The much anticipated "new" phones have finally arrived and were unveiled this morning in India alongside the 55″ version of the Mi TV 4. In the past days and weeks, we've been reporting a lot of rumours and speculations and half of them have come true.
The Redmi Note 5 is basically the Indian version of the Redmi 5 Plus. The phone will be available with an official Global ROM from February 22 and when it reaches here, you'll be able to unlock its bootloader from here as well. The price hasn't gotten any cheaper either, with the 3/32 being 90 Indian rupees cheaper than the Plus at launch, which is around 355 forints. However, the 4/64 version is INR 1,124 compared to the original launch price in China, that's INR 4,430, already a cheaper price. Let's move beyond this was not the highlight of the day.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
It's interesting that there was not even a rumour about it, and this camera layout was called another phone by everyone. After the initial shock, let's see what the real thing can do Redmi Note 5 Pro version.
- 5.99″ Full HD+ 18:9 2.5D display
- 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 processor, Adreno 506 GPU
- 12MP + 5 MP Dual rear camera, dual LED flash
- 20MP front camera with LED flash (Sony IMX376 sensor)
- 4000mAh battery
The display is ticked, trendy size and quality. The processor is just right, not a buffalo, but at least it consumes less power, so the 4000 mAh battery will last you for two days. Dual rear camera has gone from horizontal to vertical. Yes, let the apple boys tell you what's what.
A 12 MP Sony IMX468 + 5 MP Samsung pair gives you the depth of field and 2x optical zoom with switching between the two cameras, while the dual-tone LED flash gives you the right lighting.
But the big thing is the front-facing camera, which for the first time in the Redmi range, features a 20 MP sensor from Sony IMX376 for incredible selfie (brrrr) quality. With an f2.2 aperture, the sensor is capable of capturing high quality images in low light conditions, plus there's also the front LED flash, which doubles up as a flashlight for video calls and pictures taken in the dark. The front-facing camera gets an enhanced beautification feature, country-specific recognition of the bindi (a dot-like vermilion or orange-red shape, originally the symbol of married (not widowed) Indian women, worn in the middle of the forehead) and enhances the Indian face against it. Of course, the face-based screen has also received a resolution.
The price of the Pro is very well priced for what it can do, the basic 4/64 version really does suggest a higher Redmi series, priced at 13.999 INR ~ 218$ ~ 55.140 Ft. While the larger 6/64 variant is priced at 16.999 INR ~ 265$ ~ 66.815 Ft. Not bad, admittedly.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4 55″
The Mi TV 4 is not a new product, they just cut 10 of the original 65″, took out the extra speakers and priced it right.
The We wrote a short report on TV 4 last year, it was not so much of a big deal. But now that it's smaller and the sound is thinner, the price has become competitive for what it can do, and not just in the Indian market. About his knowledge in brief:
- 4.9mm Ultra-thin
- 4K HDR frameless screen
- 500K+ hours of content
- PatchWall: Revolutionary TV experience
- Price: 39,999 INR ~ 624$ ~ 157.000 Ft
The TV in India comes with a few free features, On-line service for 3 months, Mi IR cable so you can control it with your phone and free installation on delivery.
You get an 11-button remote control, you can press it from anywhere within a 10 metre radius!
You can connect it to Wi-Fi for online content, BT 4.0 for remote control, 100Mbps LAN for lightning-fast, jam-free streams, 3 HDMI, 2 USB, S/PDIF and AV inputs. You can read more about the TV in a larger article by Krisztián.
Of course, the event also included the inevitable presentation of the results, Xiaomi is already the number one phone seller in India and has now entered the TV market. They have high hopes for sales of products outside of telecom, importing the TV into the country was their second big move since the Redmi Note 4 and they are not going to stop there. Last year it finished fourth in the world rankings
An increase of 96.9% compared to last year is not nothing and they want to increase it this year. It's not difficult, given that there are 7 official countries where they are present (not just suppliers) and about 150 more to go...
According to IDC, 6 of the top 10 best-selling phones in India last year were Xiaomi, no wonder :)
The year-end breakdown of manufacturers in India, first up is Xiaomi!
Not everything is still up to scratch, they are still lagging behind with offline, physical stores, Samsung is leading the way, but they have a strategy for that and will open a couple of stores in the country this year.
Now that's a number to double this year, only with the Redmi Note 5 range. Go boys/girls, go Xiaomi!
