Xiaomi unveils its new flagship smartphone, the Mi 4, with a metal frame

[cirr]

Hungry Chinese Customers Snap Up 100,000 Xiaomi Mi4 3G Handsets

Published on August 27, 2014 by David Steele



The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is known for “hunger marketing” their devices; in other words, releasing relatively small quantities into the market ostensibly because they’re a small manufacturer and are unable to afford the mass production that larger competitors use. As I’ve already written this is a clever marketing strategy and one that is helping Xiaomi expand out of China: as a business, if you know that you can make a limited number of handsets and have every single one sold, that makes a lot of sense. Xiaomi have modified their marketing for the introduction of their handsets to the more developed markets but I’ll write about this a little later.

The news here is that yesterday at noon local time, Xiaomi released a batch of ‘phones into an unsuspecting Chinese market. That’s right, there was no notice. In total, 100,000 of the beautiful high end Mi4 3G handset, 100,000 of the low end Redmi 1S 4G and 20,000 Redmi Note 4G were released. We know that the Mi4 was sold out. Sure; China is a massive Android market but Xiaomi is pushing the upgraded 4G Mi4 model through certification with the Chinese authorities. It’s due next month. Way to go Xiaomi at capturing peoples’ mindshare and keeping them locked on your website! It’s unclear if Xiaomi have more 3G Mi4s locked in a warehouse somewhere but there’s still demand for the handset even with the 4G model on the horizon.

I should quantify my statement above when I described the Mi4 as a beautiful high-end handset. To refresh, the Mi4 comes with a 1080p 5.0-inch screen, a 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, 3 GB of RAM, a Sony-supplied 13 MP rear camera and an 8 MP front camera for your selfies. It’s powered by a 3,080 mAh battery; on paper, the Mi4 is at least the equivalent of most of the more well known 2014 flagship handsets such as the Galaxy S5 and HTC One (M8). Xiaomi have given the Mi4 a stainless steel frame with a glass front screen and a choice of replaceable backs, including wood. Software wise, the Xiaomi flagship runs Android Kit Kat with the MIUI 5 interface, due to be updated to MIUI 6 soon. The updated version adds 4G LTE and increases the RAM from 16 GB to 64 GB. About the only thing not to like is limited stock!

We’ve still no word if or when the 3G Mi4 will be released in the US or UK markets, never mind the 4G version. Xiaomi have introduced the 3G handset to the Italian market but have not used their batch marketing approach: instead, it’s available on the Italian Xiaomi website for just under €400. There’s no word on when the 4G version will be released. Given Xiaomi’s very successful hunger marketing and reluctance to mass manufacture the devices, I’m not holding my breath.

 

[cirr]

Xiaomi phone with sapphire glass in works?

August 30, 2014

By Dusan Belic

Guess who’s looking to make a smartphone with sapphire glass? Yup, that would be Xiaomi, which is often referred to as “Apple of China.” If “regular Apple” can do it — cause we expect the next iPhone to boast a sapphire glass screen — so can its Chinese “counterpart,” if I can say so.

According to a report from early this week, Xiaomi is in talks with suppliers and is looking for 50,000 of such displays to be used on a limited edition high-end handset. Chances are this will be some special version of the current flagship, Mi4, but you never know. Perhaps they also add the faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chip to the mix.

Meanwhile, the only “regular” device with this sort of screen remains the Kyocera Brigadier, which is offered in the U.S. by Verizon Wireless. Despite rocking the super-sturdy (and more expensive) display, this is a mid-range phone with a 4.5-inch 720p HD screen and Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC. Other devices boasting sapphire glass displays are mostly out of reach for regular users, and include products by luxury phone makers like Vertu and Gresso.

Xiaomi phone with sapphire glass in works?

Sorry, Your Face is Maxed Out: Face Recognition Payment App Unveiled in China

By Mark Piggott | IB Times – 18 hours ago

Academics at the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology in southwest China say they have developed a new system of face-recognition software which could radically change the way we shop.

Shoppers would be snapped with a special camera which collects information about the face from 91 angles. This information is then analysed using two million sets of data. The whole process takes just a few seconds. In 1,000 tests the system was reported to be accurate on 998 occasions.

The system paves the way for shopping to be done without any need for PINs or passwords. The software can even factor in changes to faces caused by the ravages of time – and shopping. The system could be launched in the second half of 2015.

