to unveil Mi 4c now. Will it come to other countries or only be available in China? Forgive me that we can’t disclose much about the new model before the launch event on September 22. We will keep you updated with further details of the launch event and have a live thread on that day. Please stay tuned.
As always, Xiaomi will have a live thread updating on its forums as the device is being revealed, including which markets and regions will receive the smartphone.
New data from Gartner suggests that Samsung saw its worldwide sales fall by 5.3% year-on-year, its market share dropping from 26.2% in Q2 2014 to 21.9% in the same quarter this year. The company lost ground to both Apple and Chinese brands Huawei and Xiaomi.
Despite the launch of new S6 models, Samsung’s premium phones continued to be challenged by Apple’s large-screen iPhones. Samsung lost 4.3 percentage points in market share and declined 5.3 percent in unit sales in the second quarter of 2015.
Samsung was hit hardest by Huawei, which saw sales growth of 46.3%, followed by Apple, which increased its sales by 36% …
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