Xiaomi Tops Chinese Smartphone Market

[yellowarse]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

I read that Xiaomi's profits are razor thin. That is how they are able to offer attractive prices. I doubt they make enough $ to invest in R&D like Apple. Apple designs their own CPU i.e. currently the A8 & writes their own OS. They also have a very strong eco system.

Right and wrong. Xiaomi's profits are thin. In that respect it's more like Amazon than Apple, Lei Jun has already admitted.

But what people don't realize is that revenues are doubling every year, and most of it is reinvested in new technology (smart TV, cloud services) and software companies (including Silicon Valley's Misfit) or used for acquisition of new companies. The Xiaomi ecosystem is already a multi-billion empire consisting of some 25 companies.

Long term goal: develop international branding, grow the company into a $100 bil conglomerate, unite tech giants and innovators into a giant ecosystem.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

Look at the ecosystem I see all chink based....
No matter Prc just keep increase population everything will be alright (machiam pap increase to 6.9-10million)
Jack Ma can overtake Li Kashing.....lei jun to trump bill gates soon

 

[yellowarse]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

The Mi Note is Xiaomi's costliest, largest and most powerful phone yet. Poised to be a hit.

---

A Chinese Startup Made A Smartphone That Sounds More Impressive Than The iPhone 6 Plus


STEVE KOVACH TECH
JAN. 26, 2015, 10:49 PM

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun with the Mi Note

Chinese startup Xiaomi’s newest phone, the Mi Note, sounds like it’s poised to be a hit.

Xiaomi is four-year-old smartphone manufacturer that recently raised $1.1 billion at about a $40 billion valuation. It’s the biggest smartphone vendor in China and the fourth largest in the world.

Aloysius Low from CNET’s Asia bureau got an early look at the Mi Note.

His review is really positive. The Mi Note sounds like an amazing phone. It has a 5.7-inch screen, which puts it in the “phablet” category, just like the iPhone 6 Plus or Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Even more impressive, the Mi Note is more powerful and significantly cheaper than the iPhone 6 Plus.

The highlights from Low’s review:

• Unlike other Xiaomi phones, the Mi Note looks nothing like any of the iPhone models. It’s a unique, gorgeous design.
• It has a bigger battery, higher megapixel camera, and more memory than the iPhone 6 Plus.
• The camera is really good, and doesn’t bulge out like the iPhone 6 Plus camera. That’s impressive because the Mi Note is also a hair thinner than the iPhone 6 Plus.
• Even with high-end specs, the Mi Note is very affordable. The best version costs about $450, or about $400 cheaper than an iPhone 6 Plus with the same amount of storage.

Does that mean Apple is hosed?

No way.

The iPhone is doing really well in China, Xiaomi’s home turf. In fact, Apple is expected to announce Tuesday that it sold more iPhones in China than in the US last quarter, according to The Financial Times. That’s mostly because Apple finally caught up to the rest of the industry and released iPhones with larger screens.

Plus, Xiaomi phones are only sold in China, India, and a few other emerging markets. The iPhone is sold in over 100 countries.

The Mi Note

Another advantage: The iPhone offers a unique experience and ecosystem. Most Android phones offer similar features and apps, so people in emerging markets like China tend to buy the devices that provide the best hardware at the cheapest price. That’s why Xiaomi has been so successful.

This is really a bigger problem for Samsung in the near term. Xiaomi devices are better looking, yet just as powerful and do all the same things as Samsung’s Android devices. But they cost half as much.

That’s why Samsung’s profits have been tanking over the last year. Why buy an Android phone from Samsung when you can get one that’s just as good for half the price? Samsung’s big challenge will be to prove it can make phones with unique features and designs to justify their premium price.

Check out Low’s full review of the Mi Note here >>

 

[yellowarse]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

Xiaomi’s new Mi Note ticks just about all the boxes in styling, performance and price

It’s sleek and snazzy with plenty of power under the hood. A slightly paltry top memory of 64GB is our only letdown

Adrian Wan [email protected]

PUBLISHED : Monday, 26 January, 2015, 4:45pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 27 January, 2015, 10:20am

Xiaomi released its latest flagship smartphone Mi Note this month to global fanfare, but it also attracted criticism over its similarities to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus, leading some critics to question the Chinese company’s originality.

