World Mobile News

GSMArena team, 27 February 2015. Proper flagships are coming in pairs lately as every maker is trying to cater for different crowds. Apple, Samsung, HTC and Sony - but also Oppo, Meizu, Huawei. Until recently the breakdown would've implied ones to watch and learn from vs. ones to compete with but the market is changing. Up and coming Chinese makers have really hit a stride. Xiaomi here has done a fair deal of watching and learning, and still haven't entirely outgrown the copycat phase. Yet they do have not one, but two flagship phablets that seem capable of challenging the big guys. Today we meet the Mi Note, the first of the two to make it to the market. Unlike the Mi Note Pro, which uses all the latest tech such as a QHD display and the controversial Snapdragon 810 chip, the Mi Note is still one foot in 2014 with a 5.7" 1080p screen and Snapdragon 801. But don't be mistaken - Xiaomi has spared no effort in making the Mi Note a looker, enhancing its camera department...

The latest version of Xiaomi's MIUI 6 is to become available for the Redmi 1S later this week. MIUI 6 was announced back in August last year, but the budget-friendly smartphone has so far been left out in the cold. Admittedly, it will be a beta version of the ROM at this point, released to the public to iron out unforeseen imperfections. The official version should follow in the coming weeks though. The company has also promised that the update will be rolled out to its entire smartphone lineup at a later stage. MIUI OS is Xiaomi's iOS-inspired thoroughly-customized Android overlay. It abandons Android's two-level interface and ditches the app drawer in favor of a number of homescreens for all your apps. A flat, polished look with consistent app icons is also typical of the MIUI. Via View the original article here

At its mysterious event in San Francisco today, Xiaomi has announced that it plans to open its own online store in the US in a few months. However, the caveat of the century follows. See, Xiaomi will not be selling smartphones or tablets through that storefront. So the most craved items it makes will still be off limits to US-based customers, at least in an official manner. Instead, Xiaomi will offer its increasing range of accessories, such as headphones (pictured above), fitness bands, power banks, and more. The US isn't the only 'western' market targeted by the company - it will bring is online store to other countries too. One of the reasons why phones and tablets won't be made available for US customers is that apparently Xiaomi finds that localization of its MIUI ROM (which is reportedly being used on 100 million devices already) is very difficult. There are also (unnamed) issues with hardware certification, software testing, infrastructure, as well as other logi...

Xiaomi may be the world's third-biggest smartphone maker, but most of its products never leave China. The company is reportedly looking to open up shop in India, but now the company is taking a trip to the US. There, in San Francisco specifically, the company will hold an event on February 12. It's not clear what the topic will be though ? opening a store, recruiting employees or just visiting? The company has already unveiled two new devices this year ? Redmi 2 and Mi Note (with a Mi Note Pro version), so it's probably soon for a new announcement Whatever the reason, the event is a big deal ? San Francisco is the home of many startups and tech giants are a stone's throw away, with both Apple and Google campuses not far from there (Xiaomi's VP of International Hugo Barra is a former Googler). The location can't be a coincidence and sends clear message, especially to the former giants that Xiaomi leapfrogged to get into the Top 3. Source | Via View the original...

Xiaomi’s wildly popular Hongmi smartphone is going beyond the boundaries of China. But users in other countries won’t see it selling with that name, which translates to Red Rice. Instead, the firm has opted for another (though rather similar) name – Redmi. Now, we don’t know Xiaomi’s expansion plans, but we do know they’re heading to Singapore, among other places. And for other markets, they’re best of having names local population understands better. That said, we’re not sure whether the Chinese firm’s renaming plans will also include their flagship offering, Mi3 and Mi4, which should be announced later this year. Anyhow, we’ll be on the lookout for any news coming from Xiaomi and get back to you as soon as we have something new to add. Meanwhile, expect to see the Xiaomi Redmi popping up at phone importers all around the web. [Via: GizChina] Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence"...

Xiaomi is preparing to unveil a new series of devices in the near future, Chinese media is reporting. Among devices that will soon be announced are the LTE-enabled Mi3, Hongmi M1S and octa-core Hongmi 2. The first of the three is needed if the Chinese firm ever wants to expand to Western markets where users take 4G LTE connectivity for granted. In order to make this possible, Xiaomi will apparently use the latest Snapdragon 800 chip (MSM8974AC) in this model (marked as Mi3S). Then comes the Hongmi M1S which sets to redefine what a mid-range device can do. You see, this phone will sport a MediaTek-made 1.7Ghz MT6592 octa-core chip. Despite rocking 8 cores, this processer is slower than Snapdragon 800, but fast nonetheless. Finally, the Hongmi 2 will be launched, boasting a similar (to the M1S) octa-core processor and a big 5.5-inch screen. That’s an impressive line-up when you think about. We’re pretty certain this will be a big year for Xiaomi as it’s preparing to conquer new markets…...

The China’s Xiaomi is schedule to launch its flagship smartphone in October, the Xiaomi MI-2 (aka Xiaomi Phone 2). The upcoming phone will be available via carriers (China Telecom and China Unicom) for price tag 1,999 CNY (around €255 or $315). Xiaomi Mi-2 smartphone is runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS with the MIUI interface. The handset packs a 4.3-inch IPS touchscreen display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. Heart of the Xiaomi Phone 2 is a 1.5GHz Snapdragon APQ8064 S4 Pro quad-core processor paired with Adreno 320 graphics. As memory term, it will have 2GB of RAM, and 16GB internal storage. The Xiaomi smartphone will pack an 8MP rear-facing camera with 1080p high-definition video recording (1920 x 1080 pixels) at 30 frames per second. There are a MicroSD memory card slots, USB port, and HSPA+ support. Its battery has capacity of 2000mAh or 3000mAh. Coming with multiple color options (blue, pink, silver, and yellow), dimensions of Xiaomi Mi-Two are 126 x 62 x 10.2 mm. View the...