Xiaomi announces its new flagship Mi Note and Mi Note Pro

In December 2014, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun had announced the arrival of a new flagship early this year. Keeping up his promises, Xiaomi showcased two new flagship devices from the Mi series at a special event in Beijing today.

There's no denying Xiaomi's popularity - late last year, the company announced a valuation of $45 Billion - driven by explosive growth in emerging economies like India and Indonesia. Other small startups (notably Indian startup YU) have taken to mimicking the innovative flash sale model and demand continues to be high - thanks mostly to the design and high-end hardware they offer at affordable prices.

The Mi Note features a 5.7-inch curved glass display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 1400:1 contrast ratio. Xiaomi has used what they call 'dynamic contrast pixel adjustment technology' which automatically improves contrast in darker areas to make the picture appear better. The phone weighs 162 grams and is just 6.95mm thick. Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 16/32GB storage and a 3,000mAh battery. Xiaomi has incorporated a 13MP Camera with optical image stabilization and two-tone flash on the rear while the front camera is a 4MP unit with a larger sensor than usual.

Alongside the Mi Note, Xiaomi also announced the Mi Note Pro - this one will arrive by the end of March this year. Mi Note Pro will include the next generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage and will have a 5.7-inch display with a higher 2560 x 1400 pixel resolution.

Apart from the devices themselves, Xiaomi also launched some new accessories including an over the ear headphones and the Mi Box Mini media player.

Based on customer feedback, Xiaomi has launched an extended warranty program for 199 Yuans (~US$ 32) per year. The extended warranty covers water damage in addition to damage/breakage to the glass on the front or rear of the smartphone.

The Mi Note is priced at US$ 371 (~ Rs 23,000) for the 16GB variant and 451$ (~ Rs 28,000) for the 32GB variant. In comparison the Note Pro is priced at about 533 US$ (~ Rs 33,000). The Mi Note will be available as early as next week in Beijing while the Note Pro will arrive at the end of March. Keep in mind that these are prices for unlocked, contract-free devices. Official India prices will be communicated closer to the launch, which should be a few months from now. We expect that Xiaomi will prefer to first launch the Mi 4 in India, followed by these new flagships.