Xiaomi’s flagship, the Mi 5 is now official in India.
Announced at an event in the national capital of New Delhi, the Xiaomi Mi 5 costs 24,999 INR ($376) for the 3GB RAM/32GB ROM version.
The phone was launched a little over a month back in China (and showcased in Barcelona at the same time). The Mi 5 has been a long time coming, but at the 25k INR price point, we believe prospective buyers in India would be more than happy to shell out the asking price.
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Mi 5’s screen is a 5.15-inch 1920 x 1080p display, while the insides of the phone contain the much talked about Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC. A 16 mega-pixel Sony IMX298 camera on the rear lets you take beautiful photos while a 4 mega-pixel front camera looks after your selfie requirements.
All of this is powered by a 3000mAh battery. You can read our review of the Xiaomi Mi 5 to know more about the device.
The Mi 5 will go on sale for the first time in India alongside the Redmi Note 3 on Mi.com on 6th of April at 11am (the Redmi Note 3 sale starts 2pm). Interested parties are required to register beforehand; registration has already begun.
The base model being charged the price of the highest model and you believe that “believe prospective buyers in India would be more than happy to shell out the asking price.”
Wake up, Yash. I dont know how you feel like, but its like Xiaomi dumping their least selling product in China at bestselling prices in India.
Thank you, Gizchina, for both the information.
The price is way to high in China the base variant (which is the indian variant) is selling for 1999RMB which is around 20K Rupees. With 25% price hike it will fail. Well done Mi India, the next fail after the glorious Redmi Note “Prime”……
The base model being charged the price of the highest model and you believe that “believe prospective buyers in India would be more than happy to shell out the asking price.”
Wake up, Yash. I dont know how you feel like, but its like Xiaomi dumping their least selling product in China at bestselling prices in India.
Thank you, Gizchina, for both the information.
The price is way to high in China the base variant (which is the indian variant) is selling for 1999RMB which is around 20K Rupees. With 25% price hike it will fail. Well done Mi India, the next fail after the glorious Redmi Note “Prime”……
Well pricing is a suitable candidate for a prank
I thought Xiaomi direct sales mirror the Chinese price.
Well pricing is a suitable candidate for a prank
That is supposed to be the price for the 64GB version. Xiaomi got it right with the Note 3 Pro, they need to do it again to restore brand trust after the Mi4i disaster.
That is supposed to be the price for the 64GB version. Xiaomi got it right with the Note 3 Pro, they need to do it again to restore brand trust after the Mi4i disaster.
lol to everyone bitching about the price. If it’s so unfair you can a) go to China and buy one yourself or b) buy through a reseller and enjoy 18% import tax when it arrives. Don’t forget to let me know how much money you guys “saved” ok?
I think a can of Coke costs more in India than China too, those crooks! *rolls eyes*
Actually a can of Coke costs more in China.
As far I can see nobody here claimed that they can import it cheaper via resellers.
Your happiness with the higher price is quite understandable hence you don’t like Xiaomi’s lower prices at all.
The higher price most likely means the profit margins are very small and with the RMB as volatile as its been lately means they could lose money on each unit sold in INR in India so they have to add “padding” to the price to protect themselves from the forex market. From a business perspective it makes perfect sense. The price is still lower than what resellers are selling it for and if I’m not mistaken it will still be the cheapest 820 phone in India, too, so I actually think Xiaomi has found a good balance with protecting themselves while offering a fair price.
Supposedly very thin profit margin, and volatile RMB didn’t cause 2499 yuan starting point for Mi5 in China. That kind of price would make it least popular Mi device ever except Note Pro.
Unless INR devaluated within a short term I can’t see why they need a padding. If that happens, they can always rise the price.
A quick look at Mi India Facebook page and MIUI India subforum Indians aren’t happy with the price and only getting base model. Hence India is a big country, first few flash sales might go well, but after that with that price demand will go down.
