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Breaking: Xiaomi has no plans to launch the Redmi Note 2 in India

Yash GargAugust 17, 2015

It would be unfair to say that the new Redmi Note 2 is as much a revolution (on paper) as the first generation Xiaomi Hongmi. However, it seems like ‘Xiaomi’s second home’ won’t be getting the phone… at least not anytime soon.

There’s a school of thought that this is because of the Ericsson patents that have troubled the MediaTek-Xiaomi duo in India.

Xiaomi just completed one year in India, and risking its image is something the company can ill-afford, even if that means not bring a phone that’s supposedly going to be a hot seller.

“We are continuously evaluating new products that can be launched in India. But, as of now we do not have plans to launch Redmi Note 2 in India”

Speaking to BGR India, a Xiaomi spokesperson revealed “We are continuously evaluating new products that can be launched in India. But, as of now we do not have plans to launch Redmi Note 2 in India.”

This also puts to rest the speculations that we had of Xiaomi pulling off a surprise Redmi Note 2 launch at the August 19th event scheduled for the international MIUI 7 launch.

More Redmi Note 2: Hands on photos

If you’re in India, you’ll probably have to wait a while to get your hands on the Redmi Note 2. Or you could import from a Chinese reseller, but that would involve a markup of about ~30% that you’ll have to suffer.

[ Source]

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About the author
Yash Garg
Yash is a blogger by profession, builder of things by passion and foodie by birth. You'll usually find him talking about technology, music, travel and the game of cricket on the streets of Pune when not busy writing or speeding his way through the country! Read more on retro handheld gaming on RETRO91

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AB Aldo Payardu
August 17, 2015
I was waiting a lot for this device and there are many like me in India waiting.
- View From The Top
  August 17, 2015
  At least now I’m not torn between the Redmi Note 2 and the ZenFone 2 Laser anymore. Asus, Lenovo & Yu (MMX) are heaving a sigh of relief as we speak, more than Samsung, LG or Sony.

