Xiaomi’s latest flagship, the Mi 5 smart phone has received a lot of appreciation from both consumers and critics. However, there are few consumers who consider INR 25,000 for a Xiaomi phone too much. The Mi 5 continues to follow the company’s philosophy of offering the maximum value for a minimum price. But the Mi 5 is a real test for company’s run in the country. It is too early to comment, but the price point of INR 25,000 seems to be a deterrent for many.
According to the Times of India, a consumer while checking out new phones at a retail store commented – I was really looking forward to buy the new Mi 5. I heard a lot about the device before it was launched in India. While it sounds promising, I was a bit taken aback after Xiaomi had announced the price, as it was beyond my budget of a maximum of Rs 20,000,” Several smart phone enthusiasts have echoed a similar feedback.
Soon after Xiaomi launched its earlier flagship Mi 4 in January last year, it surprised the world market with another India-exclusive flagship – Mi 4i, that was launched in April. This device was also cheaper and launched with much pomp and splendor, as compared to the earlier variant. So, we wonder whether Xiaomi should look at introducing the successor to Mi 4i in the form of a Mi 5i? The new Redmi Note 3 caters to the smart phone around Rs 10,000. The so-called Mi 5i might just as well look at driving momentum for the brand in the Rs 15,000 price segment.
With the launch of Mi 4i in April last year, the company had also slashed the price of the 16GB Mi 4 version to Rs 17,999 from Rs 19,999.