# Look out Apple and Samsung: Xiaomi announce new stunning new models



## editor (Jan 15, 2015)

They're already the third d biggest smartphone distributor the world and their new tech is looking very nice indeed. 








> The company’s latest dual-SIM 4G device is encased in curved Gorilla Glass 3 at the front and rear with a metal frame, and sports a 5.7-inch 1080p display with a 4-megapixel front camera in the front. On the back is a Sony 13-megapixel f/2.0 rear camera with optical image stabilization.
> 
> The Mi Note is powered by a Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz quad-core processor along with an Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB RAM. It also allows for high definition 24-bit/192KHz lossless audio playback, and supports APE, FLAC, DSD and WAV lossless formats.
> 
> ...


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## editor (Jan 15, 2015)

And how's this for an Android media streaming box? Small enough? 






> In terms of hardware, the Mi Box Mini features a quad-core Cortex A7 CPU clocked at 1.3 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB internal storage, dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, HDMI 1.4 for 1080p 3D video output, Bluetooth 4.0 and DTS 2.0 along with Dolby Digital Plus support.The set-top box allows you to stream content from your smartphone, and runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat. The device can be plugged directly into a wall socket thanks to the built-in power supply.


http://www.androidcentral.com/xiaom...ng-box-thats-barely-larger-your-phone-charger


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## editor (Jan 15, 2015)

And yes, headphones too!


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## gabi (Jan 15, 2015)

It's android. Nice hardware though.


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## editor (Jan 15, 2015)

gabi said:


> It's android. Nice hardware though.


Oh well spotted! Yes it does indeed run on the most popular mobile OS on the planet.


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## mack (Jan 15, 2015)

I quite like the look of the phone - but I'm not sure if I "trust" the brand


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## Maurice Picarda (Jan 15, 2015)

mack said:


> I'm not sure if I "trust" the brand



But it trips off the tongue so neatly!


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## Spymaster (Jan 15, 2015)




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## editor (Jan 15, 2015)

mack said:


> I quite like the look of the phone - but I'm not sure if I "trust" the brand


My friend has one of their phones. It is a lovely thing and remarkable value.


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## SpookyFrank (Jan 18, 2015)

mack said:


> I quite like the look of the phone - but I'm not sure if I "trust" the brand



Why anyone trusts Apple is something I'll never understand.


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## maomao (Jan 18, 2015)

Maurice Picarda said:


> But it trips off the tongue so neatly!


It does for some of us! It's 'syow mee' first syllable rising, second dipping. It means millet.


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## kazza007 (Jan 18, 2015)

What is reliability like and can they be tested here yet in a shop


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## sim667 (Jan 18, 2015)

They hired an ex google exec didn't they? I expect we'll being seeing much more of xiaomi


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## elbows (Jan 19, 2015)

Are there any photos of the actual products yet? The launch material seemed to mostly consist of 3D renders.


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## editor (Jan 19, 2015)

elbows said:


> Are there any photos of the actual products yet? The launch material seemed to mostly consist of 3D renders.


They're not going to be released in the west but their products thus far have been well received and their huge popularity reflects the quality of the build. 
http://www.trustedreviews.com/xiaomi-mi4-review


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## editor (Feb 26, 2015)

Looks like their new products really are fucking good too: 








> Apple is unstoppable. It is the most valuable company ever, selling record numbers of devices around the world. But for the first time, I’ve held a phone in my hands that I think should give Apple pause. And here’s the funny thing: You can’t even get it here.
> 
> During a press event not long ago, where it introduced itself to US journalists, Chinese smartphone upstart Xiaomi gave away phones to the reporters in the crowd. Yes, the company’s flagship handset, the Mi Note, has been out for a few weeks. But holding one still felt like a big deal. When the phones went on sale in China last month, they reportedly sold out in three minutes. Here in the US, you can’t get a Mi Note or any other Xiaomi phone at all.
> 
> ...


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## fractionMan (Feb 26, 2015)

It looks like a phone


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## Epico (Feb 26, 2015)

Any clues how to pronounce Xiaomi? Shy Oh Me?


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## editor (Feb 26, 2015)

Epico said:


> Any clues how to pronounce Xiaomi? Shy Oh Me?


Ziye a-oh-me?


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## maomao (Feb 26, 2015)

Epico said:


> Any clues how to pronounce Xiaomi? Shy Oh Me?


see post #11. I think the x is more like an s, it's often transcribed as sh, it's actually a ɕ which is the same as an ś in Polish.


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## Ponyutd (Feb 26, 2015)

Seems the camera lets it down a bit.


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## editor (Feb 26, 2015)

Ponyutd said:


> Seems the camera lets it down a bit.


