Xiaomi

Just days after releasing its last new phone, Xiaomi has announced yet another device with competitive specs at a very disruptive price point. Xiaomi calls it ‘the new monster’ and for good reason.

The Redmi Note 2 was unveiled this morning, complete with a 64-bit octa-core Helio processor, a full HD 5.5-inch display and 13MP rear camera made by Samsung. It also has dual SIM LTE support, 2GB RAM and either 16GB or 32GB internal storage. What’s more, there’s a 3,060mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0 support. It’s compatible with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and runs MIUI 7 on Android 5.0 Lollipop.

It’s a pretty impressive list of specs for a phone that costs the equivalent of $124. Even if you go for the 32GB model, you’re still only paying around $140. Or if you want the Prime model, which comes with 32GB storage and a faster processor, you only need to part with $156. Essentially, a phone with the specs of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, but for $100 less.

As a bonus, the Redmi Note 2 comes in five colors: white, black, pink, brown and light blue.

Xiaomi, of course, is one of many Chinese manufacturers currently squeezing the big names out of the smartphone market in countries like China and India. By offering great specs at a fraction of the cost, products like the Redmi Note series are incredibly disruptive. Perhaps one of the big reasons HTC is struggling to gain any market value, and appeal to consumers.

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Xiaomi 16000mAh power bank $18, Android deals on eBay up to 50% off, more

Stephen Hall Aug 11 2015 - 1:03 pm PT

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Xiaomi 16000mAh Portable External Battery: $18 shipped (Reg. $28) | eBay

Up to 50% off Android on eBay: LG G Pad V410 $90, Samsung Note Pro P905 32GB $400, more

Headphones: Powerbeats2: $110 (Reg. $200), JBL J56BT Bluetooth on-ears $42 (Reg. $60), more

Giveaway: Olio Model One Black Collection Connected Timepiece for iOS and Android ($795 value)

More new gear from today:

The best-selling Brother Monochrome Laser Printer is on sale for $43 shipped (Orig. $120), more

Build the wildest NERF Blaster you can imagine with Amazon’s new N-Strike Modulus design tool
Games/Apps: Zelda Majora’s Mask 3D $32, Toy Defense 4 & Stickman Tennis go free, more
Daily Deals: Unitek PowerPort 21A 10-Port USB Charging Station $40, Epson Small-in-One Wireless Printer $50, more
Pre-order the SKEYE mini drone with HD camera: $65 Shipped (Orig. $99, CA Tax Only)
Email Archiver for $9.99 (50% off)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/631117498646183940 align=’center’]

More deals still alive:

NomadPlus converts your iPhone USB wall charger into a 1800mAh power bank: $20 shipped (Orig. $40)

Storage: WD Portable USB 3.0 HDD $50 (Orig. $100), Samsung 500GB 2.5″ Internal SSD $150 (Reg. $180+), more
Spigen Rugged Armor Apple Watch Case & Night Stand: $22 Shipped (Orig. $35, CA Tax Only)
AT&T offers new customers up to $500 in credits to switch to its wireless service plan
The new Art of Lego Scale Modeling design book gives directions for custom projects: $22 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)
VIZIO 49-inch 4K 120Hz Smart LED UHDTV $650 shipped (Reg. $770), more
CyberPower 6-outlet + USB power bar $100 ($130 value), APC Back-UPS 8-outlet $100 (Reg. $130)
Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ mic & CAD Acousti-Shield $159 shipped ($257 value)
Bose SoundTrue On-Ear Headphones in black or white: $90 shipped (Reg. $120)
Pay What You Want For The 10 App Mac Power User Bundle (Orig. $383)
Back to school essentials you may have overlooked: Litographs tees, dorm decor, GE alarm kit, more
1byone Digital Indoor HDTV Antenna: $13 Shipped (Orig. $36, CA Tax Only)
Amazon’s Kindle First delivers Prime members early access to books for free, see August’s picks
Two Philips Hue connected light bulbs (multiple styles) for $100 shipped (~$120 value)
Save 50% on the entire Infinity Blade Trilogy: $5 (Reg. $10)
Aukey Tempered Glass Screen Protectors for iPhone 6/Plus from $2 Prime Shipped
Readdle app sale 50% or more off: Scanner Pro 6, Printer Pro, Calendars 5, PDF Expert 5, more
802.11ac Routers: Linksys AC1200+ $87 (Orig. $130), TRENDnet AC1200 $20 shipped (Orig. $52)
PreSonus Ceres 3.5-inch Powered Speakers w/ Bluetooth streaming $100 shipped (Reg. $230)
Pre-pay for 3 months of Sling TV and receive a $50 Best Buy credit towards streaming devices
Logitech $20 off $49: MX Master Wireless Mouse $80 shipped (Reg. $100), gaming accessories, more
TP-LINK V2 N300 Powerline Adapter/Wireless Range Extender $25 Prime shipped (Orig. $60)
TigerVPN Lite Lifetime Subscription: $29 (Orig. $790)
Drive Genius 4 app for maintaining & repairing your Mac: $50 (Orig. $99)
Complete this Chipotle trivia game & receive a buy one, get one free coupon