Higher price more likely related lack of direct competitor in Indian market. Like you said Mi India page says repeatedly those same words: cheapest SD820 phone in India.
Likewise had Xiaomi introduced the base model Mi5 in China @ RMB 2399 which is approximately INR 24,999 then Indians would be cheering the 24,999 price. They’re only upset because it’s cheaper somewhere else. That somewhere else just happens to be country of manufacture origin and the company’s home (read: tax benefits). Frick, Xiaomi phones even cost more in Hong Kong which is a tax free haven.
Where was that tax cost at both Mi3 and Mi4’s releases in India?
Hong Kong example kinda proves that that isn’t related taxes.
The profit margins were probably a lot higher which allowed them to sell at the same prices as China regardless of fluctuations in forex or taxes. When profit margins are high it allows companies to balance pricing across a region (or even the world) it’s when profit margins are low you get to down to the nitty gritty individual pricing per country (like OnePlus has done).
But there are definitely taxes, that’s one thing that’s certain in life!
High profit margin smartphone brands doesn’t bother to balance its prices. I know that from direct experience of their practices in my country.
Consumers pay the extra taxes. When the money loses its value, again consumers pay the cost.
Tax heaven Hong Kong example discredited tax argument anyway. Sale taxes are lower in India than China too.
Fluctations in forex also have to affect prices in China too, hence most of its components at least costly ones has been imported.
Note to Indians: This has a remarkably poor AnTuTu score, which could likely be due to that obnoxious, unoptimized, resource-hogging, overly fanci-fied, Chinese bloatware loaded MIUI Rom – arguably the poorest performing Rom of them all, except perhaps Elephone and Doogee’s Roms (lol).
Hopefully there will be better community roms released as time passes, but I’m doubtful how much of a performance improvement that would result in. Save your money and wait for better SD820 phones to be released, there are at least two more worthy candidates to look forward to.
lol to everyone bitching about the price. If it’s so unfair you can a) go to China and buy one yourself or b) buy through a reseller and enjoy 18% import tax when it arrives. Don’t forget to let me know how much money you guys “saved” ok?
I think a can of Coke costs more in India than China too, those crooks! *rolls eyes*
Actually a can of Coke costs more in China.
As far I can see nobody here claimed that they can import it cheaper via resellers.
Your happiness with the higher price is quite understandable hence you don’t like Xiaomi’s lower prices at all.
The higher price most likely means the profit margins are very small and with the RMB as volatile as its been lately means they could lose money on each unit sold in INR in India so they have to add “padding” to the price to protect themselves from the forex market. From a business perspective it makes perfect sense. The price is still lower than what resellers are selling it for and if I’m not mistaken it will still be the cheapest 820 phone in India, too, so I actually think Xiaomi has found a good balance with protecting themselves while offering a fair price.
Supposedly very thin profit margin, and volatile RMB didn’t cause 2499 yuan starting point for Mi5 in China. That kind of price would make it least popular Mi device ever except Note Pro.
Unless INR devaluated within a short term I can’t see why they need a padding. If that happens, they can always rise the price.
A quick look at Mi India Facebook page and MIUI India subforum Indians aren’t happy with the price and only getting base model. Hence India is a big country, first few flash sales might go well, but after that with that price demand will go down.
Higher price more likely related lack of direct competitor in Indian market. Like you said Mi India page says repeatedly those same words: cheapest SD820 phone in India.
Likewise had Xiaomi introduced the base model Mi5 in China @ RMB 2399 which is approximately INR 24,999 then Indians would be cheering the 24,999 price. They’re only upset because it’s cheaper somewhere else. That somewhere else just happens to be country of manufacture origin and the company’s home (read: tax benefits). Frick, Xiaomi phones even cost more in Hong Kong which is a tax free haven.
Where was that tax cost at both Mi3 and Mi4’s releases in India?
Hong Kong example kinda proves that that isn’t related taxes.