This Post briefly tested the biggest and costliest Xiaomi smartphone before it went on sale across the country on January 27.

We were very impressed by the design of the Mi Note. At just 6.95mm thick (0.15mm thinner than the iPhone 6 Plus), it feels really light.

It is also very glossy and sleek, thanks to the glass on the front and back that gently curves around both edges, separated by a thin metallic rim. All of these give it a solid touch, and is a delight to hold in your hand.

Its full, high-definition display has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, which equates to a pixel density of about 390 ppi (pixels per inch). During our testing, we found the display to be bright and crisp, with bold and vivid colours.

Under the hood, the Mi Note’s nippy Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, paired with 3GB of RAM, provided a smooth and responsive performance.

Powered by Android 4.4 KitKat running MIUI 6, Xiaomi’s latest operating system does not come with any Google apps by default, but they can be found on Xiaomi’s app store, a Xiaomi representative said.

The phone comes in black or white, and sells for 2,229 yuan with 16GB of memory, or 2,799 yuan for the 64GB model. There is no microSD card slot, which is a bit of a disappointment as we’re used to 64GB or 128GB expansion compatibility, but the bigger model should be plenty for most people.

Xiaomi’s boss Lei Jun made several comparisons with the iPhone 6 Plus in his introduction to the phone, saying it was shorter, thinner and lighter than the Apple counterpart.

One thing that Lei was most proud of was the absence of a camera bump that, to the annoyance of the fastidious, protrudes slightly from the surface of iPhone.

[video=youtube;2zXULP--Xys]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zXULP--Xys[/video]


In a recent advertisement for the Mi Note – or perhaps more a dig at the iPhone – engineers dressed sporting white lab coats and safety goggles start by saying: “It’s a tough task to flatten camera bumps.” At this time a picture of the 6 Plus’ camera emerges. They then repeatedly whacked it with a frying pan, saying it’s one of Xiaomi’s latest patented technology. After a few whacks, the iPhone 6 Plus turns into the Mi Note.

We think it a shame if the features of the Mi Note’s camera is overshadowed by talking points about the protrusion. The 13-megapixel rear-facing camera comes with a Sony CMOS sensor, optical image stabilisation, a Philips two-tone flash and a six-element lens. Our tests in the sunlit store returned some very sharp and colourful pictures, that required very little touching up.

We were very pleasantly surprised by this good-looking smartphone, with its great specs and excellent camera. And we can’t wait to play more with Mi Note’s version of the Android operating system.

The Mi Note is Xiaomi’s most expensive phone to date and is the company’s first step out of the low-to-mid-range market. But considering it is sell for almost two-thirds less than the iPhone 6 Plus, we think this alone will help Xiaomi get a solid foothold in the mid-to-high-end market.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

Xiaomi vs iphone reminds me of the Creative vs iPod then in the MP3 market....
Creative's specs trumped the iPod in also every department ....most of all n price too....but still Apple conquered the market.....I wonder why.....

 

[yellowarse]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

Xiaomi vs iphone reminds me of the Creative vs iPod then in the MP3 market....
Creative's specs trumped the iPod in also every department ....most of all n price too....but still Apple conquered the market.....I wonder why.....

Branding, cachet, tradition. It's going to take a lot to topple Apple. The other brands, including Samsung (and in the past, all the the PC makers), sell on specs, quality and pricing. Apple sells a lifestyle, an image, the hip factor.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

Branding, cachet, tradition. It's going to take a lot to topple Apple. The other brands, including Samsung (and in the past, all the the PC makers), sell on specs, quality and pricing. Apple sells a lifestyle, an image, the hip factor.

