Xiaomi has today launched its latest phablet, the Mi Max, in India at an event held in the capital city. Note that it was first launched in China in May earlier this year.

The phablet features a full metal body. It runs on MIUI 7, which is based on Android Marshmallow. The upgrade to MIUI 8, which was also announced along with, is promised for August. The battery capacity of the device is 4,850 mAh, which is justifiable given the bigger screen size.

Xiaomi Mi Max comes in two variants. One of them is powered by 3 GB RAM and 1.8 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor and comes with an inbuilt storage of 32 GB. The other variant is powered by 4 GB RAM and 1.8 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 chipset and comes with an internal storage capacity of 128 GB. Both these versions support expandable memory up to 128 GB via a microSD card. It supports 4G LTE, along with the usual connectivity features like WiFi and Bluetooth. It is a hybrid dual SIM smartphone - one can choose to either use a micro SIM along with a nano SIM or go with the combination of a micro SIM with a microSD card.

The device comes with a 6.44-inch FHD display, with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, and a pixel resolution of 342 ppi. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is used for its protection.

The smartphone features a 16 MP primary camera with dual-tone flash and Phase Detection Auto Focus. The secondary camera is a 5 MP shooter. The fingerprint sensor is integrated at the rear.

Xiaomi Mi Max comes in gold, gray and silver color options. It is priced at ₹14,999 ($225 approx.) for the 3 GB/32 GB variant and ₹19,999 ($300 approx.) for the 4 GB/128 GB version.

Xiaomi Mi Max specifications

Operating System: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Processor: 1.8 GHz hexa/octa-core

Memory: 3/4 GB RAM

Storage: 32/128 GB internal (expandable up to 128 GB)

Display: 6.44-inch full HD
Resolution (pixels): 1920x1080

Primary camera: 16 megapixel

Secondary camera: 5 megapixel

Battery: 4,850 mAh

Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): 88.3x173.1x7.5 mm

Weight: 203 g
Price: ₹14,999 ($225 approx.) for the 3 GB/32 GB variant and ₹19,999 ($300 approx.) for the 4 GB/128 GB version

Recently, India has seen a handful (and more) of companies entering the consumer electronics market. It does not take a genius to guess that most of them are from China. This has led to healthy competition in the sector, which is a good thing from the end consumer's perspective. This has also resulted in price and specification wars, which has ultimately led to possible scams like Freedom 251, Docoss and Namotel. Whether they are all fraud, or whether such wars are right or not, is not the topic I want to talk about here. It is a different discussion altogether, which we might (hopefully) cover in a separate blog post. This post is about how an increased inflow of manufacturers, and thus many options to choose from, has made the industry more like a sell-and-forget scheme. Make a product with best-in-class hardware, promote it like there's no tomorrow, use tactics like flash sales to create artificial demand, make or break records, rinse and repeat. Where is the after-sales support in this cycle? That's the question I want to ask.

Image source

I am not saying that there is no customer support at all. In this world of social media, saying that will be outright wrong. However, is it satisfying enough? I do not think so.

I have one story to share. It concerns Xiaomi. One of our writers, Gaurav, joined their victim list a few days ago. He had many expectations from Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. So, he decided to gift one to his father. However, there was one hurdle, the flash sale model. He got five people (including himself) to try on his behalf. He got one in the first sale itself. Bingo. Add to it the one-day delivery. All was good. However, this was only the beginning of disappointments that followed.

His father, who is a doctor by profession, was a feature phone user. He was delighted about his first smartphone. Given his field of work, he is used to getting 30+ calls in a day. To his surprise, after switching both the SIMs to the new device, he did not receive a single call (of course he did not know the reason then). Later, people complained about his phone being switched off all this time. Only, it was not. This was when Gaurav tried calling the numbers himself just to see if anything was out of order. To his disappointment, even he was treated with the annoying switched-off message.

Giving the benefit of the doubt, he decided to update the software, hoping to solve the glitch. Nothing. He also switched SIM cards just in case. All in vain. After some trial and error, the conclusion reached was that if the screen is on, everything works perfectly. However, as and when the screen turned off, no calls went through!

To get it rectified, he visited the authorized service center in Gurugram. On his first visit, the executive advised him to use 4G to avoid such issues. Either he was not aware of the 4G coverage across the country or he was joking. Later he suggested to factory reset and re-update the software. Although this was already tried, he decided to go with the flow. Needless to mention, this did not work out.

