Xiaomi Phablet Goes Head to Head with Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus
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Xiaomi(BEIJING) — Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi is trying to take a bite out of Apple. The company on Thursday unveiled the Mi Note, a new phablet that could rival Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus.
CEO Lei Jun was also quick to point out that the device was thinner, lighter and has a bigger screen.
“We paid attention to every detail to make it as perfect as possible,” Lei told reporters in Beijing.
A turbo-charged version, the Mi Note Pro, was also unveiled, however a release date was not announced.
Known for making quality low cost handsets, Xiaomi soared past Samsung last year as the best selling smartphone maker in China by number of devices sold — leading some to nickname the company “China’s Apple.”
Here’s a look at how the new Xiaomi Mi Note phablet stacks up against Apple’s tremendously popular iPhone 6 Plus:
Cost
Aside from sharing a similar look to the iPhone, Xiaomi has attracted the most attention for the relative low cost of its devices.
A basic version of the phone starts at 2,299 yuan ($371.67 USD), which is about less than half the price of an iPhone 6 in China.
Size
Smartphones keep getting even more gigantic. As Apple’s biggest offering yet, the iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch display. Xiaomi’s Mi Note cross even further into phablet territory with a 5.7-inch screen.
Despite the bigger screen, Xiaomi said its phablet weighs about one-third of an ounce less than the iPhone 6 Plus, clocking in at 5.7 ounces.
Memory
Apple impressed its fan base when it unveiled a 128 GB option for its iPhones last year, along with the standard 16 GB and 64 GB choices.
Xiaomi’s Mi Note Currently comes with two options: 16 GB or 64 GB.
Camera
What are smartphones without a good camera?
Both the Mi Note and iPhone 6 Plus have optical image stabilization, allowing users to take crisper shots, even of moving subjects.
The Mi Note has a 13 mega-pixel rear facing camera and a 4 MP front-facing camera.
One of the features Apple proudly showed off last year was the magazine-worthy photos that can be taken on an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. The 8 MP camera has additional features, improved face detection, and exposure control, that deliver even more vibrant shots.
Support
Apple is known for answering customer support questions via email, online forums, a toll free number and in its stores.
According to their website, Xiaomi does not have an office in the United States and the company’s plans for making their devices more readily available to American consumers was unclear.
Users who have purchased the company’s previous flagship phone, the One Plus, are advised to submit inquiries online, with the warning that it can take several days to get a response. They’re also encouraged to reach out for help on an online forum.
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