Yes any brand thinking of challenging Apple has got their work cut out.
Creative, blackberry just to name two....
Still remembered the blackberry ads mocking Apple...and creative spending 100million on marketing to take on Apple.
Xiaomi can mock Apple or boast they outsold Apple in the mainland now but truth be told if given a choice any tiong's dream phone is definitely iphone over xiaomi

 

[yellowarse]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

Yes any brand thinking of challenging Apple has got their work cut out.
Creative, blackberry just to name two....
Still remembered the blackberry ads mocking Apple...and creative spending 100million on marketing to take on Apple.
Xiaomi can mock Apple or boast they outsold Apple in the mainland now but truth be told if given a choice any tiong's dream phone is definitely iphone over xiaomi

Apple is looking to maintain its premium branding by further differentiating itself from Xiaomi in terms of pricing. Higher price = more exclusive. You'll not see the launch of any more cheap models after the iPhone 5C.

---

Apple takes high road in China smartphone standoff with Xiaomi

Reuters

JANUARY 28, 2015, 4:55 PM EST

(Reuters) – Apple AAPL 5.65% is steering clear of Chinese rival Xiaomi Inc’s low-price online strategy, ramping up store openings in China to harness its premium edge and fend off the fast-growing No.3 globalsmartphone maker.

The U.S. firm’s quarterly results smashed Wall Street expectations with record iPhone sales in the holiday season and a 70% rise in China, powering the company to the largest profit in corporate history.

Its result in China, as well as other emerging markets such as Brazil, marks a riposte to critics who questioned the firm’s strategy a year ago not to launch a cheaper phone to lure cost-conscious buyers from Xiaomi and Samsung SSNFL .

“In the long run Xiaomi is more of a threat to Apple than say Samsung,” said Ben Thompson, analyst at Stratechery.com. “But the way Apple fights that is to further differentiate, not by trying to compete on Xiaomi’s turf, which is low cost.”

Instead, Apple plans to roll out around 20 new China stores by 2016, likely located in glitzy locations and rubbing shoulders with outlets for luxury brands such as Chanel and Hermes HESAY -1.45% .

For Apple, brick-and-mortar stores help it maintain a premium image, from the product to in-store service and even packaging, allowing the firm to charge far higher prices than rivals – vital to its enviable profit margins.

“If you could only get an Apple product online, then there wouldn’t be the same user experience and so people might not be so willing to buy. After all, it’s an expensive product,” said Shi Xinchao, 24, a civil servant in Jiangsu province.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Apple’s quarterly leap may be hard to replicate, with the launch of large-screen iPhones and a tie-up with telecoms operator China Mobile in late 2013 lifting last year’s numbers.

“People had been waiting for large-screen iPhones for a long time. The demand had piled up and Apple hadn’t been able to meet it,” said Nicole Peng, research director for Canalys in China.

Canalys data showed Apple outsold all other smartphone makers in China by units shipped in October-December 2014, making it the country’s top seller for the first time.

However, some were already asking what Apple’s next driver of growth in China would be and how the firm would fend off Xiaomi’s longer-term challenge.

Xiaomi unveiled the Mi Note earlier this month, its challenger to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus. At 2299 yuan ($371) for a model with 16 gigabytes of memory, the Mi Note costs almost two-thirds less than its Apple rival.

The Chinese firm, which sold its first phone just over three years ago, has also been moving into other personal and home devices that would be compatible with Xiaomi phones, helping it retain users.

“This could lock in Xiaomi’s younger generation, low-income users from migrating to other brands like Apple,” said Gartner analyst C.K. Lu.

“The large screen has given Apple a big core, but what’s after the large screen? That’s what we need to address.”

 

[johnny333]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

Apple is looking to maintain its premium branding by further differentiating itself from Xiaomi in terms of pricing. Higher price = more exclusive. You'll not see the launch of any more cheap models after the iPhone 5C.....

It will be hard for any newcomer to compete against Apple because they do plenty of R&D to customise their own chips & have their own firmware to maximize the performance of the hardware. With the economies of scale that they enjoy from manufacturing all their desktop, portables, iPads & iPhones they can command very good pricing from their suppliers.

Apple is are already a well establish brand & don't really have to spend $ on advertising. Samsung plenty of $$$ on advertising but they never achieved the same level of respect. Maybe it was because they are better known as copy cats. Looks like the chinese companies are using the same route as Samsung.

 

[Froggy]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

One has to know where he stands

 

[tonychat]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

It will be hard for any newcomer to compete against Apple because they do plenty of R&D to customise their own chips & have their own firmware to maximize the performance of the hardware. With the economies of scale that they enjoy from manufacturing all their desktop, portables, iPads & iPhones they can command very good pricing from their suppliers.

