If Mi3 wasn’t enough, now we have the more affordable cousin of it coming to India. The Xiaomi Redmi 1S is open for registration, and the first sale is launching on the 2nd of September in India. If the Mi3 sales is anything to go by, then expect some more Indians venting at Xiaomi as the last time the Mi3 was sold out in 5 seconds. Some said, Xiaomi offered bloggers more phones than they are offering in these flash sales in India.
The registration is open as of now and will stay open till 12am on the 1st of September.
Also read: Xiaomi’s MI3 and Hongmi are now among world’s top 10 smartphones
The price is Rs. 5,999 (approximately $100) and is Rs. 1000 less from the previously advertised Rs. 6,999.
This is after keeping the country waiting for more than 2 months. Earlier it was predicted that India should expect an early August arrival of the Redmi 1S. Seemingly, the arrival has been delayed by at least a month.
The ripples (or the waves?) Redmi 1S is making is partly due to the splendid specifications it is carrying inside. Powered by a 1.6 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8228) processor, with 1GB RAM, 8 GB internal memory, up to 64 external memory support, and the latest Android KitKat, it is beyond imagination to get this phone at US$100 (SG$ 120) (However, the cynic in me asks, shouldn’t a 2 GB RAM accompany such a huge storage and a pretty powerful processor?)
The look of this phone is equally beautiful. A 4.7 inch display made of AGC Dragontrail™ scratch-resistant glass offering 1280 x 780 display using 312 ppi. With a 9 cm thickness, this phone doesn’t stuff your pocket either.
What Indians will love is the Dual-SIM property of this phone. Inclined towards carrying multiple numbers in pocket, Indians will find the one 3G SIM and one 2G SIM slot of this phone particularly useful, especially with that dual standby.
The other usual features are of course there. One 8 MP rear camera with all the frills, the 1.6 MP front camera to send a quick selfie in Whatsapp, HD Video recording at 720p, Bluetooth, WiFi, so on and so forth. This phone also packs Hi-Fi sound System with Dirac sound technologies, the same sound technology used by BMW, Bentley, and Rolls Royce.
Question is: How many units are up for sale?
When Mi3 debuted in India, it sold out in 5 seconds, leaving many Indians sour. If the trend is to be believed, I sincerely doubt whether Xiaomi will be able to avoid those sourness this time either.
We shall see what happens on the 2nd of September. As for those who will try their luck at buying the smartphone, may the odds be ever in your favour.
Also read: Xiaomi Redmi Review: LOW In Price, HIGH In Quality!