New products & more:

Solenica’s solar-powered Lucy lamp shines light into the dark spaces in your home

Thermos’ latest water bottle will nag you with iOS notifications to make sure you stay hydrated

The new Graava action camera uses your heartbeat to capture the best moments and make a highlight reel
The CydeKick uses renewable energy to charge your iPhone while you ride
Blizzard brings the new World of Warcraft: Legion expansion & character class to Gamescom 2015
DJI reveals a new Phantom 3 for beginner pilots loaded with specs
Bang & Olufsen brings it all together with new whole home audio capabilities for existing products
Review: Sony’s RX100 IV is the best compact photo/video camera that money can buy (Video)
The Lexus Hoverboard is here: watch as it flies around a skatepark and over water
Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain gets brand new trailer & gameplay footage w/ commentary
EA Gamescom 15: deep Need for Speed campaign mode, new Battlefront gameplay, more
Microsoft announces new Halo 5 Limited EditionXbox One Console, DVR functionality, games and more
Epson’s new EcoTank printers have enough ink for “two years” right out of the box

Xiaomi announces new Redmi 2 Prime, its first smartphone ‘made in India’

Cam Bunton Aug 10 2015 - 4:02 am PT

Smartphone manufacturers are climbing over each other to take full advantage of the rapidly expanding market opportunities in India. Chief among them is Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi, which has just announced its first smartphone assembled in India, for the Indian market only. The Redmi 2 Prime still predominantly uses parts from China, but is assembled in Sri City.

As for the device itself, the Redmi 2 Prime offers a considerable memory and storage upgrade on the regular Redmi 2 without costing a whole lot more. For just under 7,000 Rupees ($110 USD) you get a device packing 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, that’s double the memory and capacity of the Redmi 2 which costs just under 6,000 Rupees ($94 USD). Both devices make use of Qualcomm’s 64-bit Snapdragon 410 processor and host 4.7-inch IPS HD (1280×720) displays and an 8MP camera on the back. What’s more, they’re dual SIM and can cope with LTE speeds up to 150Mbps.

Xiaomi plans to bring more of its manufacturing process to India, eventually producing more of its components and packaging within Indian borders. Hugo Barra, Xiaomi’s chief stated “this is like the typical chicken and egg story. Unless there is any smartphone manufacturing happening in the country, you cannot expect to get components locally.” So this is very much just the first step in its journey to cracking the Indian market.

Indian consumers can purchase the new Redmi 2 Prime direct from mi.com from today.

Strategy Analytics: Huawei overtook Microsoft/Nokia to become world’s 3rd largest mobile phone vendor

Ben Lovejoy Jul 30 2015 - 5:27 am PT

Strategy Analytics has issued its latest estimates of global mobile phone shipments, and reports that Huawei overtook Microsoft (which incorporates the Nokia-designed Lumia) last quarter to become the third-largest mobile phone vendor in the world. The company saw its shipments grow almost 50% to 30.6M units, contrasting strongly with an overall industry growth rate of just 2%.

Ken Hyers, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Huawei shipped 30.6 million mobile phones and captured a record 7 percent marketshare worldwide in Q2 2015. Huawei is rising fast in all regions of the world, particularly China where its 4G models, such as the Mate7, are proving wildly popular. Huawei has finally overtaken Microsoft to become the world’s third largest mobile phone vendor for the first time ever.”

