If there's one of the many factors why Apple is having a hard time penetrating the smartphone market in China, it is because there are other less pricey, or more high-end variants available in the country, especially from local phone producers. Moreover, China, which is arguably one of the biggest mobile phone markets in the world, rarely prefer foreign products from their own. That is why Xiaomi, a local unknown in the West, is fast becoming one of the biggest mobile phone companies, at least in China according to Nasdaq, thanks to its high-end phones at super budget-friendly prices. The company also got an interesting moniker in tech circles: Apple of China.
With the release of the company's new Xiaomi Mi4, there is no doubt why the Chinese company has been branded with such moniker. Here are our top five reasons why Xiaomi's latest offering could easily kill other high-end, pricey smartphones in the global market today:
Xiaomi Mi4 is built like an iPhone
Ars Technica said that aesthetically speaking, the new Xiaomi model looks like an exact replica of an iPhone model. It has a steel frame with chamfered edges, thin bezels, and the contruction is executed well like the Apple smartphone. Except for the characteristic MI logo on the top-left corner of the phone, Xiaomi breaks the illusion of China-made phones as haphazardly-made models in cheap construction. It's also comparatively lighter than both of the smartphones, too.
Xiaomi Mi4 runs on Android KitKat 4.4.2 with MIUI 5
The skinned version of the latest Android OS does not make the phone operation slower than usual, unlike in other smartphones who utilizes skinned OS, Ars Technica said. OTA updates are done every Friday to ensure that the phone's OS is up-to-date and will not experience lag issues, and that MIUI is also available for download.
Xiaomi Mi4 outshones Apple and even Samsung in hardware
When compared to iPhone 6 and Samsung's Galaxy S5, Xiaomi has more RAM (3GB vs 2GB vs 2GB) and a bigger battery (3080mAh vs 2800 mAh vs 1810mAh). Although it has a smaller screen than iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5, display is not shoddy either with a Sharp and JDI display with OGS technology at 1080x1920pixels, with pixel density at 441ppi, the Fuse Joplin said.
Xiaomi Mi4 is unlocked
Think of all the possibilities. EBay said an unlocked phone has a universal compatibility. This means you can use almost all SIM cards of all networks, allowing you to take control of your mobile and data plan without the constricts of a network provider contract. This is unheard of in Western countries like the US and Europe, but Asian customers are happy to snap this up because of the following reason below.
Xiaomi Mi4 is relatively cheaper than an iPhone or any other high-end phone
Android Headlines said that Mi4 comes in two variants, one at 16GB and at 64GB for those who wish for more memory since the phones do not allow extended memory. The 64GB version is at $499.99 based from the online store, but is still relatively cheap compared to Samsung Galaxy S5 16GB at $582 and 16GB 4G variant of the Note 3 at $555. MarketWatch said that the iPhone 6 might come with a two-year wireless contract at $199.
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