Xiaomi marks CES debut with three product launches
Xiaomi announced three new products at their “A Glimpse Into The Future” CES 2017 press conference, which also happens to be their CES debut.
It's hard to believe that 2017 is Xiaomi's first attendance at the Consumer Electronic Show. But Xiang Wang, Senior Vice President at Xiaomi, and speaking at the opening of the tech company's press conference earlier today reminded us that for a tech company, Xiaomi is still relatively young - the company was formed only on 6th April 2010.
Known for its unbelievably affordable and value-for-money smartphones (and they still are), Xiaomi has always believed in pushing the boundaries of innovation. Their Mi Ecosystem already covers over a hundred smart products manufactured by their ecosystem partners. These include smart routers, health and fitness, personal transportation such as electronic scooters and smart toys. Their approach to Internet of Things (IoT) is unique in the way it incubates and invests in companies to expand their product line in a highly scalable manner. To date, they have invested in 77 companies that design and make products beyond their core product categories that are designed in-house: smart TVs, smartphones and smart routers.
Without further ado, let's look at the three new products announced on the CES showfloor. A couple of these launches we had already guess was coming, and another we didn't see coming.
A white version of the much hyped Mi Mix - you can read about our impressions of it. There were already leaked images of it online before CES, so we weren't that surprised. The smartphone is exactly the same as the original black Mi Mix, so while its white enclosure this time may appeal to some, it's really just the same Mi Mix.
Sadly, the Mi Mix in white is still a China-only exclusively (why, Xiaomi?). There are no plans, or at least Xiaomi's execs are still mum about it, to launch the phone outside of China. If you must have Mi Mix, Lazada is one potential avenue to shop for one. But it will cost you an arm and a leg, and then some.
Xiaomi's latest router, the Mi Router HD, features a gargantuan built-in 8TB hard disk that lets you backup all of your devices at home. Encased in an aluminum alloy housing, the Mi Router HD have a very nice minimalist and premium feel to it. It comes with some of the latest standard networking specifications, including support for 802.11ac and 4x4. It will also be available in a smaller (and cheaper) 1TB version.
Here are a couple of photos taken on the show floor (the discotheque-like lighting at the press floor didn't allow for nice shots).
The Mi Router HD has a nice minimalist and premium feel to it.
The router will have 4 network ports and 1 USB port.
Xiaomi saved their best for last, when they unveiled their new Mi TV 4.
The Mi TV 4 is intriguing. It has a screen that goes almost all the way to the edge so that the 4K display takes center stage. Also not to be outshine by LG and Sony's recent ultra-slim Smart TV announcements, the Mi TV 4 has just a thickness of 4.9mm. Xiaomi designers have also crafted the TV with a modular design approach that was first introduced with Mi TV 3. Basically, the TV set is separated into two parts: a 4K display and the Mi TV Bar, which incorporates both the motherboard and an independent sound system that now includes up-firing speakers. These speakers, together with a subwoofer and two rear wireless satellite speakers together make up the Mi TV 4 Dolby Atmos home theater.
Much thin-ness. So wow.
The key advantage of such a design is that it makes the Mi TV 4 easily upgradeable, as changing the Mi TV Bar will make any TV like a brand new product, while keeping the 4K panel unchanged.
Here's a look at the TV Bar.
On the inside, the Mi TV 4 uses an AI-driven system and its PatchWall UI on top of Android (version not mentioned). PatchWall will give viewers personalized recommendations from hundreds of Chinese titles via its machine-learning ability. Xiaomi was also proud to exclaim that the UI's neat adaptive grid was inspired by modern magazine layouts.
Mi TV 4 will be available in China later this year, with an estimated price well under US$2,000 for the 65-inch version that comes with the Dolby Atmos home theater.
Here are the key features of Mi TV 4:
- 4K display (3,840 x 2,160 pixels)
- 4.9mm ultra-thin metal body
- Quad-core 64-bit flagship TV processor
- Independent Dolby Atmos cinematic sound system
- Dolby and DTS dual audio decoding
- Deep learning AI system for intelligent recommendations
- Sizes: 49"/ 55"/ 65"
Not surprisingly, the Mi TV 4 will not be available outside of China. Not yet anyway.
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.