Looks more than decent accordig to this review: 



> What you get: The Mi Note has the best camera I’ve found on an Android phone.
> 
> I held a bake-off by taking the same photos from the Mi Note, iPhone 6 Plus, the One and the Galaxy Note 4. To my surprise, the Mi Note shots came out on top almost as often as the iPhone 6 Plus, the reigning photo champ.
> 
> ...


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## editor (Feb 26, 2015)

And..


> Xiaomi has made serious claims about the prowess of its camera, and based on my tests, they appear to hold true. For one, as mentioned, the lens is flush with the chassis and doesn't stick out. It also has optical image stabilization, which really helps with night shots.



http://www.cnet.com/uk/products/xiaomi-mi-note/2/


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## Ponyutd (Feb 26, 2015)

well yeah, I looked at this one...http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/26/8107087/xiaomi-mi-note-review
But the cnet it quite a good review.


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## Kid_Eternity (Apr 9, 2015)

Doesn't look like this company is a big a threat as the fandroid brigade would have you believe. Apple market share surging to near 30% in China now...


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## editor (Apr 9, 2015)

They've gone from nowhere to be the third biggest smartphone vendor in the world. I'd say that makes them a big player. Not sure what a fandroid brigade is.


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## Kid_Eternity (Apr 9, 2015)

And Apple has little to worry about them in China which is the key market now for phones and app profits.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 9, 2015)

Kid_Eternity said:


> ...fandroid brigade would have you believe....



Don't you ever get tired of calling people silly names?


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## editor (Apr 9, 2015)

And here's why they are a force to be reckoned with: Xiaomi sells 2.11 million phones in 24 hours, claims Guinness record



> There's a new title-holder in China today as Xiaomi has claimed a world record for phone sales, apparently outdoing Samsung and Apple. An official from Guinness was on hand to certify that Xiaomi had achieved the "Most mobile phones sold on a single online platform within 24 hours"—the compnay got a plaque and everything. The "platform" was Mi.com, Xiaomi's online store, which sold 2.11 million devices in 24 hours.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 9, 2015)

The Mi Note compares very competitively priced compared to a Note 4. 

I suspect I would struggle to find a decent hardened case for it, which is kinda essential to me, but I expect that will change as they grow in popularity.


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## Cid (Apr 16, 2015)

Epico said:


> Any clues how to pronounce Xiaomi? Shy Oh Me?





editor said:


> Ziye a-oh-me?



What maomao said, but also as a guide to (Mandarin) Chinese pronunciation get this app. There's an app called pinyin chart too which is good... It's actually not that hard to get your head around the basics, pinyin is nicely phonetic and the number of phonemes used is quite limited. Learning characters is a whole different kettle of fish of course, but even that is somewhat blown out of proportion.


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## dervish (Apr 16, 2015)

I'd read that it was pronounced like Show-me. Is that right?


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## maomao (Apr 16, 2015)

dervish said:


> I'd read that it was pronounced like Show-me. Is that right?


Only if that's show as in shower.


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## Enviro (Apr 16, 2015)

Yay, I knew how to pronounce it


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## mwgdrwg (Apr 16, 2015)

Looks like an iPhone killer to me!


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## Cid (Apr 16, 2015)

Here is how or c&p 小米 here and click to listen... The first is a bit wrong because the voice is obviously saying the two parts separately. Also, as noted, when you have two falling rising tones together, the first becomes a rising tone. The google translate version seems more accurate. Here is a BBC piece precisely on how to say it. I think Shao-me (like we would say Shaolin) is probably the simplest and closest and seems to be what they're using. Just to confuse things the 'sh' sound in pinyin uses a slightly more curled tongue and is quite different from 'xi' which uses a straight tongue.


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## editor (Aug 4, 2015)

Kid_Eternity said:


> And Apple has little to worry about them in China which is the key market now for phones and app profits.


Seeing as they've just knocked them into third place, I think they might have something to worry about. 



> Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi trounced Apple in China for the first time since last year. Analytics firm Canalys estimates that in Q2, Xiaomi nabbed 15.9 percent of China’s smartphone market, which amounted to a few percentage points higher than second-place Huawei (15.7 percent). Apple’s market share ranked third at an estimated 12.2 percent.
> 
> The reversal comes as a bit of a surprise. The hugely successful iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus drove Apple to the number 1 spot in China late last year, a position of dominance it maintained into early this year. Indeed, the company led Xiaomi by a full percentage point (14.7 percent versus 13.7 percent, according to research firm IDC) in Q1 despite the iPhone’s high sticker price.
> 
> http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/xiaomi-bests-apple-in-china/


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## editor (Oct 26, 2018)

Well, here's an interesting handset


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## dervish (Oct 27, 2018)

Yeah, for the asking price that is a beast of a phone. 

And no notch!


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## tommers (Oct 27, 2018)

I've had a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 for the past 18 months or so. It's been a decent phone and it cost £150 or something ridiculous. 64GB storage. I've always had a budget phone and this is probably the best one I've had.

