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Xiaomi Red Rice launches at just $130, cheapest MT6589T phone

AndiJuly 31, 2013

The Xiaomi Red Rice has been officially launched at the even lower than expected price of only 799 Yuan ($130).

Xiaomi’s much anticipated and first Mediatek powered Android smartphone has been officially launched in China. We have been waiting for the launch of this entry-level phone for months and not that it is finally here Xiaomi have surprised us all by announcing a lower 799 Yuan ($130) launch price!

At that price point Xiaomi have actually launched the world’s most affordable quad-coreMT6589T Android smartphone and one which rivals phones such as the JiaYu G4 and Xiaocai X9!

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Xiaomi have actually managed a few firsts with the Red Rice as it’s the first Mediatek powered Xiaomi phone, the first to offer dual SIM support, micro SD card and the first Xiaomi to run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Red rice on the left, MI2A in the middle and Xiaomi MI2S on the right.

The Red Rice specifications include a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 HD display, 1.5Ghz MT6589Tquad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB memory, 1.3 mega-pixel front camera, 8 mega-pixel rear camera, 2000mAh battery and runs MIUI V5.

Although officially launched the Red Rice won’t be available until 12 August.

[ Image Source ]

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About the author
Andi

B2oBA
July 31, 2013
I will try to get one, seems promising and cheap.
I took a look at aliexpress and other store this one seems to be the cheapest.
http://realpricesfromchina.com/red-rice.html
Why td-scdma and not wcdma 🙁
Amit
July 31, 2013
Hopefully gizchina team will arrange some deal for their readers
eugen
July 31, 2013
and it is gorilla glass 2
Jason
July 31, 2013
I hope dual SIM support and micro SD card slot is also available for Mi3, but it won’t happen most likely.
- Liljohn
  July 31, 2013
  At least microsd slot up to 64gb
- Louisclub
  August 2, 2013
  can someone explain why everyone wants dual sim support? whats up with dual sims?
  - liljohn
    August 2, 2013
    ITS OK IF ITS CDMA EVDO REV A/B + GSM HSPA AND CAN BE USED INTERNATIONALLY NOT ONLY IN CHINA
  - plivnik46
    August 24, 2013
    I know I’m replying a little late, but here where I live one virtual mobile carrier offers free very slow mobile internet, but I don’t want to maybe call with this carrier and so I could use one SIM for the free mobile internet and one for calling. Or maybe some carriers have cheap calling and expensive sms, other has cheap SMS and expensive calling, so i can use the best of both

How long before this phone will be available by international reseller ?
Marius
July 31, 2013
You keep forgetting to mention it has no WCDMA so it’s a bit useless unless you live in China. Unless you’re good with just GSM that is.
Roland
July 31, 2013
Dam ! should have waited, just bought an iocean and now regretting not getting this, it’s cheaper and more stable !

Camaman
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
The price maybe cheap, but not the phone! Its not a cheap phone at all!
Xiaomi – feel the magic!
failomi
July 31, 2013
Oh my gosh , amazing phone with nice price but WTF!! (TD-SCDMA) this is a big FAIL cuz only work in china , xiaomi what they were thinking only sold this phone in china -_-, this is to bad for us, i hope to xiaomi release an international version with WCDMA for will buy it 🙂 as the other xiaomi phones
- nobitakun
  July 31, 2013
  And then they will charge you 180-200$…
- phly95
  September 24, 2013
  You do know that many carriers around the world use GSM, right? Instead of Verizon, go with T-Mobile, or if T-Mobile doesn’t cover your area, use AT&T

Guest
July 31, 2013
I will try to get one, seems promising and cheap.
I took a look at aliexpress and other store this one seems to be the cheapest.
http://realpricesfromchina.com/red-rice.html
The price-/value is incredible ! Must Order !!!
Guest
July 31, 2013
Why td-scdma and not wcdma 🙁
Guest
July 31, 2013
Hopefully gizchina team will arrange some deal for their readers
Philips
July 31, 2013
For those complaining TD-SCDMA… please understand the fact that this phone is meant for China domestic market! and if Xiaomi can sell this to even 2% of China’s population, they would be grinning all the way rather than going through all the hassle to launch it in the International market whom will in general pick a global brand like Samsung.

Guest
July 31, 2013
and it is gorilla glass 2
Guest
July 31, 2013
I hope dual SIM support and micro SD card slot is also available for Mi3, but it won’t happen most likely.
- Guest
  July 31, 2013
  At least microsd slot up to 64gb
- Guest
  August 2, 2013
  can someone explain why everyone wants dual sim support? whats up with dual sims?
- Guest
  August 3, 2013
  ITS OK IF ITS CDMA EVDO REV A/B + GSM HSPA AND CAN BE USED INTERNATIONALLY NOT ONLY IN CHINA
- Guest
  August 24, 2013
  I know I’m replying a little late, but here where I live one virtual mobile carrier offers free very slow mobile internet, but I don’t want to maybe call with this carrier and so I could use one SIM for the free mobile internet and one for calling. Or maybe some carriers have cheap calling and expensive sms, other has cheap SMS and expensive calling, so i can use the best of both

Guest
July 31, 2013
How long before this phone will be available by international reseller ?
Guest
July 31, 2013
You keep forgetting to mention it has no WCDMA so it’s a bit useless unless you live in China. Unless you’re good with just GSM that is.
- phly95
  September 24, 2013
Brent
July 31, 2013
But when I look on some websites that sell the phone they make the price between $180-$230. Destroys the whole point of buying this phone imo. Has somebody seen it for a more reasonable price somewhere, 150 perhaps?

anony
July 31, 2013
Well I guess if it’s that cheap it’s okay to be butt ugly.
Guest
July 31, 2013
Dam ! should have waited, just bought an iocean and now regretting not getting this, it’s cheaper and more stable !
Guest
July 31, 2013
No WCDMA should always be mentioned.
Guest
July 31, 2013
No WCDMA, why Andi?

