Popular Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi released its third-generation Android smartphone in September last year, but the device is only just making its way beyond Greater China and into Singapore today.
The Southeast Asian country marks Xiaomi’s first stop in its march overseas. The company has already released its lowest-cost smartphone in its range of devices, the Redmi, to a warm welcome in Singapore. Though Xiaomi refused to release figures, the first batch of Redmi phones sold out in eight minutes when launched on February 21, while the second batch, which followed six days later, sold out in six minutes. The enthusiasm for the Redmi is perhaps not unexpected — the handset sells for just S$169 ($134), thus widening its potential appeal.
The real test comes as Xiaomi’s flagship Mi 3 goes on sale with a price tag of S$419 ($332) unlocked, nearly triple the price of the Redmi. If the Mi-3 does well in Singapore, it could very well give competitors including Samsung, HTC and LG cause for concern.
Design and displayXiaomi’s flagship phone is an extremely slim and light device, measuring 5-inches with a thickness of a mere 8.1mm and weighing in at only 145g. Its slim build is the only outstanding feature about its looks though — other than that, the rectangular phone is a bit clunky and doesn’t sit well in my hands.
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