On the second visit, the support executive blamed Vodafone 4G. After trying with an Airtel SIM in his presence, he agreed to the device having a hardware fault. When collecting the phone after repair, Gaurav was informed that it was, in fact, a software glitch that they have now fixed. Happy with the closure, he went home. However, the same started again later in the day. So much for customer support!

The experience at the final visit to the service center was horrible. The executives were not ready to accept the fault. According to them, they had done what they could. Gaurav had to threaten them about exposing their stand via a blog post. This was when they accepted the faulty handset and finally replaced the motherboard. Not just that, they admitted that it was, in fact, the motherboard that they had replaced. From that point onwards, the device is running fine.

Xiaomi is known as the Apple of China. Is it because of their products? Maybe. Is it because of their after-sales support? I do not think so, even though I wish it were true. If you have ever been in the Apple ecosystem, you would be familiar with the way they treat their customers.

This might be a story of one OEM but is not limited to them. This is the case with most of the Chinese manufacturers operating in India. I wish they learn a lesson from this incident and realize the need to invest more in customer support. After all, a company exists because the client exists.

Do you have any such bitter stories to share? Write them down in the comments, and help fellow humans make an informed decision next time they are out shopping.

P.S.: This story is written with inputs from Gaurav Gupta.

Xiaomi has today launched its latest flagship device, the Mi 5, in India. Note that it was first announced at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona last month.

The smartphone is equipped with 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, with a combination of two 1.8 GHz cores, and two 1.6 GHz cores. The processor is coupled with Adreno 530 GPU.

Mi 5 comes with a 3D glass body made from Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It comes equipped with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory.

The device boasts of curved edges with an almost bezel-less screen. It is packed with a 3,000 mAh battery and supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0. The smartphone sports a fingerprint sensor built-in the physical Home button.

The smartphone features 16 MP Sony IMX298 primary camera with 4-axis Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). It also comes with a 4 MP front camera, with a wide-angle lens.

It is a 4G LTE, and VoLTE enabled device, with dual SIM support. Other connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC. The device ships with MIUI 7, based on Android Marshmallow.

Xiaomi Mi 5 will be available for purchase 6th April onwards. It is priced at ₹24,999 ($380 approx.). It is to be noted that this is the base variant of the device. The launch in China saw two more options, viz. the 3 GB/64 GB model, and the 4 GB/128 GB Pro variant. There is no word as to if and when will these editions be available in the Indian market.

Xiaomi Mi 5 specifications

Operating System: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core
Memory: 3 GB RAM
Storage: 32 GB internal
Display: 5.15 inch FHD
Resolution (pixels): 1920x1080
Primary camera: 16 megapixel
Secondary camera: 4 megapixel
Battery: 3,000 mAh
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): 69.2x144.6x7.25 mm
Weight: 129 g
Price: ₹24,999 ($380 approx.)

Xiaomi has today launched its much awaited smartphone, the Redmi Note 3, in India, at an event in New Delhi. This is the first Xiaomi device which comes with a fingerprint sensor. Note that it was first launched in China in November last year.

The device comes with a 5.5-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels.

The smartphone features a 16 MP primary camera with PDAF and dual LED flash. The secondary camera is a 5 MP shooter. The fingerprint sensor is aptly placed at the rear.

The Redmi Note 3 comes in two variants - one with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal memory, and the other with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB memory. It is equipped with 64-bit 1.8 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor, coupled with Adreno 510 GPU. The device runs on MIUI7 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop, and an upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow is expected soon.

The battery capacity is 4,050 mAh, and supports QuickCharge 2.0 as well. The device supports dual SIM. Other connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE and VoLTE.

The 2/16 GB variant is priced at ₹9,999 ($150 approx.), while the 3/32 GB variant is priced at ₹11,999 ($180 approx.). The sale starts on 9th March, and it comes in gold, silver and dark grey color options. Register for the sale now.
  
Read our hands-on experience about the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. Also see its benchmark scores.