The Chinese system isn't the first to use face-recognition as a shopping tool: Finnish company Uniqul unveiled a similar device in 2013.

On its website Uniqul says: "Imagine going in to a kiosk, picking up a newspaper at the cashier, clicking 'OK' on a Uniqul tablet and walking away. Imagine a day at the beach when you don't have to think about where to store your wallet during your swims."

Face-recognition has already been used as a crime and terrorism-fighting technology. Chongqing University recently developed software which it claimed could detect when someone in a crowd was about to commit a terrorist act.

Leicestershire police have become the first force in the UK to use "NeoFace" software to quickly identify criminals captured on CCTV, mobile phone or other digital formats.

Some smartphone manufacturers are incorporating facial recognition technology to "lock" devices from being used by anyone except the owner. Tesco is installing OptimEyes screens in its petrol stations which analyse faces and then tailor advertising according to their age and gender.

However earlier this year Google announced that the "NameTag" app won't be incorporated into its Glass device. It's thought the technology – which would allow the user to instantly find out someone's name, access their social networking accounts or see if they are on dating sites - might cross what Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt calls "the creepy line".

Sorry, Your Face is Maxed Out: Face Recognition Payment App Unveiled in China - Yahoo News UK

 

[cirr]

I say all the western brands，especially Apple，stop exploiting our Indian friends and start bringing down the prices you charge for your smartphones which aren't any better than Chinese makes。

Xiaomi Redmi 1S goes out of stock in seconds

By ET Bureau | 2 Sep, 2014, 02.27PM IST

Xiaomi Tuesday sold within a few seconds all of its units of the entry-level Redmi 1S smartphone which were offered through a flash sale on Flipkart.

NEW DELHI: Xiaomi Tuesday sold within a few seconds all of its units of the entry-levelRedmi 1S smartphone which were offered through a flash sale on Flipkart.

The company had announced that there would be 40,000 units up for sale onFlipkart for Rs 5,999 each. However, the ecommerce major gave early access to 2,000 Flipkart First subscribers on Monday to buy the Redmi 1S smartphone.

The lot was the largest the company has offered since it began selling smartphones through Flipkart in July. An estimated over 100,000 people had registered for getting a Redmi 1S device.

The Redmi 1S features a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 (HD) IPS display and is powered by a 1.6 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with Cortex-A7 core and 1 GB RAM.

It comes with 8GB internal flash memory with external microSD slot that supports up to 64 GB. The Redmi 1S is a dual SIM (3G+2G) smartphone and comes equipped with 8MP rear camera and a front 1.6MP camera.

The Redmi 1S competes with the likes of Moto E and Asus ZenPhone4 in the country.

In addition, Android One smartphones, being backed by Micromax, Karbonn and Spice, are also expected to compete with Xiaomi's entry level device, once they hit the market.

The Chinese smartphone maker has so far sold 1,35,000 smartphones, including 95,000 Mi3 smartphones in India through seven flash sales.

Xiaomi's entire focus would now be on the Redmi 1S. The company is also trying to bring the Redmi Note in the next couple of weeks.

Xiaomi is ramping up the supply chain for the latest Redmi 1S and Redmi Note smartphones.

Xiaomi Redmi 1S goes out of stock in seconds - The Economic Times

 

[kuge]

off topic...
but guys where can i download lenovo A396 driver for Windows 8?
any website?
i wanna root my device.

regards...

 

[cirr]

Hands On: Huawei's Huge Ascend Mate7 Smartphone

BY ALEX COLON

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

We also checked out the midrange Ascend G7 and a sapphire- and ceramic-clad edition of the Ascend P7.

BERLIN—Huawei on Thursday announced one of the biggest phones at IFA—literally. The Huawei Ascend Mate7 is the Chinese manufacturer's latest flagship handset, with a fingerprint sensor, brand-new octa-core chip, and a truly tremendous battery.

The company also announced the Ascend G7, a midrange phone, as well as a sapphire- and ceramic-clad edition of the Ascend P7. We got a chance to check them all out.

