Xiaomi Redmi 4 can be bought in offline stores, but we would advice against it

Here's an easy way to buy Xiaomi Redmi 4, but it's going to cost you extra.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 as seen on Mi websiteMi website

The popularity of Xiaomi's budget smartphones need not be explained. The all-new Redmi 4 series is doing extremely well in India, but the phones are not as easily available. The Redmi 4 smartphone, which was launched in May and sold exclusively on Amazon.in and Mi.com, has made its way to the offline stores.

By popular demand, the Redmi 4 flash sales made it difficult to purchase the phones online. Xiaomi reportedly confirmed to Gadgets360 that the Redmi 4 is now available in all of its offline stores in India. This move should make it easy for consumers to pick up the phone without having to closely watch the handset's availability online.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 comes in two variants – 2GB+16GB and 3GB+32GB – priced at Rs. 6,999 and Rs. 8,999, respectively. The Redmi 4's affordable pricing is partly the reason for its success in India, but it appears the convenience of offline availability comes at a cost.

Offline stores sell it at a premium

91Mobiles reported that the Redmi 4 smartphones are being sold in offline stores at a premium of Rs. 500 added on top of their online prices. The entry-level model is reportedly available for Rs. 7,499 and the high-end variant costs Rs. 9,499 in stores. There's still no clarity on the difference in the prices.

In case this is an error, we'd suggest you wait until the company rectifies it. Otherwise, it is best to buy the Redmi 4 through Amazon India or Mi.com depending on availability. If you find the flash sales too hectic, Xiaomi has started pre-order system for its popular Redmi smartphones, which include Redmi 4, Redmi Note 4 and Redmi 4A.

Once the pre-order is placed, Xiaomi will ship the handset within 5 days. Buyers do not get cash on delivery option with pre-orders as they must pay in full to get the shipment process started. Orders can be canceled anytime before the smartphone is actually shipped, and the refund process will take up to 10 days.

For its affordable price tag, the Redmi 4 makes a compelling argument. It features a 5-inch HD display with 2.5D curved glass, Snapdragon 435 chip, 13MP rear snapper, 5MP front camera, metal unibody, fingerprint scanner and 4G VoLTE support. The smartphone is powered by a 4100mAh battery and supports 4G VoLTE bands.