Finally!! Xiaomi’s Redmi 2 smartphone and Mi Pad tablet have made their way to India and will be seen on online retailer Flipkart very soon. Xiaomi which debuted in India only recently and the response it received couldn’t have been better with the company managing mega sales. The company is probably looking to continue and capitalize upon its success in the smartphone market as well as make its presence felt in the tablet sector with its maiden Mi Pad.
The Redmi 2 — which costs RS 6,999 (about $110) — is one hell of a device to be had at this price range. You have a Snapdragon 410 CPU clocked at 1.2 GHz, 2 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, 8/2 MP rear/front snapper combo, a 2,200 mAh battery and Xiaomi’s very own MIUI 6 interface. The display measures at 4.7-inch (720p) and comes with AGC Dragontrail Glass protection. All in all, a good value-for-money package, although surprisingly the device still runs the Android 4.4 KitKat.
Moving to the tablet — The Mi Pad — we have a 7.9-inch IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The tablet uses a Nvidia Tegra K1 processor which has been clocked at 2.2Ghz and comes with 2 GB of RAM and 16/32 GB of internal storage — further expandable via the use of micro-SD. Shooter wise, the device does not disappoint and provides an 8MP rear cam and a 5MP front snapper.
Both these devices will go on sale from the 24th of March, however where the Mi Pad can be bought directly via Flipkart, the Redmi 2 smartphone will require registering beforehand for the device.
In other news, the company is all set to open almost 100 experience stores at unknown locations in India. Xiaomi — which until now manages all its sales through an online structure — has taken this decision in light of the fact that the virtual structure hardly makes for good interaction between the consumers and the company and while the Indian market has welcomed the Chinese manufacturer with open arms, there is still a lot to be desired.
The stores — as the “experience” in the name implies — will be places where the prospective customers can learn about the devices on offer and perhaps see them in action while the existing one benefit from service and repair. The company is also planning to start manufacturing in India which will definitely go a long way towards reducing the prices even further.