Huawei has managed to stuff a lot of hardware into a (relatively) tiny space with the Mate7 (pictured). True, the phone's 6-inch screen size means there's some extra room to work with, but it's rare that I'm impressed by the size of a battery. The Mate7, however, is packing a 4,100mAh Li-Polymer battery, which Huawei says is good for up to 2.33 days of talk time. The company also claims the phone's screen is the world's first JDI IPS-NEO with negative crystal display. This supposedly allows for an ultra-high contrast ratio and 15 percent lower power consumption. I couldn't tell whether any of this was true in the demo station, but it looked nice.

The design of the phone itself reminds me a bit of the HTC One (M8), which is a good thing. It's made of more than 95 percent metal and has a solid feel in the hand. And even though it has such a big screen, barely existent bezels mean it doesn't actually feel quite as large as some other phablets on the market (including the Ascend G7). On top of this, a lightly curved back makes the phone easier to hold.

The back of the phone is home to a fingerprint sensor, like the HTC One Max. I didn't get a chance to test it out, but it sounds like it could be more useful than options we've seen from HTC, Apple, and Samsung. For instance, the sensor uses active RF field sensing, so you only need to rest your finger on it, unlike the iPhone 5s which requires you to press the home button or the Galaxy S5, which requires a swiping motion. And in addition to simply unlocking the phone, Huawei has built in some cool features, like the ability to offer a modified phone screen for visitors that hides any private material. You can also use it to protect certain folders. And it works in wet or dry conditions, which will be a nice change if you've ever tried to activate your iPhone right after washing your hands.

From a hardware perspective, the phone is powered by an interesting new chip. It's a Kirin 925, which is an LTE Cat6 octa-core SoC. It uses four larger A15 cores and four smaller A7 cores to balance out the workload, while still keeping the size manageable.

The Mate7 is expected to become available this quarter, in a standard 2GB RAM/16GB memory version in black or white for 499 euros. A premium 3G RAM/32GB memory version in gold will be available for 599 euros. Unfortunately, there's no word on a release in the U.S., and given Huawei's track record, it doesn't seem likely.

Huawei also announced the Ascend G7, which is company's latest midrange option. You might notice from the pictures, that it looks a little something like the iPhone 5s—from the metal frame to the two-tone color combinations (not to mention the choice of colors, including silver, gold, and black). That said, it's an attractive device, though its 5.5-inch, 720p screen could stand to be a little sharper. It also feels larger in the hand than the 6-inch Mate 7.

Inside, the phone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor (Huawei didn't specify what kind) and has a large 3,000mAh battery. There's a 13-megapixel camera on the back of the phone, and a 5-megapixel camera on the front, with an 88-degree wide-angle lens for selfies (that seems to be a theme this year). All in all it looks like a decent phone, but not a terribly exciting one. The Ascend G7 will become available this month for 299 euros, but again, a U.S. release doesn't seem likely.

Finally, I got a chance to check out the new sapphire edition of the Ascend P7. It features a sapphire glass display on front, and a ceramic back panel, but is otherwise the same phone Huawei announced back in May.

Much like the recently tested Kyocera Brigadier, the sapphire P7 was easily resistant to scratches from a Swiss Army knife Huawei had stationed at the demo booth. That means you won't suffer any scratches from accidentally putting the phone in the same pocket as your keys.

On the other hand, I'm not sure I see the benefit of the ceramic back panel. Maybe it was the lighting, but on the phone I saw, it was an absolute fingerprint magnet. The phone will be available in limited quantities in China this quarter, but Huawei didn't mention a price. I expect it to be more expensive than the standard model, though.

Huawei Ascend Mate7 The Ascend Mate7 is made of more than 95 percent metal and has a solid feel in the hand

Huawei Ascend Mate7 Back The back of the phone is home to a fingerprint sensor, like the HTC One Max.

Huawei Ascend Mate7 Side You can't see it here, but a slightly curved back panel makes the phone more comfortable to hold.

Huawei Ascend G7 The Ascend G7 is a relatively attractive device, though its 5.5-inch, 720p screen could stand to be a little sharper. It also feels larger in the hand than the 6-inch Mate7.

Huawei Ascend G7 Back You might notice that the Ascend G7 looks a little something like the iPhone 5s—from the metal frame to the two-tone color combinations (not to mention the choice of colors, including gold pictured here).

Huawei Ascend G7 Side All in all it looks the Ascend G7 looks like a decent phone, but not a terribly exciting one.

Sapphire Ascend P7 Scratch test The sapphire P7 was easily able to withstand scratches from a Swiss Army knife Huawei had stationed at the demo booth.

