Xiaomi has entered the smart TV space in India with the launch of 55-inch Mi TV 4 at Rs 39,999 and it quickly rose to fame. The flash sale on Flipkart was a testament to an overwhelming demand for the latest Mi TV 4 smart television and the company has no intention to rest. The latest chatter is that Xiaomi is already preparing for the next Mi TV 4 variant in India.
Details on the new Mi TV 4 variant are scarce at the moment, but the hint comes from the company's two top officials - Global VP Manu Kumar Jain and Xiaomi India Product Manager Sudeep Sahu, making them legit.
Mi fans! Something new is coming to India!
— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) March 1, 2018
It’s time to switch to something smarter, slimmer and sleeker. Coming soon! Stay tuned ?#SwitchToSmart pic.twitter.com/hsV3feDJbe
Innovation should be accessible to everyone.
— Sudeep Sahu (@laurelsudeep) March 1, 2018
We are bringing a new series enabling more people to #SwitchToSmart TV experience. Stay tuned for more info. pic.twitter.com/FpBfWH9DaG
If we read between the lines, it appears Xiaomi is planning to launch a smaller and a cheaper variant of the Mi TV 4 for the masses.
Xiaomi has a vast portfolio of smart televisions in China. Xiaomi's Mi TV 4A series that was launched in March last year includes three variants - 49-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch TVs -- in addition to the smaller 32-inch model that was launched last July. If the company is targeting the masses as hinted by the #SwitchtoSmart hashtag, the 32-inch Mi TV 4A makes a perfect fit.
The Mi TV 4A 32-inch model is priced at ¥1,099 (roughly Rs 10,500), making it the cheapest smart TV in its portfolio. For an emerging market such as India, such low price point will disrupt the industry making Xiaomi lead from the front.
In terms of features, the Mi TV 4A comes with the same AI-based PatchWall system that powers the 55-inch Mi TV 4, and it also has AI-based speech recognition feature. The television is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 chipset, 1GB RAM, Mali-450 MP3 GPU, 4GB onboard storage, and has multiple connectivity options including Wi-Fi, a USB port, an Ethernet port, two HDMI ports, and an AV port.
But that's not the only option worth considering. Xiaomi also sells Mi TV 4C series in China, which come in two screen sizes - 43-inch and 55-inch - priced at ¥1,849 (around Rs. 19,000) and ¥2,649 (approximately Rs. 27,200), respectively. These smart TVs have some interesting selling points that could easily win over consumers.
Besides low pricing, the Mi TV 4C comes in 4K for 55-inch and Full HD for 43-inch models. The TVs support HDR 10, HLG, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Dolby, and DTS Audio. There's a unique blue light-reducing mode to reduce strain on the eyes.
But the biggest question is which smart TV will Xiaomi launch post the success of Mi TV 4 in India. Are you interested in the Mi TV 4A (32-inch) or Mi TV 4C series? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