Muhammad Yasir
August 17, 2015
Outrage in 3 … 2… 1 😀
(In these difficult times , just remember how your pakistani brothers have it , almost no good cheap chinese phones at all :O )
- View From The Top
  August 17, 2015
  So you’re stuck with Sammy? 😛
  But on a serious note, what are the local brands like? They’re absolute trash over here. Micromax/YU, Karbonn, Lava/Xolo, Intex, Celkon, iBall etc. are the most horrible brands under the sun, and not unexpectedly, make the most horrible devices you’ll ever use. And don’t even get me started on their after-sales service.
  BTW, do you guys have Asus, OnePlus, Moto, Lenovo over there?
  - Muhammad Yasir
    August 17, 2015
    apart from all the big boys , Lenovo’s here , so is oppo with its Oppo tax and Qmobile (presumably Gionee’s sub brand but one that is TERRIBLE at emulating it here) … but other that that , everything is way wayy to overpriced and with no official presence at all…
    talk about resellers going apeshit greedy and crazy …
    Local brands … well , i doubt we make any phones here at all (except maybe Qmobile may have outsourced a manufacturing operation to us)
    Edit : woah , Micromax , YU , Karbonn , Lava are trash ?! i actually liked their devices and envied you guys had it sweet … maybe not so much now :p
    - Dante
      August 17, 2015
      Are you in India ?
      Edit.
      Still you can Use Honorbuy or a worldwide delivery service like gizchina shop or geekbuying
      - Muhammad Yasir
        August 18, 2015
    - View From The Top
      August 17, 2015
      LOL @ Oppo tax. What on earth would that be. Hmmm I wonder. 😛
      But yeah, the phones from the local vendors aren’t bad per se TBH, but they’re overpriced (compared to Asus and Xiaomi) and their outsourced servicing is terrible.The pricing – believe it or not – is basically at par with the ‘big boys’ as you so eloquently put it (I’m assuming Sony, LG and HTC alongside SS).
      Also apart from Xolo (Lava), others are not even that serious about updating their lower priced phones. Xolo surprisingly even update their $100 devices. So credit where its due.
      And yes, when not buying online, retailer margins are a big issue. I’m really surprised (and saddened) to hear Asus ain’t present there. Surely Asus sells their laptops and PC components (motherboards, gfx cards etc.) in Pakistan, right?
      - balcobomber25
        August 17, 2015
        The good news for you is within the next few years there will be several brands making phones in India, well Foxconn will be making them for those brands. That will lead to lower priced phones.
      - Muhammad Yasir
        August 18, 2015
        oh yes , they do sell all the PC parts … mostly through local distributors (no ASUS showrooms or the like present here) but no phones :/
  - balcobomber25
    August 17, 2015
    I don’t know about the rest but I have used a few Micromax phones that were really good.
  - Dante
    August 17, 2015
    Just Shut your Mouth Up about the Local Brands – Especially Iballz..
balcobomber25
August 17, 2015
This is both surprising and not at the same time. It is surprising because this phone would sell like crazy in India but it’s not because of the SoC. They cant use MTK in India and there really is no other SoC to use in a phone like this.
- View From The Top
  August 17, 2015
  Yes there is. The Snapdragon 615 from Qualcomm will fit in perfectly. It costs only slightly higher from what I’ve read, so Xiaomi can easily price their SD 615-powered Redmi Note 2 for around Rs. 1,000 more than in China if they want IMO. 🙂
  - Levi Smith
    August 17, 2015
    SD615 would be really inferior to X10 though if you consider performance. Even if you ignore the overheating (do we really need an iron that can make calls and take pictures? :D), 615 cannot handle 1080p screens and it lags a lot. At least that has been my impression after seeing reviews of two other phones with that combination.
  - - Shashank
      August 18, 2015
      Yeah! thats what i want to say! so there will be no Redmi Note 2 pro version! but it was there in their leaked future launch chart history
  - balcobomber25
    August 17, 2015
    The problem is the 615 is a horrible SoC, they already tried that with the Mi4i, initial sales were good but since then it has not sold too well. The 615 can not handle performance, like it’s big brother the 810 it throttles and overheats.
  - Airyl
    August 18, 2015
    Except Snapdragon 615 is steamy horse sh*t compared to the Helio X10.
- Levi Smith
  August 17, 2015
  I would rather Xiaomi and Ericsson settle the patent issue once and for all. This would make a lot of Indians (myself included) very happy. But importing this phone seems to be the only choice at this moment.
  - balcobomber25
    August 17, 2015
    There is really only one way to settle it, pay the royalty fees Ericcson wants. Ericcson won’t negotiate and they shouldn’t they own the patents and have invested millions in mobile communication. Patents are a big deal in this industry, just to make a phone today you have to pay hundreds of different companies to use their patents (Xiaomi itself holds several thousand). Xiaomi is in the wrong here.
    - August 18, 2015
      paying royalty may leads on more expensive xiaomi devices in India. but, i see no other way, increase the price, pay royalty and don’t lose big market.
      - balcobomber25
        August 18, 2015
        If anything I think Xiaomi will just wait it out and see what the next mid range Qualcomm SoC is. Qualcomm already acquires the patents for their SoC’s so Xiaomi can use them with no issues in India.
    - Levi Smith
      August 18, 2015
      Agreed. Xiaomi might lose a lot of customers otherwise. I don’t really know how much the price would go up after the royalties, but the phone seems totally worth it.
- The Bastard Christ
  August 18, 2015
  Xiaomi might be trying to get the ban lifted. You can’t ignore a market that massive. Or another possible option could be a leadcore version for the indian market.
  - Shashank
    August 18, 2015
    Leadcore chipset are also ban in India
  - balcobomber25
    August 18, 2015
    There is very little they can do to get the ban lifted other than pay the fees. Ericcson has an open and shut case. I don’t know if Leadcore makes a chip that is comparable in power to the X10. They could use a Samsung Exnyos, assuming they don’t need patents for that.
    - Airyl
      August 18, 2015
      Chances are they’re going to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon line again, which is a shame.
shivam
August 17, 2015
this is not fair with india. I was waiting for this phone to be launched in india but now I am very disappointed. now I have to probably wait for few more months to see it.
- Levi Smith
  August 17, 2015
  - pike lal daimary
    August 17, 2015

Guaire
August 17, 2015
It would undermine Mi4i despite the size difference, supposedly they worked out patent issues with their Mediatek phones.
Dante
August 17, 2015
My Prognose Was 100 % … Correct?
Congrats to me…
This is why the Mi4i was launched in India …
Danny H.
August 17, 2015
It’s quite obvious isn’t it?
First, they will kill off the mi4i immediately if they release the redmi note 2 there.
And secondly, they will have to face a lawsuit from micromax for using mediatek chip.

Thang Cheong Pin
August 17, 2015
I’m wondering if it will launch in Singapore and how fast will they launch it here. Xiaomi Singapore is launching the Mi4i 32gb version today.
Angry Mobile Nerd
August 17, 2015
They can and will wait and still gobble it up when/if they release it 6-10 months later albeit at a lower price just like they did with the Mi3, Mi4, and other Redmi phones. It’s like feeding stale bread to ducks; guess what? — they still eat it!

yalok
August 18, 2015
- Mesterio
  August 18, 2015
Airyl
August 18, 2015
There’s the Micromax lawsuit issue with them using MTK processors, and there’s also the problem that the Mi4i will be instantly cannibalized. At least importing is still an option.
ARUN SUBRAMANIAN
August 18, 2015