Fans of the science fiction action-based "Transformers" film series are going to love Xiaomi's new offering, which looks like a Mi Pad 2 but transforms into a Decepticon. Xiaomi collaborated with Hasbro to crowdfund its new transformer toy, called Soundwave, in China as a way to mark its 6th birthday April 6.
Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra shared details about the new Transformers-inspired Mi Pad 2, which is essentially a mockup of the tablet and not a working device. The robot transforming Mi Pad 2 is priced at ¥169 (about $20 or Rs 1,700). The crowd-sourced project is meant for Xiaomi fans in China and the shipping begins May 13, but its international availability is unknown at the moment.
"R&D worked really hard to ensure that the color, details and feel are exactly the same as Mi Pad 2. They were challenged at turning such a slim 7mm tablet into a 3D robot, but they managed to do so with a 30-step folding assembly," Barra wrote on his Facebook wall post.
The Mi Pad 2 transforming 3D robot is an extension to Xiaomi's ongoing Mi Fan Festival offering, which is valid only April 6. In India, the Mi Fan Festival brings a series of discounts and offers on a wide range of Xiaomi products and also hosts open sales for its highly demanded smartphones, the Mi 5 and the Redmi Note 3.
The Mi Fan Festival kicked off with its first flash sale at 11 a.m. in India for Mi 5, Redmi Note 3 and 20,000 Mi Power Bank, priced at Rs. 24,999, Rs. 9,999 (16GB) and Rs. 1,699, respectively. The second flash sale goes live at 2 p.m. and the final sale opens at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Xiaomi is also offering other deals on its 6th birthday, such as Mi 4 for Rs. 12,999 instead of Rs. 14,999 and Redmi 2 Prime at Rs. 6,499 instead of Rs. 6,999. Buyers can also pick up some accessories for the phones, such as Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro for Rs. 1,399 and LED light for Rs. 249.
There are bundle offers too. The Fitness Bundle, which includes Mi Band and Mi In-Ear headphones costs Rs. 1,598 and Festival Freebie gets a free pair of Mi In-Ear headphones basic with Mi 4i and Mi Pad purchases.
