On July 22nd Xiaomi hare going to launch their assault on the 2014 flagship war with the Xiaomi Mi4. But rumours are warning us to expect less in the hardware and more in the details for this new Mi phone.
Each and every year Xiaomi launch a flagship phone that gets all the latest specs and costs only 1999 Yuan ($320). It’s what has worked for the past few years and has been so successful that Huawei and OnePlus have copied the model. For the Xiaomi Mi4 though we could be in for a change.
Xiaomi have always been about offering the best hardware at the best prices, but this is a trick that many companies are emulating, and some current technologies are deemed by many as simply not worth having (2K displays for example).
Rumours coming from within the Xiaomi camp and backed up by leaked benchmarks, and screenshots seem to tell a new story will revolve around the Mi4, one which will see the company focus on design, and optimisation first rather than offering leading hardware.
Benchmarks, such as the ones above, tell us that the Xiaomi Mi3 will have the same Snapdragon 801 processor as the OnePlus One, and Adreno 330 GPU, 5-inch 1080 display, 8 mega-pixel front camera, 13 mega-pixel rear, 3GB RAM and 16GB internal memory. If you’re familiar with the Mi3 then most of the those features will come as a disappointment, the only upgrades being the OS version, additional RAM and new front camera.
If these details are accurate then we are forced to take a look at other rumours, ones which tell us that the Mi4 is “the best looking Xiaomi phone to date” and is made completely of metal rather than plastic with narrow screen bezels to keep the overall size down to a minimum.
Camera features are believed to have been updated for this new phone too. So we could be looking at an aperture of F1.8 or less and should see some serious updates in the camera application department.
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Speaking of apps, MIUI is belived to have been updated to V6 for the Xiaomi Mi4. The new version number will be based on Android 4.4.2 and will get a new flat look. We should also see new features such as gesture support, slow speed shutter etc.
Finally the biggest update might be availability. Xiaomi are now such a large company that they may no longer need to wait for hardware prices to drop before they start making a profit on their devices. This could mean two possible outcomes 1) we might see the Xiaomi Mi4 launch at a lower price than before, or 2) we could see better availability for the next generation flagship. This would be a major plus for Xiaomi and one which fans around the world would appreciate.
Then again the benchmarks might just tell us that an Mi3S will be launched and that the Mi4 hasn’t been leaked yet. Either way we wait with baited breath to see what Xiaomi pull off for this year. Possibly this?:
What are your predictions for the Xiaomi Mi4? Let us know in the comments below.
I think the Xiaomi Leo screenshot is for Mi3S
They need to dual sim their flagships
Agreed 1000% …
“Xiaomi” and “availability” in the same context is always a good laugh xD
Here’s the prediction for Mi4 – OnePlus, you’re screwed!
Nah OPO is already screwed either way.
16Gb? hmm may they’d consider adding an SD card slut ooops I mean slot xD
Availability? Lol we’ll see.
A good balance of features is needed in the market today and if that’s Xiaomi’s focus then great.
2K displays are over-rated – they use more battery and require more processing power reducing the potential performance with hardly any visible difference. I wish the screen companies would instead focus on making screens more easily readable in strong sunlight for countries like India.
The competition to produce thinner phones results in lower battery capacity, non removable batteries and affects the camera quality – less distance from the lens to the sensor. By making the battery fixed I feel cheated – forced to upgrade to a new phone every year before the battery degrades to the point where the phone becomes hardly resell-able. Besides, its a waste of resources to throw an otherwise decent phone away because of the battery.
I hope Xiaomi are focusing on the camera quality as you are suggesting and not just the megapixels. F1.8 or lower would be great for low light shots.
An 8mm-9mm phone is thin enough for me if Xiaomi can squeeze in a 4000mAh removable battery. Less frequent recharging cycles will make the battery last longer.
And how much extra does it cost to put in a SD card slot and dual sim – I would gladly pay the difference – $20? Why do these companies get so hung up about their magic 1999 pricing trimming off features that many people would like to see? What’s the point of having a fantastic screen and limit the media storage to a fraction of 16GB? At least Xiaomi had the sense to make a 64GB version of the Mi3 – but when it will be available in India is anyone’s guess.
The point is to make you either buy their way more expensive roomier model or use their cloud service but I’m seeing trend of moving away from this direction by many brand so we’ll see if Xiaomi stay or get on with time since I imagine there are now many good alternative on the same price point.
The bottom line is always to maximize profit. I also see more phones now having non removable batteries – this surely helps reduce the life of the phone and encourage people to upgrade when the next latest and best comes out. The waste of resources is criminal.
Hope they make the mi4 dual sim