Recently the battery was running down really quickly (altho that seems to have stopped now, god knows what was causing it) so I decided to splash out on a Xiaomi Pocophone F1.  £280 and its got 128GB, the same processor that's in a Samsung G9 or whatever it's called and "liquid cooling". Probably massive overkill for what I will use it for but it's still about a tenner month over the same period as most companies insist you sign up for.

Also got a SIM off Virgin for £6 a month for more minutes than I will ever need and a bit of data.

Only thing is it will take about three weeks to arrive. 

Pocophone F1 Review | Trusted Reviews


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## Saul Goodman (Oct 27, 2018)

I've been buying Xiaomi phones for a few years now. I'll soon be replacing my Mi6 with the Mi8, which is better in pretty much every way than the newest iPhone, and it's 1/4 the price.


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## editor (Oct 27, 2018)

tommers said:


> I've had a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 for the past 18 months or so. It's been a decent phone and it cost £150 or something ridiculous. 64GB storage. I've always had a budget phone and this is probably the best one I've had.
> 
> Recently the battery was running down really quickly (altho that seems to have stopped now, god knows what was causing it) so I decided to splash out on a Xiaomi Pocophone F1.  £280 and its got 128GB, the same processor that's in a Samsung G9 or whatever it's called and "liquid cooling". Probably massive overkill for what I will use it for but it's still about a tenner month over the same period as most companies insist you sign up for.
> 
> ...


No NFC? That's a killer blow for me.


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## tommers (Oct 27, 2018)

editor said:


> No NFC? That's a killer blow for me.



I don't even know what that is.

Oh right, I've just googled it.  I can't use it to pay for stuff.  I've never done that anyway.


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## editor (Oct 27, 2018)

tommers said:


> I don't even know what that is.
> 
> Oh right, I've just googled it.  I can't use it to pay for stuff.  I've never done that anyway.


I use it most days for the tube and paying for food.


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## tommers (Oct 27, 2018)

editor said:


> I use it most days for the tube and paying for food.



How does it work? Do you link it to your bank account?  And how does that get recorded?  Do you see every journey on your statement?

I still use an Oyster card.


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## editor (Oct 27, 2018)

tommers said:


> How does it work? Do you link it to your bank account?  And how does that get recorded?  Do you see every journey on your statement?
> 
> I still use an Oyster card.


Works the same as a contactless card.


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## cybershot (Oct 29, 2018)

Official uk presence?


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## editor (Oct 29, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Official uk presence?
> 
> View attachment 151070


Opening up in "the town of Westfield, London."

Xiaomi UK arrives in London with its first Mi Store - XiaomiToday


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## Saul Goodman (Oct 30, 2018)

What's going to happen to Apple's sales when it becomes trendy to own a phone made in China* at a fraction of the price of an inferior offering.

*as opposed to a phone made in China.


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## Badgers (Nov 9, 2018)

Explore the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Exclusively on Three | Specs and Pricing


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## Badgers (Nov 9, 2018)

UK pre-orders from today


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## cheesethief (Nov 9, 2018)

Saul Goodman said:


> What's going to happen to Apple's sales when it becomes trendy to own a phone made in China* at a fraction of the price of an inferior offering.


No difference whatsoever. Apple zealots only buy Apple because Apple. People who objectively compare & contrast different brands in order to make an informed, intelligent & unbiased choice may be swayed by the cheap but impressive tech coming out of China. But Apple folk will still buy Apple, because it's Apple.


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## quimcunx (Nov 9, 2018)

I bought one of their fitbit things a couple of years back but couldnt get it to sync even when I pretended to be in China. I presume that will no longer be an issue.


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## tommers (Nov 16, 2018)

Pocophones are £279 on Amazon for Black Friday.

I don't know a vast amount about phones but I love mine.

amzn.eu/d/eh28sHr

Oh, that's the 64GB version, 128GB is £330.  So it's still cheaper off of that GearBest.


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## dervish (Nov 19, 2018)

quimcunx said:


> I bought one of their fitbit things a couple of years back but couldnt get it to sync even when I pretended to be in China. I presume that will no longer be an issue.


I've got the Mi fit 3, it's actually pretty good. Battery life is excellent, it shows some of the text when a message comes in and it works as a watch pretty well. It's also dirt cheap.


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## tommers (Dec 25, 2018)

Pocophones are £40 off tomorrow.


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## Saul Goodman (Dec 25, 2018)

Xiaomi Mi8 6GB/256GB @ 30% off.
Xiaomi Mi8 Mi 8 6.21 inch 6GB RAM 256GB ROM Snapdragon 845 Octa core 4G Smartphone
€370. That's a grand less than an iPhone X (and a better phone).
I couldn't resist the temptation.


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