We’ve come to the end of Xiaomi’s CES announcement, and as usual, we’ve got a set of products to talk about. And honestly, what a weird set of products for Xiaomi to launch, at CES nonetheless. What we can say is that we didn’t expect these to be the products at launch, for better or for worse.
Some of these launches we definitely saw coming, and others we had no idea were going to launch. There’s an interesting mix of new products here, So without further ado, let’s take a look at everything launched by Xiaomi at CES 2017!
Xiaomi Mi Mix, in white
This one isn’t too surprising, as we’ve already seen leaked images of it online. Internally, the device is exactly the same as the original Xiaomi Mi Mix, so don’t expect improved performance or the like. It may look different, but’s it’s still just the Mi Mix.
On top of that, the Mi Mix in white will still be exclusive to China, which is a bummer. We were really expecting Xiaomi to make an attempt to penetrate the US this year. So yeah, a brand new white Mi Mix, not incredibly exciting, but sure. If you want more information on it, feel free to look at Andi’s post about it. So, what’s next on the list?
Mi Router HD
The Mi Router HD is Xiaomi’s latest router, and it’s pretty much just that. The new router features a built-in 1TB/8TB hard disk that lets you backup all of your devices at home. Specs-wise, it’s pretty much the same thing as the Mi Router Pro.
The Mi Router HD is a pretty interesting gadget, but not something we really expected. So far, it’s been a pretty unremarkable launch. Nothing new of interest has been announced, and there’s been a distinct lack of new phones. Something we entirely expect from CES announcements. But I digress, what’s the next device on the list?
Gizchina News of the week
Mi TV 4
Here we go, something new and exciting! So, what does the latest Xiaomi TV have in store for us this time? For starters, the Mi TV 4 is a high-end TV set that features a 4.9mm thick frame, virtually no bezel, and a modular system that separates the panel from the rest of the electronics. That’s a pretty good start so far!
What about the operating system, I here you ask your computer monitor. Xiaomi is using an AI-driven system and its PatchWall UI on top of Android, version unknown. It gives viewers personalized recommendations from millions of Chinese titles to fit every user. It uses an neat adaptive grid which Barra claims is inspired by modern magazine layouts.
Along with that, the Mi TV 4 features something Barra likes to call a ‘modular TV system’. The idea is that the motherboard for the Mi TV 4 is in the TV’s soundbar, which allows the TV to be so thin. Said soundbar has 10 speakers, two wireless speakers, a subwoofer, and support for Dolby Atmos surround sound. The Soundbar is also where all the ports are, making cable management somewhat easier.
The Xiaomi Mi TV 4 will be available in three different display sizes- 49-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch. The 65-inch model will be available for ‘well under $2000’ and will be shipped later this year. Same goes for the 55-inch model, though it’ll be priced lower than $1500 instead. The 49-inch model on the other hand remains a mystery, at least for now. Oh, all models will also be limited to China, so nothing new there.
The end
And that’s it! That’s all the device and gadgets that Xiaomi launched at CES this year. In case you haven’t noticed, there hasn’t been a single new phone announcement, which leaves things feeling rather incomplete. We expected Barra to turn around for a “One more thing” moment, but it never came.
Apparently, people online also feel like there wasn’t enough that was launched. The comments were rife with people asking for new devices, though some were also quite pleased by the launch. Overall, it wasn’t a terrible launch, just rather barren and empty.
So, what are your thoughts on the new Xiaomi products that were just launched? Were you expecting something different, or have Xiaomi successfully hit all the notes for you? Are you satisfied with the launches? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
I think that they have missed continent wher they are “laughing” devices.
Maybe this time they’ve learned to be more patient… and avoid claiming too fast that they will crush the market with what it looked like one of their worst product launch so far: the MI5, just check how much they discount it now. Which renown and respected brand do this? none, and for a good reason: image, discounting is bad for your image not only its sending a bad signal to customers with some who will wait for the discounting time and others seing the fast depreciation of their phone making them feel they got robbed… I know they do this because they don’t want to go through the huge resellers network but at some point if they want to grow they will have to, or sale online to foreigners finally…the more i think of it the less i see them becoming a global brand, their actions shows that they are not really committed to expand outside Asia.
I think that they have missed continent where they are “lounching” devices.
Maybe this time they’ve learned to be more patient and more humble… and avoid claiming too fast that they will crush the market with what it looked like one of their worst product launch so far: the MI5, just check how much they discount it now. Which renown and respected brand do this? none, and for a good reason: image, discounting is bad for your image not only its sending a bad signal to customers with some who will wait for the discounting time and others seing the fast depreciation of their phone making them feel they got robbed… I know they do this because they don’t want to go through the huge resellers network (which will eat their small margin…) but at some point if they want to grow they will have to, or sale online to foreigners finally…the more i think of it the less i see them becoming a global brand, their actions shows that they are not really committed to expand outside Asia.