Sapphire Ascend P7 Ceramic back Maybe it was the lighting, but on the phone I saw, the ceramic back was an absolutely fingerprint magnet.

Sapphire Ascend P7 Side The sapphire display means you won't accidentally scratch the P7 if you throw it in the same pocket as your keys.

 

[cirr]

Now this is what I call innovation all round。

Xiaomi’s investment in microfinance startup suggests you could soon get a loan from your phone

• September 10, 2014
• at 6:14 pm
• by Steven Millward

Xiaomi will soon allow owners of its smartphones to bind their bank accounts to their personal Xiaomi account (pictured above). But that could expand even further in the near future. Today, a peer-to-peer lending startup in China by the name of Jimu Box revealed that is has secured series B funding, jointly led by Xiaomi and ShunWei Capital, a venture capital fund headed by the phone-maker’s founder, Lei Jun.

Jimu Box offers business loans for small and medium-sized businesses and consumer loans for individuals. It’s one of many such P2P lending sites in China. Judging by the VC rounds given to rival sites, Xiaomi’s new partner is dwarfed by local microfinance startups such as Renrendai andDianrong.

According to Tencent Tech, Jimu Box has secured US$37.2 million in this round, with Vertex Ventures, Matrix Partners China, and Ventech China also taking part.

Though not yet confirmed by Jimu Box nor Xiaomi, the investment could signal the upstart phone-maker’s expansion into online financial services, following the path now well-trodden by Chinese web giants such as Alibaba and Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU). Both Alibaba and Baidu offer online personal investment funds that offer higher interest rates for savings than Chinese banks.

Jimu Box came online in August 2013. It currently has funds available for loan totaling RMB 2 billion (US$326.3 million).

 

[cirr]

China's Xiaomi unveils heart-monitor dock for smartphones

The new dock can use your smartphone to record your blood pressure and heart rate, says The Next Web. But will it launch outside of China?

By Lance Whitney

September 24, 2014 9:25 AM PDT

Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi has a new product up its sleeves to monitor your blood pressure.

Branded as iHealth, the new dock attaches to a cuff that can measure your blood pressure and heart rate. Nestled in the dock, your smartphone runs a dedicated app that activates the process and then records and keeps track of your results, according to The Next Web.

The iHealth dock sounds similar to other such devices, such as the Withings Smart Blood Pressure Monitor, which attaches a cuff to your smartphone and uses an app to record and monitor your blood pressure. Such devices have been around for years. But interest in health-related gadgets has grown with the introduction of wearable fitness trackers and could grow further once the Apple Watch launches next year with its potential to monitor your overall health.

A Xiaomi spokesperson told tech site TechinAsia that the new blood pressure monitor can be used on other Android devices but is best suited for Xiaomi smartphones.

Xiaomi has been become a major player in the international smartphone market. Last quarter, the company became the fifth-largest smartphone vendor in the world, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. But the company clearly has aspirations beyond the smartphone world. Last month, Xiaomi dipped into the health market with the launch of a fitness band that sells in China for only 79 yuan (around $13).

The name "iHealth" sounds like it could trigger potential trademark problems for Xiaomi with Apple. But Xiaomi told TNW that a US company called iHealth Labs, in which it invested $25 million earlier this week, already owns the iHealth trademark. iHealth Labs has, in fact, already launched iHealth-branded products for Apple devices, including a blood pressure dock.

The new iHealth dock will sell for 199 Chinese yuan ($33). But will the device be available outside of China? TechInAsia reported that the device will go on sale in China exclusively through Xiaomi's website but didn't indicate availability in other countries. The current iHealth dock and other iHealth accessories are available in the US.

CNET contacted Xiaomi for comment and will update the story with any further details.

 

[Victory]

My cousin has Mi3, awesome phone. All xiaomi sets are worth buying.

RedMi is also going strong in India

 

[hans]

When I was in India, I saw many people using low end phone from Samsung..
Comparing with Samsung, Xiaomi is much better at the same price level...

My cousin has Mi3, awesome phone. All xiaomi sets are worth buying.

RedMi is also going strong in India

 

[cirr]

Xiaomi raises Indian smartphone sales goals

BY SOHAM CHATTERJEE

BANGALORE Fri Sep 26, 2014 5:39pm IST

(Reuters) - Chinese firm Xiaomi is stocking up on its smartphones in India in readiness for the festive season as it looks to gain ground in the world's third largest smartphone market, a top executive said on Friday.