The profit margins were probably a lot higher which allowed them to sell at the same prices as China regardless of fluctuations in forex or taxes. When profit margins are high it allows companies to balance pricing across a region (or even the world) it’s when profit margins are low you get to down to the nitty gritty individual pricing per country (like OnePlus has done).
But there are definitely taxes, that’s one thing that’s certain in life!
High profit margin smartphone brands doesn’t bother to balance its prices. I know that from direct experience of their practices in my country.
Consumers pay the extra taxes. When the money loses its value, again consumers pay the cost.
Tax heaven Hong Kong example discredited tax argument anyway. Sale taxes are lower in India than China too.
Fluctations in forex also have to affect prices in China too, hence most of its components at least costly ones has been imported.
lol to everyone bitching about the price. If it’s so unfair you can a) go to China and buy one yourself or b) buy through a reseller and enjoy 18% import tax when it arrives. Don’t forget to let me know how much money you guys “saved” ok?
I think a can of Coke costs more in India than China too, those crooks! *rolls eyes*
Actually a can of Coke costs more in China.
As far I can see nobody here claimed that they can import it cheaper via resellers.
Your happiness with the higher price is quite understandable hence you don’t like Xiaomi’s lower prices at all.
The higher price most likely means the profit margins are very small and with the RMB as volatile as its been lately means they could lose money on each unit sold in INR in India so they have to add “padding” to the price to protect themselves from the forex market. From a business perspective it makes perfect sense. The price is still lower than what resellers are selling it for and if I’m not mistaken it will still be the cheapest 820 phone in India, too, so I actually think Xiaomi has found a good balance with protecting themselves while offering a fair price.
Supposedly very thin profit margin, and volatile RMB didn’t cause 2499 yuan starting point for Mi5 in China. That kind of price would make it least popular Mi device ever except Note Pro.
Unless INR devaluated within a short term I can’t see why they need a padding. If that happens, they can always rise the price.
A quick look at Mi India Facebook page and MIUI India subforum Indians aren’t happy with the price and only getting base model. Hence India is a big country, first few flash sales might go well, but after that with that price demand will go down.
Higher price more likely related lack of direct competitor in Indian market. Like you said Mi India page says repeatedly those same words: cheapest SD820 phone in India.
Likewise had Xiaomi introduced the base model Mi5 in China @ RMB 2399 which is approximately INR 24,999 then Indians would be cheering the 24,999 price. They’re only upset because it’s cheaper somewhere else. That somewhere else just happens to be country of manufacture origin and the company’s home (read: tax benefits). Frick, Xiaomi phones even cost more in Hong Kong which is a tax free haven.
Where was that tax cost at both Mi3 and Mi4’s releases in India?
Hong Kong example kinda proves that that isn’t related taxes.
The profit margins were probably a lot higher which allowed them to sell at the same prices as China regardless of fluctuations in forex or taxes. When profit margins are high it allows companies to balance pricing across a region (or even the world) it’s when profit margins are low you get to down to the nitty gritty individual pricing per country (like OnePlus has done).
But there are definitely taxes, that’s one thing that’s certain in life!
High profit margin smartphone brands doesn’t bother to balance its prices. I know that from direct experience of their practices in my country.
Consumers pay the extra taxes. When the money loses its value, again consumers pay the cost.
Tax heaven Hong Kong example discredited tax argument anyway. Sale taxes are lower in India than China too.
Fluctations in forex also have to affect prices in China too, hence most of its components at least costly ones has been imported.
Note to Indians: This has a remarkably poor AnTuTu score, which could likely be due to that obnoxious, unoptimized, resource-hogging, overly fanci-fied, Chinese bloatware loaded MIUI Rom – arguably the poorest performing Rom of them all, except perhaps Elephone and Doogee’s Roms (lol).
Hopefully there will be better community roms released as time passes, but I’m doubtful how much of a performance improvement that would result in. Save your money and wait for better SD820 phones to be released, there are at least two more worthy candidates to look forward to.