Xiaomi’s Global VP and ex-googler who also doubles as the Mi’s community cult leader , Hugo Barra, announced the company’s new flagship — the Mi4i, yesterday, sporting high end features and a sleek design.

The internet couldn’t stop talking about it for all of 60 seconds, which – call me captain obvious – is a terrifically long time in internet time.

The phone builds on Mi 4 which was released mid-2014, and is designed for India, Xiaomi’s second largest market after China. It’s the reason you have the “4i” in the first place. It’s Xiaomi cryptic way of saying “Mi 4 India”, nevermind Barra quipped about how that title also fits just as well for Indonesia.

We know that phone isn’t going to make it to our part of the world anytime soon, but we want it still, and here are some of the reasons why.

It’s cheap

Yes. It’s $205, about NGN41, 000 in Nigeria – not exactly at the kind of nadir other Chinese OEMs currently holding sway in Nigeria have sunk price-wise – but if you can get Samsung galaxy S5 at $205, you’ll probably say the same – ‘cheap’. In a lot of ways, Mi 4i is the Samsung Galaxy S5 with a “Mi” on it. A second generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, an eight-core 64-bit processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, 4G LTE support and sleek premium design is a steal at $205.

Great Battery

The Mi 4i packs a 3120mAh lithium-ion polymer battery that will keep it going for a decent spell. 35 hours 3G talk time and 59 hours of music playback is not bad, if it works as advertised.

Promising camera

Mi 4i comes with a 13MP Sony/Samsung camera hardware and 5MP front facing camera. We understand quality compositions are not made of megapixels alone, but Mi is intentionally doing more. They have made sure to add in a f/2.0 aperture and an intelligent two-tone flash designed to emulate natural lighting. The guys at Mi also tossed in the “Sunlight Display” technology which increases visibility of images on the display during harsh sunlight.

It’s beautiful

Hugo Barra has outdone himself on this one. We are not surprised, he’s been working on this for 18 months.

Somewhere in my mind, this phone is more beautiful that the Galaxy S6 edge which until yesterday was my undisputed world’s most beautiful phone. Now I’m not so sure.

Because we can’t have it

Yet. Because we can’t have it, yet. The phone is made for India and it’s selling half way across the world. And you know how we love to want the things that we can’t have.

cc: honsule, puskin, dragnet,MissTechy

Dats a damn good phone

acenazt:
Dats a damn good phone

I hope we can get it on aliexpress.

Looks good... but snapdragon.. hmmmm.

tohpahz:
Looks good... but snapdragon.. hmmmm.

SleekyP:

I heard a few folks mention this device on g+, good specs for the prize no doubt.

tohpahz:
Looks good... but snapdragon.. hmmmm.

You no like snapdragon? Well its considered the industry benchmark for androids, though Samsung and Intel will want to dispute that with their latest offerings..

Non expandable storage


Are you for real?

We don't need it in Nigeria!

Goahead:
Non expandable storage


Are you for real?

We don't need it in Nigeria!

SleekyP:

Typical fan boy...

tempting...

Goahead:
Non expandable storage


Are you for real?

We don't need it in Nigeria!

Just like we woldnt need the htc one galaxy s6 and lg g3

Nigerians!!!

Hmm

Baroba:

You no like snapdragon? Well its considered the industry benchmark for androids, though Samsung and Intel will want to dispute that with their latest offerings..

Industry standard? For now, Yes. But snapdragon got it all wrong with their latest S10 iteration. Samsung took the opportunity and introduced the 14nm Finger technology System on a Chip (SoC) processor. U can check the benchmark.

Intel has to step up their game in mobile chip making. And Mediatek about to unveil their own hexacore? It won't be long before that giant mobile chip maker Snapdragon gets dethroned.

mrdrizzy:


Just like we woldnt need the htc one galaxy s6 and lg g3

Nigerians!!!

Hmm

Are you telling me that you're okay with 16gb ROM
That you will be left with 9 to 12gb available for the user?

Be sincerely.

We love it but for a phone of almost 40k with just 16gbs on board storage with no option to expan(no mem card slot), i rather buy a samsung s4 uk used

Great analysis Bro. How can l get one.

kazzonline:
We love it but for a phone of almost 40k with just 16gbs on board storage with no option to expan(no mem card slot), i rather buy a samsung s4 uk used

Don't even think of S4 except you're looking to fry your palms.

My 2 cents.

Goahead:
Are you telling me that you're okay with 16gb ROM
That you will be left with 9 to 12gb available for the user?

Be sincerely.

lol im not there are people who use a 4gb rom fone without mc and people who still use the htc one x 16gb version

personally i hate anything restriction,so dis obviously this may not be my choice

bt dem xiaomi are known to always making 2-3 variants of each device dey make

expect a 64 or 32gb own soon,with a higher price obviously

Goahead:
Don't even think of S4 except you're looking to fry your palms.

My 2 cents.

y do you say that
Is the phone not good cause I wanna buy it next weweeki Mean s4

Goahead:
Don't even think of S4 except you're looking to fry your palms.

My 2 cents.

y do you say that
Is the phone not good cause I wanna buy it next week....i Mean s4

mrdrizzy:
lol im not there are people who use a 4gb rom fone without mc and people who still use the htc one x 16gb version

personally i hate anything restriction,so dis obviously this may not be my choice

bt dem xiaomi are known to always making 2-3 variants of each device dey make

expect a 64 or 32gb own soon,with a higher price obviously

4gb phone in this age?
Anyway let make the 32/64gb versions to secure they potential customers.

detunj:
y do you say that
Is the phone not good cause I wanna buy it next weweeki Mean s4

Don't know whether it's from the unit I used or generally, but the S4 I used can boil water...

Goahead:
Don't know whether it's from the unit I used or generally, but the S4 I used can boil water...

how much did you get it
Maybe it's a clone

detunj:
how much did you get it
Maybe it's a clone

Clone

I'm a geek bro!

You can praise the phone all you want, but comparing it to the Samsung Galaxy S6 is going overboard, talk less of the S6 Edge. This phone is made out of plastic while the S6s are made of metal. Mere looking at it, you can tell it's a 5C clone. There's no originality there. Xiaomi makes cool devices no doubt, but they also make clones and steal people's ideas. An example is the Mikey. You can read up on it on the internet.
Talking about processors, the MTK6752 has better reviews than the snapdragon 615.


Modified: I learnt it's the second gen 615, so hopefully it should be better.

D only problem am havin with xiaomi latest phones is that they don't come with expandable memory slot which is very bad to me. Using the xiaomi redmi 1s now and I can tell u guys that its really a great company wit large prospect ahead. Good value for ur cheap money. Winks

Mi4 still beat this now.

mychelyte:
Mi4 still beat this now.