With Poco F1 Coming Soon, Launching Mi 8 in India Could Backfire for Xiaomi

Xiaomi launched the Mi 8 flagship smartphone along with the Mi 8 SE and the Mi eight Explorer Edition before this year in Communist china. While it was expected that the company would debut the lower-specced Mi eight SE in India, new reports final week claimed that Xiaomi is planning to launch the Mi 8 in India besides.

According to the report, Xiaomi is said to launch the Mi viii in India next month. In fact, the report claims that the phone will be priced under Rs 30,000. While that sounds like a lucrative deal, there are a couple of reasons why launching the Mi 8 in India could be a bad idea.

Why Compete with Your Own Brand, Xiaomi?

I empathize why Xiaomi would want to expand the availability of Mi 8 outside China. It is already selling like hotcakes there, and there's no dubiousness that it'll do wonders in India, where customers are always on the lookout for affordable premium phones. And equally we have seen in our await at the phone, it's really a very good device with a lot going for it.

However, it is worth pointing out that Mi 8 will finish up competing directly against the Poco F1, the first smartphone from Xiaomi'due south new brand that'due south slated to arrive in India this week.

Poco F1, if you don't know, has like specs to the Mi 8. It is powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC, and is expected to exist priced around the same Rs 30,000 marker. From the leaks, information technology would seem the Poco F1 has a plastic or polycarbonate body, then information technology's definitely non as premium as the glass-and-metal Mi 8, while withal offer the same specs.

So naturally, the Poco F1 is likely to have a lower toll than the Mi viii. The F1 will be directly competing against the Mi 8, which I am sure isn't something that Xiaomi would want, even if it has worked in the favour of Honor and Huawei. So, hither's what I think Xiaomi should do instead:

Mi 8 SE Makes Sense

Dearest Xiaomi, if you are reading this, then how near launching the Mi eight's younger sibling, the Mi 8 SE in India? I am sure the Mi eight SE, with the Snapdragon 710 processor, will practise brand serious dents in the budget and mid-range segment. In case you have any doubt, then you can even check out our Mi eight SE video, which should show y'all why information technology is the mid-ranger we want to see in India.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on Xiaomi launching the Mi viii in India? Do you lot recall the company should launch the Mi 8 SE in Bharat as well? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.