Xiaomi Launches Flagship Mi 6 Smartphone

Xiaomi Inc launched its highly-anticipated Mi 6 smartphone in Beijing on Wednesday (19 April). The company had created a huge buzz on social media around the launch and the flagship handset will finally be up for grabs in China by April 28.

The company’s founder and CEO Lei Jun said the new Mi 6 has been “precisely crafted like a watch”. He also claimed that the dual camera at the back has been “seamlessly integrated”.

He added that the device is resistant to wear and tear, and claimed it’s “splash resistant” as well.

Why Mi 6?

The Xiaomi Mi 6 runs on the latest Android 7.1 Nougat operating system, coupled with MIUI 8.0 — the company’s own, custom-made ROM, and a 6GB RAM.

The smartphone comes with a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor, based on the 10nm processor with Adreno 540 GPU. The handset is packed with an inbuilt 3350mAh battery which promises a 24-hour back-up. It is ably supported by Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 that can offer five hours of battery life within a five-minute charge.

Its 5.15-inch screen would remind you of its cousin, the Redmi Note 4. As for the camera, the Mi 6 sports a 12-megapixel dual rear camera (like the iPhone 7 Plus) and an 8-megapixel front camera. With a full-HD, 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution, it is a sweet deal for those who are into photography.

The phone comes in two variants — 64GB and 128GB of inbuilt storage. It’s a dual SIM handset that supports nano SIMs.

The another standout feature in this phone is its new 2×2 dual band Wi-Fi technology, claimed to increase connectivity and speed, and also supports 4G+.

Xiaomi has for the first time integrated dual speakers on a Mi handset. The Mi 6 sports front-firing dual speakers. The fingerprint sensor is embedded underneath the display and there is no headphone jack on the Mi 6. The audio is routed via the USB Type-C port, which is also used for charging and data transfer. That seems like an Apple-inspired move (remember iPhone 7 and 7 Plus?).

The Mi 6 comes in three shades — blue, silver and ceramic.


Pricing

The 64 GB storage variant is priced at roughly Rs.23,200, and the 128 GB device would come for roughly Rs.26,900. The ceramic model is available only with the 128 GB-variant and is priced roughly at Rs.27,900.

The range seems more expensive as per the company’s standards but still costs lesser than its closest competitors — OnePlus 3T, Vivo V5 Plus and Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro.

Well, we all know how fiercely competitive Xiaomi is with its smartphone segment. Its bullish prices and state-of-the-art features make it one of the best buys in this category. And in my opinion, if I have to shell out that much money, the all-new Mi 6 wins hands down.

Xiaomi loyalists can order the handset on Mi.com and Mi Home Stores in China. An international expansion to “selected” markets will come later, Xiaomi said in an official statement, although no specific dates were available.

Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 4A goes on sale at lower prices exclusively on Flipkart from 19 April, said Manu Kumar Jain, managing director, Xiaomi India.