July 31, 2013
The price maybe cheap, but not the phone! Its not a cheap phone at all!
Xiaomi – feel the magic!
Guest
July 31, 2013
Oh my gosh , amazing phone with nice price but WTF!! (TD-SCDMA) this is a big FAIL cuz only work in china , xiaomi what they were thinking only sold this phone in china -_-, this is to bad for us, i hope to xiaomi release an international version with WCDMA for will buy it 🙂 as the other xiaomi phones
- Guest
  July 31, 2013
  And then they will charge you 180-200$…
- Guest
  September 24, 2013
  You do know that many carriers around the world use GSM, right? Instead of Verizon, go with T-Mobile, or if T-Mobile doesn’t cover your area, use AT&T

Markoff
July 31, 2013
no WCDMA, useless even in China, out of three operators (China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom) only one has network supported by this phopne
and as usually with Xiaomi phones it’s basicaly vaporware and the real availability will be many months after launch, for anyone unfamiliar with Xiaomi strategy:
1. announce product with great specifications for good price
2. release product in very very very very very limited amount for good price
3. wait many months until real expenses on production are lower and competition already matched specifications and price and then start real production and release when it’s basically beaten by competition
I really don’t understand people willing to participate on this Xiaomi scam
Oh, btw. if someone want I have Unicorn with 25″ 4k horn only for 399RMB!
btw. what’s special about this phone except good display? chinese phones with same specifications and just 540×960 displays are already available for less than those 799RMB, only difference is 720p display, which will become standard in few months when competition start mass production same as Xiaomi who is just releasing prototype batches subsidizing them from later profits
- Chandan
  August 1, 2013
  I just received my Lenovo A820 and feeling damm good about it. I waited for this Red Rice phone for a long time and then I just impulsively bought this phone. When I first saw the post of launching of Xiaomi, I was a bit upset and I am feeling good after reading your comment. The market strategy of Xiaomi is flawed it this the way they are going to go about it… 🙂

Jose Amarildo
July 31, 2013
Xiaomi trash!
Launch a cellular without WCDMA!! I agree with Markoff. The Xiaomi is a firm fifth category.
Guest
July 31, 2013
For those complaining TD-SCDMA… please understand the fact that this phone is meant for China domestic market! and if Xiaomi can sell this to even 2% of China’s population, they would be grinning all the way rather than going through all the hassle to launch it in the International market whom will in general pick a global brand like Samsung.

Guest
July 31, 2013
- Guest
  September 24, 2013
Guest
July 31, 2013
But when I look on some websites that sell the phone they make the price between $180-$230. Destroys the whole point of buying this phone imo. Has somebody seen it for a more reasonable price somewhere, 150 perhaps?
liljohn
July 31, 2013
they only sell their product in china, but they can still hit 13.27 billion yuan nett profit include tax !!! thats around $2 billion dollar !!! maybe thats enough for them ??? where is the spirit? where is the ambition??? sell it outside china please…accept online order from outside china directly, no resellers….

Guest
August 1, 2013
Well I guess if it’s that cheap it’s okay to be butt ugly.

Amrit Nepal
August 1, 2013
Hi andy,
Im now in shenzhen and have been to jiayu store yesterday. but i found the 32gb model priced @ 1599 RMB. Is it the official price also the model wasn’t in the store and they said it will arrive after a week?
Also i would like to know if xiaomi’s price of 1699 for mi2s include tax or we neet to pay extra.
Thanks

Guest
August 1, 2013
no WCDMA, useless even in China, out of three operators (China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom) only one has network supported by this phopne
and as usually with Xiaomi phones it’s basicaly vaporware and the real availability will be many months after launch, for anyone unfamiliar with Xiaomi strategy:
1. announce product with great specifications for good price
2. release product in very very very very very limited amount for good price
3. wait many months until real expenses on production are lower and competition already matched specifications and price and then start real production and release when it’s basically beaten by competition
I really don’t understand people willing to participate on this Xiaomi scam
Oh, btw. if someone want I have Unicorn with 25″ 4k horn only for 399RMB!
btw. what’s special about this phone except good display? chinese phones with same specifications and just 540×960 displays are already available for less than those 799RMB, only difference is 720p display, which will become standard in few months when competition start mass production same as Xiaomi who is just releasing prototype batches subsidizing them from later profits
- Guest
  August 1, 2013
  I just received my Lenovo A820 and feeling damm good about it. I waited for this Red Rice phone for a long time and then I just impulsively bought this phone. When I first saw the post of launching of Xiaomi, I was a bit upset and I am feeling good after reading your comment. The market strategy of Xiaomi is flawed it this the way they are going to go about it… 🙂

Guest
August 1, 2013
Xiaomi trash!
Launch a cellular without WCDMA!! I agree with Markoff. The Xiaomi is a firm fifth category.
Guest
August 1, 2013
they only sell their product in china, but they can still hit 13.27 billion yuan nett profit include tax !!! thats around $2 billion dollar !!! maybe thats enough for them ??? where is the spirit? where is the ambition??? sell it outside china please…accept online order from outside china directly, no resellers….
Guest
August 1, 2013
Hi andy,
Im now in shenzhen and have been to jiayu store yesterday. but i found the 32gb model priced @ 1599 RMB. Is it the official price also the model wasn’t in the store and they said it will arrive after a week?
Also i would like to know if xiaomi’s price of 1699 for mi2s include tax or we neet to pay extra.
Thanks