International Vice President Hugo Barra said the company is now making provision to sell 100,000 phones a week in October, when India celebrates the festival of Diwali.

Xiaomi, which sells its phones exclusively through e-commerce website Flipkart.com, is selling about 60,000 phones a week, he said.

"For the Diwali month we're chartering planes from Hong Kong to India to bring in Mi 3 and Redmi phones because it's too much product," Barra said.

Xiaomi, seen as China's affordable answer to Apple, replaced Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) as China's largest smartphone vendor in the second quarter, according to data from Canalys.

In India the company saw more than 100,000 people pre-register for a supply of 10,000 phones when it launched in July.

Xiaomi is looking to carve a foothold in a market that has at least 80 different phone companies fighting it out for market share. On Sept 15 Google launched the first of its Android One phones in India aimed at making smartphones more affordable for the masses.

Xiaomi's Barra said the company was working with local companies and start-ups to build services for phones sold in India and the company was also exploring possibilities of eventually setting up a local manufacturing unit.


(Writing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee in Mumbai; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

 

[Jlaw]

Xiaomi phone with sapphire glass in works?

August 30, 2014

By Dusan Belic

Guess who’s looking to make a smartphone with sapphire glass? Yup, that would be Xiaomi, which is often referred to as “Apple of China.” If “regular Apple” can do it — cause we expect the next iPhone to boast a sapphire glass screen — so can its Chinese “counterpart,” if I can say so.

According to a report from early this week, Xiaomi is in talks with suppliers and is looking for 50,000 of such displays to be used on a limited edition high-end handset. Chances are this will be some special version of the current flagship, Mi4, but you never know. Perhaps they also add the faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chip to the mix.

Meanwhile, the only “regular” device with this sort of screen remains the Kyocera Brigadier, which is offered in the U.S. by Verizon Wireless. Despite rocking the super-sturdy (and more expensive) display, this is a mid-range phone with a 4.5-inch 720p HD screen and Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC. Other devices boasting sapphire glass displays are mostly out of reach for regular users, and include products by luxury phone makers like Vertu and Gresso.

Xiaomi phone with sapphire glass in works?

Sorry, Your Face is Maxed Out: Face Recognition Payment App Unveiled in China

By Mark Piggott | IB Times – 18 hours ago

Academics at the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology in southwest China say they have developed a new system of face-recognition software which could radically change the way we shop.

Shoppers would be snapped with a special camera which collects information about the face from 91 angles. This information is then analysed using two million sets of data. The whole process takes just a few seconds. In 1,000 tests the system was reported to be accurate on 998 occasions.

The system paves the way for shopping to be done without any need for PINs or passwords. The software can even factor in changes to faces caused by the ravages of time – and shopping. The system could be launched in the second half of 2015.

The Chinese system isn't the first to use face-recognition as a shopping tool: Finnish company Uniqul unveiled a similar device in 2013.

On its website Uniqul says: "Imagine going in to a kiosk, picking up a newspaper at the cashier, clicking 'OK' on a Uniqul tablet and walking away. Imagine a day at the beach when you don't have to think about where to store your wallet during your swims."

Face-recognition has already been used as a crime and terrorism-fighting technology. Chongqing University recently developed software which it claimed could detect when someone in a crowd was about to commit a terrorist act.

Leicestershire police have become the first force in the UK to use "NeoFace" software to quickly identify criminals captured on CCTV, mobile phone or other digital formats.

Some smartphone manufacturers are incorporating facial recognition technology to "lock" devices from being used by anyone except the owner. Tesco is installing OptimEyes screens in its petrol stations which analyse faces and then tailor advertising according to their age and gender.

However earlier this year Google announced that the "NameTag" app won't be incorporated into its Glass device. It's thought the technology – which would allow the user to instantly find out someone's name, access their social networking accounts or see if they are on dating sites - might cross what Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt calls "the creepy line".

Sorry, Your Face is Maxed Out: Face Recognition Payment App Unveiled in China - Yahoo News UK

i csn see this being used to get the faces of anti Chinese protesters in HK.