Hugo has also announced that Mi 5, their latest flagship smartphone, will launch in India within a month! The Mi Bluetooth speakers have also been announced for ₹1,999 ($30 approx.), and will be launched around the festival of Holi. The 20,000 mAh power bank is announced to launch some time soon, maybe along with the Mi 5.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 specifications

Operating System: Android 5.1
Processor: 1.8 GHz hexa-core
Memory: 2/3 GB RAM
Storage: 16/32 GB (expandable)
Display: 5.5 inch FHD
Resolution (pixels): 1920x1080
Primary camera: 16 megapixel
Secondary camera: 5 megapixel
Battery: 4,050 mAh
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): -
Weight: 164 g
Price: Get a price on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 was launched in China in November last year. It is set to launch in India on 3rd March. We've already shared our hands-on experience regarding the same. In this post, we are sharing the benchmark scores.

In terms of specifications, this Redmi Note 3 features a 5.5-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It is powered by 64-bit 1.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 hexa-core processor. It comes in two variants - 16 GB storage with 2 GB RAM, and 32 GB storage with 3 GB RAM. It runs on MIUI7 (based on Android 5.1), and packs 4,050 mAh battery. The device features a 16 MP primary camera with PDAF and dual LED flash, and a 5 MP selfie camera.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 benchmarks

AnTuTu Benchmark v6.0.4: 74,794
Quadrant Standard v2.1.1: 27,215
Geekbench v3.4.1 Single-Core: 1,364
Geekbench v3.4.1 Multi-Core: 3,398
NenaMark2 v2.4: 60.1 fps
Basemark X v1.1 (medium quality): 23,217
Basemark X v1.1 (high quality): 14,498
Basemark OS II: 1,484
GFXBench OpenGL v4.0.2 T-Rex: 30.0 fps
GFXBench OpenGL v4.0.2 1080p T-Rex Offscreen: 30.0 fps
Vellamo v3.2.3 Metal: 2,524
Vellamo v3.2.3 Multicore: 2,610
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited: 17,434
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme: Maxed Out*

*Maxed Out means that this test was too light for the device under test, in this case the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 specifications

Operating System: Android 5.1
Processor: 1.8 GHz hexa-core
Memory: 2/3 GB RAM
Storage: 16/32 GB (expandable)
Display: 5.5 inch FHD
Resolution (pixels): 1920x1080
Primary camera: 16 megapixel
Secondary camera: 5 megapixel
Battery: 4,050 mAh
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): -
Weight: 164 g
Price: -

Although the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is all set to launch in India on the 3rd of the coming month, we were able to get our hands on the device a bit earlier. Moreover, we are talking about the one that comes with a Qualcomm chipset (which will launch in the Indian market), not the one with a MediaTek processor. Note that both these variants were launched in China in November last year. Concerning specifications, this smartphone features a full HD display, powered by 64-bit 1.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 hexa-core processor. It comes with a 5.5-inch screen. It comes in two options - 16 GB storage with 2 GB RAM, and 32 GB storage with 3 GB RAM. Both the variants are expected to launch in India. It runs on MIUI7 (based on Android 5.1) and packs a mammoth 4,050 mAh battery which supports QuickCharge 2.0 as well.

The smartphone features a display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It has three capacitive buttons for Menu, Home, and Back. All these buttons are located below the screen. Additionally, there is a 5 MP front facing camera lens located above the display, to the right of the earpiece, just opposite to the side where the buttons are located. The proximity sensor is located in between the camera and the earpiece.

The smartphone has high-end hardware that includes 1.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 hexa-core processor coupled with Adreno 510 GPU, 2/3 GB RAM, 16/32 GB internal memory, a 16 MP rear camera with PDAF and dual LED flash located just below the camera lens. Below the flash is the fingerprint sensor ring (yes, it comes with one!). On the rear, the Mi branding is present at the bottom. Below the branding is the speaker grille.

The right side of the device features the volume rocker key (located on the top) and the power key (located below it).

The 3.5 mm headset jack is at the top left, while the secondary microphone is located just beside it, to the left. The infrared blaster is towards the right end.

The micro USB port is at the bottom left. The primary microphone is located just beside it, to the left.

The left side of the device features the SIM tray. There are two SIM slots. The first one supports micro SIM. The second one is a hybrid slot, i.e., it can be used either for a nano SIM or for a microSD card for expanding the memory storage. The device supports 4G LTE as well as VoLTE (Voice over LTE).

This is the first device from this manufacturer to feature a fingerprint sensor. Placing it at the rear is a smart decision they've made, unlike the one on the recently announced Mi 5 which has it on the front beneath a physical Home button.

The smartphone boasts of a metallic body. Though this gives it a premium look, it also makes it a bit slippery at the same time.

