Earlier this year, Xiaomi introduced the Mi 4i for India, and today it's launching the Mi 4c for China. Both new Android phones eschew the metal design of the Mi 4 for a unibody polycarbonate shell and an even cheaper price. The entry-level Mi 4c, powered by a Snapdragon 808 processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, costs just ¥1,299 (or $204). For that price, the Xiaomi Mi 4c delivers pretty much everything you need from a smartphone and nothing you don't. It has a 5-inch, 1080p display, a 13-megapixel camera with fast phase detection autofocus, a 3080mAh battery, and even a USB Type-C port.
The Xiaomi Mi 4c can accommodate two SIMs, an important consideration for its home market, and comes with an IR blaster and accompanying software to turn the phone into a remote control. Xiaomi is being coy about what the "c" in the product name stands for, whether it be China, or the variety of colors available, or the USB-C connector, which promises to be the future of cables. But for those of us outside China, it could just mean "cheap," because for that price — or even the $235 for the upgraded variant with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage — the Mi 4c seems like excellent value for money.
Xiaomi's new flagship Android smartphone will be available from September 23rd, only in China, via Mi.com and Tmall.