 

[cirr]

Xiaomi to buy Nokia from Microsoft？

The way Lenovo has done with Motorola？

We shall see。We shall see。

 

[cirr]

Xiaomi Redmi Note Successor Specifications, Price Leaked; Smartphone Tipped to Feature 2.2GHz Octa-Core CPU

By Rohit KVN September 25, 2014 15:18 IST

The much awaited Xiaomi's second generation Redmi Note specifications, price details have surfaced online, hinting that the feature-rich phablet's launch is just around the corner.


Three models of China's Xiaomi Mi phones are pictured during their launch in New Delhi July 15, 2014. China's Xiaomi said it intends to invest heavily in India as the budget smartphone maker launched on Tuesday its flagship Mi phone and other products in the world's third largest smartphone market, currently dominated by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. REUTERS/Anindito MukherjeeREUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee


A Xiaomi community blog has leaked the alleged features of Redmi Note 2. It says that the upcoming phablet will keep the predecessor's screen size, but would come with some major upgrades in terms of internal hardware like 2.2GHz MediaTek Octa-core CPU, 3GB RAM, 20.7-megapixel camera on the rear-side and 8.0-megapixel camera, and a 3,500 mAh battery.

The website also revealed that Xiaomi Redmi Note successor will come in four storage variants – 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB for ¥999 (around $163/€128/₹9,944 ), ¥1299 (around $211/€166/₹12,930) and ¥1499 (around $244/€192/₹14,920 ) respectively, but the price of 128GB model is yet to be ascertained.

Going by the leaked specifications, Redmi Note 2 boasts some incredible internal hardware and its price-tag looks too wishful for tech enthusiasts to believe, but Xiaomi has a track record of selling feature-rich devices at a dirt cheap prices, so if this report do turn to reality, then the company is sure to create another storm in the smartphone industry later this year.

Though the report has gone wild on the Internet, the company is yet to respond. Until Xiaomi comes out and clear the air over the rumours, this report will remain as pure speculations only.

Leaked Specifications of Xiaomi Redmi Note Successor:?

ModelXiaomi Redmi Note successor (commercial name yet to be ascertain)
Display5.5-inch screen
OSAndroid OS with MIUI
ProcessorMediaTek Octa-Core (2.2 GHz quad-core Cortex A-17 + 1.7GHz Cortex A7)
RAM3GB
Storage capacity16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB
CameraMain: 20.7-megapixel camera
Front: 8.0-megapixel camera
Battery3,500 mAh
Add-ons4G-LTE, NFC, gesture control features, temperatures senors and more
Price (China)16GB: ¥999 (around $163/€128/₹9,944 )32GB: ¥1299 (around $211/€166/₹ 12,930)64GB: ¥1499 (around $244/€192/₹14,920 )128GB: yet to be ascertained

 

[cirr]

Microsoft CEO secretly met Xiaomi CEO, Windows partnership incoming?

Sep 30, 2014

Satya Nadella, the head figure at Microsoft on a recent visit to China, reportedly initiated some talks with Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, which could well develop into a major partnership in the future. What this tie-up could mean in terms of the final outcome is up for debate, but there’s some exciting speculation to look at.

Microsoft, being the maker of the Windows and Windows Phone operating systems could be looking to utilize the massive presence of Xiaomi in China and neighboring countries to expand the reach of its software. The possibilities could very well include a Windows-powered Mi Pad or a Windows Phone-powered smartphone.

A Chinese report being cited by GSM Insider has revealed that Satya Nadella and Lei Jun met secretly in China, while details about their conversation have not been disclosed yet. Microsoft’s interest in the company is obvious since it’s the one of the biggest electronics outfits in its home territory, and is often referred to as the ‘Apple of China.’

Since its debut in 2011, it has expanded into neighboring nations like Malaysia, Singapore and even India where it’s doing exceptionally well with the trademark flash sales of its Mi 3 and Redmi 1S smartphones. Xiaomi’s devices offer top-of-the-line hardware, while keeping the price down a great deal.

Also Read: Xiaomi iHealth dock tells your blood pressure and heart rate readings

This is done by using techniques like reduction of overhead costs and keeping a model in the market for a longer period of time than usual. Moreover, Xiaomi invests almost nothing in advertising, as all its publicity is done through social networks. Another source of money for the company is the purchasable content in its Android ROM named MIUI which is present on all its smart devices.

The possible partnership between Microsoft and Xiaomi will be quite an exciting one, if ever it materializes. Let’s see what the future has in store for us.