The Chinese handset maker, Xiaomi recently launched its Mi 3 smartphones in India. The smartphones were priced at an attractive price of INR 13,999 (USD 232 approx.), and were distributed through FlipKart. An approximate number of 100 000 customers flocked to register at FlipKart, the exclusive retail partner of Xiaomi in India. Within 5 seconds of the launch, customers managed to devour all of the 10 000 devices that were put up for sale.
The few who managed to get their hands on the device within the 5-second window will be thoroughly satisfied with Xiaomi’s Mi 3. The handset maker has a reputation that precedes them. They have a reputation in creating stunning Android devices of great quality, at an affordable price. The Mi 3 is presented in an attractive aluminum – magnesium chassis along with a crisp 5 inch full – HD display, adorned in Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
Also read: Xiaomi Redmi Review: LOW In Price, HIGH In Quality!
The phones come with either a 16 GB or 64 GB of internal storage, along with 2 GB of RAM. It is powered by a 2.3 GHz krait 400 quad core processor, and it runs on the Android 4.4.3 Jelly Bean operating system and it has a 13 MP primary camera. The phone performs gracefully and it is more cost-effective than its counterparts, Nexus and the Motorola Moto G.
The Mi 3 delivers great value for every dollar the consumer spends. This is the kind of bargain that the consumers of the cost-conscious market of India are looking for. While the lucky few, enjoy their newly purchased smartphones, many others are disgruntled with the number of phones put up for sale and the ‘flash sale’ model of marketing that Xiaomi employs. A few frustrated customers have taken to rallying on social media, complaining about Xiaomi’s tactic of getting hundreds of thousands of people to register and then leaving them empty handed.
Xiaomi has publicly stated at the launch event held at Delhi, that it sells small number of phones in new markets. However, this marketing ploy has not been accepted well by the Indian customers. At present, FlipKart’s Facebook page is home to comments and posts of many frustrated individuals, a few are hilarious. The frustrated bunch, would be registering again for the upcoming flash sale that would be held on the 5th of August, with fresher hopes of getting their hands on the Mi 3s.
Xiaomi intends to also sell the Redmi 1s and the Redmi Note in India at INR 6,999 (USD 115) and INR 9,999 (USD 164) respectively in the upcoming months. Deducing from the current momentum, these devices are also likely to be sold out. It would be an interesting sight to see how Xiaomi performs in India, the world’s second largest market for mobile devices.