As with most of the Xiaomi phones, we expect Redmi Note 3 to be pocket-friendly and well within your budget. It must be priced between 10K to 12K INR.

Stay tuned for a detailed review of the device (after it is launched, of course)! Subscribe to our feed, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Google+ to get notified as soon as the review is published.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 specifications

Operating System: Android 5.1
Processor: 1.8 GHz hexa-core
Memory: 2/3 GB RAM
Storage: 16/32 GB (expandable)
Display: 5.5 inch FHD
Resolution (pixels): 1920x1080
Primary camera: 16 megapixel
Secondary camera: 5 megapixel
Battery: 4,050 mAh
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): -
Weight: 164 g
Price: -

Xiaomi has today launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Mi 5, at Mobile World Congress 2016.

The device comes with a 5.15-inch FHD screen, with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It is accompanied by 2.5D curved glass and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

Mi 5 features 16 MP primary camera from Sony. It is accompanied with features like PDAF, STI pixel isolation technology, four-axis OIS, Spectra image processor, and dual-tone LED flash. The secondary camera is a 4 MP shooter.

The smartphone has a major difference from the traditional Mi design. It features a physical Home key with a built-in fingerprint scanner, much like the ones seen on Samsung Galaxy series of smartphones.

The device comes in three variants. Two of them are equipped with 3 GB RAM and either of 32 or 64 GB internal memory. The rear is made up of 3D glass, and the device weighs 129 g. The third one boasts of 4 GB RAM with 128 GB internal memory, along with black ceramic case, and is aptly named the Mi 5 Pro. It weighs 139 g.

The phone is equipped with a 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, and is coupled with Adreno 530 GPU. The smartphone comes equipped with MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The battery capacity is 3,000 mAh, and supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0. It is a 4G LTE and VoLTE enabled device, with dual SIM support. Other connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC.

Xiaomi Mi 5 will come in three color options, viz. black, white and gold. It will be launched in China beginning next month, along with the recently launched Mi 4s. It will be subsequently launched later in other countries, including India.

The 3 GB/32 GB variant is priced at 1,999 Yuan ($305 approx.), while the 3 GB/64 GB variant will be sold for 2,299 Yuan ($350 approx.). The 4 GB/128 GB Mi 5 Pro is priced at 2,699 Yuan ($415 approx.).

Xiaomi Mi 5 specifications

Operating System: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core
Memory: 3/4 GB RAM
Storage: 32/64/128 GB internal
Display: 5.15 inch FHD
Resolution (pixels): 1920x1080
Primary camera: 16 megapixel
Secondary camera: 4 megapixel
Battery: 3,000 mAh
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): 69.2x144.6x7.25 mm
Weight: 129/139 g
Price: 1,999 Yuan ($305 approx.) for 3/32 GB variant; 2,299 Yuan ($350 approx.) for 3/64 GB variant; and 2,699 Yuan ($415 approx.) for 4/128 GB variant

At an event held in China, Xiaomi has today launched an upgrade to Mi 4 (review) in the form of Mi 4s. The announcement came moments before they revealed their latest flagship, the Mi 5, at Mobile World Congress 2016.

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The Mi 4s is a 4G LTE enabled device, with dual SIM support. It comes with USB Type-C. Other connectivity options include WiFi and Bluetooth. The rear is made up of glass, and the frame is all metal.

The smartphone comes equipped with MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Mi 4s comes with a 5.0-inch FHD IPS display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and density of 441 pixels-per-inch.

The device comes with a 13 MP primary camera with PDAF and dual-tone LED flash. The front camera is a 5 MP sensor. Fingerprint sensor is also available.

The smartphone is backed by 3,260 mAh battery, and supports QuickCharge 2.0.  It is armed with hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, coupled with Adreno 418 GPU. It comes 3 GB RAM. The internal storage is 64 GB, which is expandable via a micro SD card.

The device is available in various color options, viz. white, black, gold, purple and pink (limited edition), and is priced at 1,699 Yuan ($260 approx.). It will be available in China next month onwards.

Xiaomi Mi 4s specifications

Operating System: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core
Memory: 3 GB RAM
Storage: 64 GB internal (expandable)
Display: 5.0 inch FHD IPS
Resolution (pixels): 1920x1080
Primary camera: 13 megapixel
Secondary camera: 5 megapixel
Battery: 3,260 mAh
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): 72.6x145.6x8.95 mm
Weight: 149 g
Price: 1,699 Yuan ($260 approx.)