I watched it and thought it went quite well – they still have some way to go in learning how to do these events. As a prolific purchaser of tech, I was (am) frustrated by the lack of certain key information. When you watch an Apple event, they go through similar motions, but you find out the price(s) of the product, the markets it will be sold in and the date of availability (and sometimes numbers that they have produced) – this sets expectation for the potential customer. After Xiaomi, I am left wanting to buy the products, but with no idea if and when they might be able to me – this inevitably makes me look at products that I know are actually available to me instead.
The TV looked pretty great (although the Dolby Atmos feature may not work well for some people, as a lot of plastered ceilings have popcorn/stipple of other finishes, specifically to help prevent sound reflection and echo) but I love the design of it and the speaker package looks quite neat.
MI Mix – Want. In Black please.
Router – Honestly, I think there are better ways to do this. Multi-device whole home coverage on a single SSID seems the way to go and I’d rather have a dedicated NAS for storage/backup (and they all have similar functionality in respect to apps/services/cloud these days). The price for the device is very competitive though! Might be a good all-in-one solution for those with a smaller property, who already have another (on-premise or cloud based) backup solution for storing the important stuff.
Shame there’s still no mention of MI Pad 3.
I want new Xiaomi MiPad
sad but, tablets are slowly dying, even xiaomi seems to believe so.
Yeah, what a dinky market… just 180 mil sales this year… dominating over laptops for 4th straight year:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/272595/global-shipments-forecast-for-tablets-laptops-and-desktop-pcs/
It’s pretty much the best selling type of computer that is not a phone. The idea that that market is dying (instead of maturing) is only circulated in tech sites. Everywhere else people are still buying tablets in droves and are still excited about the new ipad or what have you.
Now why is it that android makers like Xiaomi pretty much gave up on it is an interesting question. Possibly because they don’t want to put up a fight against ipads and 2in1s , maybe because google pretty much sabotages android on big screens so that they can sell more of their closed source Chrome OS?
Many reasons, but one of them is NOT that tablets are dying…
I watched it and thought it went quite well – they still have some way to go in learning how to do these events. As a prolific purchaser of tech, I was (am) frustrated by the lack of certain key information. When you watch an Apple event, they go through similar motions, but you find out the price(s) of the product, the markets it will be sold in and the date of availability (and sometimes numbers that they have produced) – this sets expectation for the potential customer. After Xiaomi, I am left wanting to buy the products, but with no idea if and when they might be able to me – this inevitably makes me look at products that I know are actually available to me instead.
The TV looked pretty great (although the Dolby Atmos feature may not work well for some people, as a lot of plastered ceilings have popcorn/stipple of other finishes, specifically to help prevent sound reflection and echo) but I love the design of it and the speaker package looks quite neat. Is it, as usual, running a skinned version of Android? – as that wasn’t clear to me.
MI Mix – Want. In Black please.
Router – Honestly, I think there are better ways to do this. Multi-device whole home coverage on a single SSID seems the way to go and I’d rather have a dedicated NAS for storage/backup (and they all have similar functionality in respect to apps/services/cloud these days). The price for the device is very competitive though! Might be a good all-in-one solution for those with a smaller property, who already have another (on-premise or cloud based) backup solution for storing the important stuff.
Shame there’s still no mention of MI Pad 3.
Overall, I was fairly underwhelmed and didn’t really think it was worth an hour of my time. The whole thing could have been structured much better, it didn’t run particularly smoothly (and when he was holding up the white MI Mix handsets in silence, that was quite cringeworthy, and as Hugo noted – quite awkward).
I want new Xiaomi MiPad
sad but, tablets are slowly dying, even xiaomi seems to believe so.
Yeah, what a dinky market… just 180 mil sales this year… dominating over laptops for 4th straight year:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/272595/global-shipments-forecast-for-tablets-laptops-and-desktop-pcs/
It’s pretty much the best selling type of computer that is not a phone. The idea that that market is dying (instead of maturing) is only circulated in tech sites. Everywhere else people are still buying tablets in droves and are still excited about the new ipad or what have you.
Now why is it that android makers like Xiaomi pretty much gave up on it is an interesting question. Possibly because they don’t want to put up a fight against ipads and 2in1s , maybe because google pretty much sabotages android on big screens so that they can sell more of their closed source Chrome OS?
Many reasons, but one of them is NOT that tablets are dying…
Xiaomi is wast of time- they do not support EU market, and B20. They only support China market
Xiaomi is wast of time- they do not support EU market, and B20. They only support China market