The company shared some earnings results earlier this month, showing a 30% increase in revenue and claiming to be on track to hit 100M sales this year.

Samsung retained the number one slot, but saw its market share slip from 22.3% to 20.5% on disappointing Galaxy S6 sales. Samsung earlier revealed an 8% drop in profits, the fifth year running it has reported a decline in profitability …

Xiaomi partners with Uber to deliver smartphones “within minutes” to Singapore, Malaysia buyers

Cam Bunton Jul 23 2015 - 3:12 am PT

While Amazon is experimenting with shipping products by drone and offering two-hour deliveries, Xiaomi is taking a novel approach to delivering its own wares in Singapore and Malaysia. In partnership with Uber, the company will now let customers order their brand new Mi Note smartphone, and have it delivered within a few minutes.

Xiaomi’s chief, Hugo Barra announced the partnership on his Facebook page just a short while ago.

“Ordering a Mi Note follows the exact same process as calling for an Uber — you simply open the Uber app, use the slider at the bottom to select “Xiaomi” (which shows Xiaomi-orange colored Uber cars on the map equipped to deliver the new smartphone), and hit request. Payment will be charged directly to the credit card tied to your Uber account and a Mi Note will be delivered to you within a few minutes.”

It’s hard to think of anything more convenient than being able to place an order for a smartphone with a few taps of your finger, and have it land on your doorstep in the same hour.

Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra talks Apple copycat ‘melodrama,’ Android, U.S. expansion plans [Video]

Stephen Hall Jul 16 2015 - 12:16 pm PT

As smartphones grow in popularity in emerging markets, Hugo Barra has very publicly spoken for Xiaomi, the Chinese-based technology company that he left Google to join as Vice President of International in September 2013. Today, he sat down with Bloomberg to talk about many things, including accusations that the Chinese company has stolen Apple’s design, Android as one of the best decisions Google ever made, and Xiaomi’s eventual plan to bring its devices stateside…
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Images of purported Xiaomi Mi Band 1s surface, includes heart rate sensor

Tom Maxwell Jul 2 2015 - 7:53 am PT

Chinese website SOGI.com.tw has posted images of what is purportedly a next-generation Xiaomi Mi Band, reportedly to be called the Mi Band 1s. The only difference we can notice by observing the externals is that it houses a heart rate sensor.

This minor difference would make sense as most Xiaomi hardware is priced incredibly competitively, and anything more than the addition of a heart rate sensor may raise the price more than they’d like. The current Mi Band is available ranging between $15-20 on Mi.com and AliExpress. My only concern is how the sensor will impact battery life, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Have you tried the Mi Band? And if so, do you like it? I personally haven’t tried it, but at such a low price it’s pretty hard to beat. Unless of course you already have a smartwatch or other fitness band with a heart rate sensor.

Xiaomi smartphone sales up 33%, but reduces target as growth rate slows

Ben Lovejoy Jul 2 2015 - 3:54 am PT

[tweet https://twitter.com/xiaomi/status/616414920855257089/]

Xiaomi has announced sales of 34.7M smartphones in the first half of 2015, up 33% year-on-year. While the number is a substantial one, it’s a long way short of the 227% growth it experienced last year, and the company told Re/code that it has reduced its target for the year from 100M to 80M units …
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Hugo Barra talks Xiaomi’s long-term U.S. plan, challenges in interview with Re/code (Video)

Stephen Hall Jun 26 2015 - 7:28 am PT

Hugo Barra, perhaps best known for his involvement with the Android team in its earlier days at Google, is now based over in China working at a company late last year named as the most valuable startup in the world. Known for its high-quality budget Android phones, TV sets, smart device accessories, wearables, and more, Xiaomi hasn’t yet officially launched any of these products in the US. Barra spoke to this at Re/code‘s Code Conference recently, mentioning the company’s long-term plan to eventually make it to United States shores despite many challenges…
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Xiaomi is officially launching its Mi Store in the US and Europe, still without phones

Tom Maxwell May 27 2015 - 10:52 am PT

After a “beta test” earlier this month, Xiaomi today announced on its Facebook page that its Mi.com online store will officially launch in the US on June 1st at 7pm PDT and in Europe (UK, Germany, France) on June 2nd at 1pm CEST.

