Half a year after its launch in China, smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is bringing the Mi 4 to India. The device will go on sale in February through online retailer Flipkart at $325 (Rs. 20,000).
The Mi 4 has a powerful Snapdragon 801 quad-core 2.5 GHz processor with 3GB RAM and is paired with an Adreno 330 GPU, making for snappy performance to rival the OnePlus One and Samsung Galaxy S5.
This phone was Xiaomi’s flagship for 2014, and now features the latest version of Xiaomi’s fork of Android, MIUI 6.
The Mi 4 also has a 13-megapixel rear camera for real-time HDR photos and 4K video recording, as well as an 8-megapixel front camera.
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The display features a 5-inch Full HD screen and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.
While the Mi 4 does include impressive specs and a sturdy metal frame, it’s let down by its measly 16GB storage and a lack of 4G LTE support.
That’s not a smart move for Xiaomi in the new year, especially since consumers in India now have a range of 4G phones to choose from, including the OnePlus One at a similar price (and 64GB of space), and the Lenovo A6000 at $115 (Rs. 7,000).
One way the Mi 4 can win over customers is with MIUI 6. Built on Android KitKat, the latest version of Xiaomi’s OS features a fresh look across core apps, a visual caller ID and IVR system, more options to customize the home screen and lock screen notifications.
The Mi 4 will be available online through Flipkart on 10 Feb for $325 (Rs. 20,000); shoppers can register from 6PM IST today on the site to be eligible to buy it then.
➤ Mi 4 [Xiaomi]
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