Apple is are already a well establish brand & don't really have to spend $ on advertising. Samsung plenty of $$$ on advertising but they never achieved the same level of respect. Maybe it was because they are better known as copy cats. Looks like the chinese companies are using the same route as Samsung.

This time apple wins because they design the phone super thin with curve edges...

Samsung has curves edges but their phone are not thin so it doesn't has the cool looks..

i don't think samsung can make the phone thin.. you got to be innovative and creative to get magic out of your product. If you copy it, you just don't have that caliber for that.

The next hot mobile phone will be non-bezel, thin, curved edges and transparent screen..let's see which company can do that.

 

[eatshitndie]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

hardware aside, apple's software is 1st-rate, and it's intimately integrated with the processor, baseband, battery life, and user experience, which means it's highly optimized (a.k.a. lean and mean) for balanced use, although the whole platform (not just the phone) including its icloud storage and backup plus itunes and apps work in orchestration in the background to send, receive and correlate metadata for analytics. android is bloated, and the amount of metadata and handshakes and open tcp sockets between clients (on mobiles) and servers (in google's cloud) is atrocious, so atrocious that it's sucking up battery life to the detriment of smartphone makers and users alike. what's the point of having the best specs in hardware and the os and software 2nd and 3rd parties are oblivious and callous to the optimal performance of the device?

 

[tonychat]

hardware aside, apple's software is 1st-rate, and it's intimately integrated with the processor, baseband, battery life, and user experience, which means it's highly optimized (a.k.a. lean and mean) for balanced use, although the whole platform (not just the phone) including its icloud storage and backup plus itunes and apps work in orchestration in the background to send, receive and correlate metadata for analytics. android is bloated, and the amount of metadata and handshakes and open tcp sockets between clients (on mobiles) and servers (in google's cloud) is atrocious, so atrocious that it's sucking up battery life to the detriment of smartphone makers and users alike. what's the point of having the best specs in hardware and the os and software 2nd and 3rd parties are oblivious and callous to the optimal performance of the device?

I still prefer android... To link up everything does not mean it will be attractive to users..

 

[eatshitndie]

I still prefer android... To link up everything does not mean it will be attractive to users..

http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...galaxy-s4-kitkat-4-4-2-horrible-update-6.html

kitkat and subsequent candies and ice cream upgrades from google are horrible. it's like they started to subcontract software coding to ah nehs in india. full of bloat and bugs.

 

[tonychat]

http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...galaxy-s4-kitkat-4-4-2-horrible-update-6.html

kitkat and subsequent candies and ice cream upgrades from google are horrible. it's like they started to subcontract software coding to ah nehs in india. full of bloat and bugs.

In using kitkat for a couple of years on my nexus tablet.. I have no problems.. There is one time I have a problem with a faulty update, but another update is done a week later to correct the problem.. People make mistake.. So do apple maps too.

 

[eatshitndie]

In using kitkat for a couple of years on my nexus tablet.. I have no problems.. There is one time I have a problem with a faulty update, but another update is done a week later to correct the problem.. People make mistake.. So do apple maps too.

android is suddenly surrounded by enemies and itself......

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/android-suddenly-surrounded-enemies-175200689.html

 

[johnny333]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

This time apple wins because they design the phone super thin with curve edges...

Samsung has curves edges but their phone are not thin so it doesn't has the cool looks..

i don't think samsung can make the phone thin.. you got to be innovative and creative to get magic out of your product. If you copy it, you just don't have that caliber for that.

The next hot mobile phone will be non-bezel, thin, curved edges and transparent screen..let's see which company can do that.

Styling is very subjective. I'm more into the spec of a phone & there's not much else that they can do on the hardware side. Maybe put in more RAM, faster & more efficient processor,...
What many people overlook is the useability of Apple products. This is especially important because a phone is being used by the moms, pops, lids,.....

I use to be surprised when I saw seniors using the iPhone. However after I got my hands on an iPhone I understood why it is so popular. It's the elegance & simplicity of the user interface.

