Xiaomi launched its Mi Note 2 in China a few days ago, but the new dual curved smartphone is not going to be released in India, Xiaomi's VP Hugo Barra said shortly after the launch event. In China, the handset is selling like hotcakes, raising concerns over Xiaomi's decision not to launch the Mi Note 2 in the second-largest smartphone market in the world.
The resemblance between the Mi Note 2 and Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is uncanny. The Galaxy Note 7's fiasco gives Mi Note 2 an edge, but if you are disappointed that the handset cannot be bought outside China, fret not: GearBest, an online international reseller, has a working solution for you.
Head over to GearBest website and search for Xiaomi Mi Note 2. You will see all three variants of the Mi Note 2 being listed online as a part of the pre-sale, which started on October 29 and ends on December 15. The shipping, depending on the country, will take up to a month.
Xiaomi Mi Note 2's entry-level model with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM is listed for $509.99, the 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM model costs $597.99 and the Mi Note 2 Global variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM can be booked for $629.99. In comparison, the 4GB RAM+64GB storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB storage models are priced at ¥2799 (approx. $415/ Rs. 27,720) and ¥3299 (approx. $487/ Rs. 32,558), respectively, in China. The global variant was launched by Xiaomi for ¥3499 (approx. $516/ Rs. 34,537).
The difference between GearBest's pricing and Xiaomi's official price list is around Rs7,000, which is a reasonable fee to pay for a premium smartphone that may never see the light of the day in India. If we compare the pricing of the handset against its specs, Mi Note 2 doesn't look like a bad deal.
Xiaomi Mi Note 2 features a 5.7-inch 2K display with dual-edge curve, a highly-capable 22.56MP primary camera, an 8MP front snapper and 7-series aluminium body. It is powered by a 14nm Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core chipset clocked at 2.4GHz, which is paired with 4GB/6GB RAM and a 4,070mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0.
The Mi Note 2 supports all six types of 4G LTE networks and all the bands across the globe. It runs Android Marshmallow-based MIUI 8 and has a physical home button with a fingerprint scanner integrated within.
In addition to the Mi Note 2, GearBest is also selling the Mi MIX 'bezel-less' concept smartphone for buyers outside China. For now, this is the only possible route to get Mi Note 2 or Mi MIX shipped to India.
