The Indian smartphone market remains the second-largest market behind only China. However, this market seem to appreciate mid-range and entry-level devices more than flagships. Xiaomi recently released the Xiaomi Mi 10 flagship series in China. However, there is no release date for this device in India. Nevertheless, the company’s latest mid-range king, Redmi Note 8 Pro now has a price cut in India.
According to reports, Xiaomi recently initiated a permanent price cut for the Redmi Note 8 pro. This smartphone will see a drop in price by INR 1,000 (about $14) across all variants. This means that the base model (6GB+64GB) will now sell for INR 13,999 (about $195) instead of INR 14,999 (about $209). Similarly, the 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage model is now selling for INR 15,999 (about $223) while the 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage variant will be available for INR 17,999 (about $251). Although this is not a “price crash” like many would expect, it is a permanent price cut.
Gizchina News of the week
Redmi Note 8 Pro price cut could be ushering in the Mi 10 series
Since the release of the Xiaomi Mi 10 series in China, Indians seem very interested in this device. However, there is no official date for the release for this smartphone. There are speculations that the Mi 10 series will arrive in India in March, however, this is most unlikely. Due to the epidemic situation in China, Xiaomi is struggling with stocks in China. Thus, it is most unlikely that this device is coming to India. However, a price cut of older devices usually ushers in a new device. Could the Redmi Note 8 Pro permanent price cut be pointing to the arrival of the Mi 10 series? We will know with time.
The Indian smartphone market is huge but predominantly mid-range. The competition is huge with the likes of Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Huawei and even Samsung competing for market share. However, Xiaomi has been the top brand for many consecutive quarters. Such a permanent price cut, though small could change the face of the competition in the market.