 

[yellowarse]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

Xiaomi launches GoPro video camera rival at a fraction of the cost


Paul Bischoff
12:14 pm on Mar 2, 2015

---

Chinese smartphone and gadget maker Xiaomi this morning unveiled its newest toy, a GoPro-like sports video camera dubbed YiCamera. In typical Xiaomi fashion, the camera is now on sale at the Mi.com website (in China only) via flash sale at a fraction of the cost of its American inspiration: RMB 399 (US$63.50).

Xiaomi didn’t actually create the YiCamera. It’s made by the same company as the Ants smart webcam, or "Xiaoyi," which is also sold through Xiaomi’s online store. Xiaomi has struck partnerships with several gadget makers to offer a wider array of devices under its popular brand name, cementing its role as both a device maker and an ecommerce company.

The new camera takes 16MP photos and 60 fps 1080p H.264-encoded video captured by a Sony Exmor R CMOS sensor. The f/2.8 aperture lens captures ultra-wide 155-degree panoramic views. Shooting modes include slow motion and adjustable time lapse photography. It boasts built-in wifi and Bluetooth and an app for editing and sharing video on your smartphone. Here’s a spec comparison chart with the entry-level GoPro Hero model:

YiCamera vs GoPro spec comparison

[TABLE="class: igc-table, width: 497"]
[TR]
[TH="class: igc-table-header igc-hidden-cell, align: center"][/TH]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]YiCamera[/TH]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]GoPro Hero[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]Video[/TH]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]1080p60[/TD]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]1080p30 / 720p60[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]Photo[/TH]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]16MP[/TD]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]5MP[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]Viewing angle[/TH]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]155 degrees[/TD]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]170 degrees[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]Memory[/TH]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]Up to 64GB[/TD]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]Up to 32GB[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]Waterproof depth[/TH]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]40 meters[/TD]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]40 meters[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]Weight[/TH]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]72 grams[/TD]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]111 grams[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]Battery[/TH]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]1100mAh[/TD]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]1050mAh[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="class: igc-table-header, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: center"]Price[/TH]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]$63.53[/TD]
[TD="class: igc-table-cell, align: center"]$129.99[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[mojito]

Re: Xiaomi to rival iPhone 6 Plus with new Mi Note smartphone

One has to know where he stands

Well said Froggy. That, we agree.

 

[Froggy]

Xiaomi’s Marketing Plan? Counter Apple, Samsung's Million-Dollar Ad Buys With Viral Events, Fanatical Fans
By Fionna Agomuoh@FionnaatIBT[email protected] on March 03 2015 1:35 PM EST


Hugo Barra, Xiaomi's senior vice president

How does a growing smartphone manufacturer gain customers? Well, some might say -- spend millions of dollars on marketing. Then there’s Xiaomi, which is letting its fans do the heavy lifting. Hugo Barra, Xiaomi’s senior vice president, reiterated this strategy in an interview Tuesday at World Mobile Congress. “We don't spend pretty much any money buying media, maybe [just] a little money boosting a Facebook post,” he said.

The Chinese company, which launched in 2010, has rocketed to fame in the last year. Xiaomi sold about 61 million smartphones in 2014, going head-to-head with heavyweights like Samsung and Apple, which spend millions on marketing. In 2013, Samsung spent $363 million on advertising in the U.S. alone, while Apple spent $351 million, according to consulting firm Kantar Media.

Xiaomi is leaving it to its fans to spread the word, and its products to attract new customers. Barra said the freshness and geeky aspect of Xiaomi has attracted early adopters who don’t want products that are plastered with advertisements. Brand loyalty for Xiaomi is so intense that customers eagerly promote the company through word-of-mouth and send holiday gifts to CEO Lei Jun.

Enthusiasts have coined the term “Mi-fans,” and even celebrate “Mi-fan Day” on April 6. Xiaomi uses this opportunity to host events and announce products. This attentiveness to fans has translated into Xiaomi’s devices selling out within minutes. The Xiaomi Mi Note was gone within three minutes on its Jan. 27 launch day, for example. “Brand is very important. But what is more important is freshness of brand,” Barra said.


http://www.ibtimes.com/xiaomis-mark...s-million-dollar-ad-buys-viral-events-1834568