Before Xiaomi introduced its store to the US and Europe on May 19th, Hugo Barra in a Q&A session at a Xiaomi press event in San Francisco said that the company’s tablets and smartphones would not be coming to the US later this year, but was considering bringing Mi.com and some of its accessories stateside. That of course happened, although this time it seems that the store will stay live indefinitely or at least have more than the “very limited quantities” from last time.

Developing…

Gartner: Android smartphone marketshare dropped 1.9% in early 2015

Tom Maxwell May 27 2015 - 10:33 am PT

2 Comments

Gartner today released the results of a report on worldwide smartphone marketshare in Q1 2015 (first three months) which most notably found that Android’s hold on the smartphone OS market dropped 1.9% while Apple’s iOS saw it’s third consecutive quarter of gains. The research firm attributed Android’s loss largely to Apple’s newfound success in China – where Android saw a 4% decline over its share of that market last year – on the back of the larger-screened iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, as well as increased differentiation and ecosystem lock-in through offerings like Apple Pay and Apple Watch.
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Xiaomi’s Mi Store ‘beta’ to open in US, UK, France and Germany on May 19th

Stephen Hall May 15 2015 - 10:58 am PT

Xiaomi is going to very slowly start its entry into Europe and the United States next week, according to a post from the company’s Facebook page. Starting on the 19th of May, the company will offer a small selection of accessories—including power banks and headphones—to buyers in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany…
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China approaches smartphone saturation point, shipments fall as penetration hits 90% – IDC

Ben Lovejoy May 11 2015 - 4:14 am PT

China – long viewed as one of the key growth markets for smartphones – is now approaching saturation point, according to data being released today by IDC. The WSJ reports that smartphone shipments fell for the first time in six years, 4.3% down year-on-year in the previous quarter. Other sources say sales are still growing, but at a much-reduced rate.

Experts say the slowdown is largely driven by the disappearance of China’s first-time buyers. Smartphones now have a more than 90% penetration rate in China, said Tom Kang, research director with market-research firm Counterpoint, meaning just about everybody in China who wants a smartphone already has one. “China is now a replacement market,” Mr. Kang said.

Even local brands like Xiaomi are finding it tougher to compete, say analysts, while Samsung fell from the best-selling brand in China a year ago to fourth place today. Samsung was, however, upbeat about its prospects in the country.

“While there are signs that the explosive growth of smartphones in China will slow this year, the vast majority of China’s 885 million mobile users are using low-end and mid-range smartphones,” Samsung said in a statement. “This leaves plenty of room for upgrades to high-end phones as China’s market matures.”

Android manufacturers are also facing increased competition in China from Apple, which recently hit 26% market share.

Photo: Darley Shen/Reuters

Xiaomi announces bamboo casing for its iPhone 6 competitor, the Mi Note,

Ben Lovejoy Mar 17 2015 - 5:11 am PT

Xiaomi‘s 5.7-inch phablet, launched in January, is now available in a special edition with a back cover made from natural bamboo. Xiaomi said that the Mi Note can be preordered now for delivery within two weeks, priced at RMB2299 ($370).

The Natural Bamboo Edition combines the awesome experience of 5.7 ” display and the smoothness as well as uniqueness of natural bamboo.

As it’s real wood, each back cover will be unique. Inside, it’s the same specs as the standard model: a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU with 3GB RAM, 13MP main camera and 1080p display.

Xiaomi positions the Mi Note against Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus, though is copying the wood idea from Motorola.

IDC numbers from last month show that Xiaomi is now the top-selling smartphone brand in China, overtaking Samsung, Lenovo, Huawei and Coolpad last year. The company recently held an event in San Francisco in which it said it had no plans to launch in the USA this year, but wanted to “introduce the brand” to Americans.

IDC: Xiaomi’s growth tops Samsung in China, but Apple is making a dent too

Stephen Hall Feb 17 2015 - 12:56 pm PT

According to the latest numbers from IDC, Xiaomi—the rising star of the smartphone industry—has managed to pass up Samsung in China. In 2013, Xiaomi trailed Samsung’s almost 19% market share by a solid 13 percentage points (at just 5.3%), and was only the 5th largest maker of smartphones in China. Things changed in 2014. Last year, Xiaomi finished off with 12.5% of the market, almost a half-point more than Samsung at 12.1%, taking the top spot and passing not just Samsung, but Lenovo, Huawei, and Coolpad as well…

Xiaomi’s San Francisco event is happening now, here’s the latest

Stephen Hall Feb 12 2015 - 10:38 am PT

As we told you earlier this month, Xiaomi is holding an event in San Francisco today. While we aren’t expecting any new products to be announced, the company definitely has some interesting information to share with us as those of us stateside get an opportunity “to get to know the company and leadership a bit more.”
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Xiaomi to hold a press conference on February 12th in San Francisco

Stephen Hall Feb 5 2015 - 9:28 am PT

Xiaomi is known as being the rising star in the smartphone arena, making its way past LG last year to become the third-largest manufacturer of smartphones in the world. The success of the company is to be blamed largely on its Chinese reception, as it hasn’t launched a single device on this side of the Pacific.

That said, Xiaomi is going to hold a press conference in San Francisco, California later this month (via Android Police), but don’t get too excited if you’re hoping to hear about a North American launch, as the company has already confirmed that that’s not happening…

Xiaomi worried potential Facebook investment could have threatened strong relationship with Google

Stephen Hall Jan 12 2015 - 9:32 am PT

According to a report this morning from Reuters, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun sat down with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to talk about a potential investment in October, but nothing came of the talks. Facebook being banned in China—the home and birthplace of Xiaomi—was one of the main discussion points, with both CEOs considering what the implications would be of the international investment. While Xiaomi was definitely worried of the “political fallout” that could come of the deal, China’s largest smartphone maker also considered its important relationship with Google–as the company’s phones all run Android—as a reason to distance itself from Facebook.

Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship phone reportedly ‘thin as a cicada’s wings,’ enters mass production next month

Mike Beasley Jan 11 2015 - 7:35 pm PT

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A new research note from KGI indicates that Xiaomi’s Android upcoming smartphone, debuting January 15th, will feature a thin new form factor that the company says will be “as thin as a cicada’s wings,” in what could potentially become the worst product simile of the year.

While Xiaomi’s previous devices have been called iPhone clones, the new device, which KGI says could be called the “Xiaomi 4S” or “Xiaomi 5” will feature a vastly improved camera over Apple’s latest models, clocking in at 13 MP and featuring optical image stabilization.

Xiaomi valued at $45bn following $1.1bn funding round, new flagship coming in January

Stephen Hall Dec 29 2014 - 7:47 am PT

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun announced this morning (via Weibo) that the company has completed its latest round of funding, securing another $1.1 billion for the startup to now be valued at $45 billion total. And in light of this news, the Chinese company has mentioned that it plans to announce its next flagship device at some point next month.

Gartner: Samsung continues to slow amidst Xiaomi growth in China

Stephen Hall Dec 15 2014 - 11:36 am PT

Gartner today published its third quarter numbers, showing overall growth in the smartphone market and a strong quarter for Apple. Mobile devices overall saw as many as 456 million sold with smartphones taking a 301 million slice of that pie, which comes out to a solid 66% (up 20% from last year). This shift in the market seems to be hurting Samsung and Nokia the most, because while the Korean giant is still leading the pack, this year smaller companies with slimmer margins seem to be taking some of its foothold.

Xiaomi earned $56 million profit in 2013 despite razor-thin margins

9to5 Staff Dec 15 2014 - 10:53 am PT

Chinese handset maker Xiaomi has seen explosive growth since entering the market in 2010, emerging to become the world’s third-largest smartphone maker after just four years. According to a recent regulatory filing, the company is also profitable too, bringing in $56 million profit in 2013 despite having razor-thin margins on its smartphones and tablets.
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Patent dispute halts some (all?) Xiaomi smartphone sales in India (Update: confirmed)

Ben Lovejoy Dec 11 2014 - 4:08 am PT