Xiaomi Unveils a Fresh Chapter in Its Plan to Conquer the World
The Mi4 looks like Apple’s cash cow at less than half the price
This article is for subscribers only.
Chinese smartphone upstart Xiaomi is turning the release of high-end, low-priced gadgets into a ritual. At a press conference on Tuesday in Beijing, Xiaomi Chief Executive Officer Lei Jun unveiled the Mi4, a metal-backed iPhone-esque smartphone with a 5-inch display, the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, and a $320 price tag that puts it far closer to the reach of China’s middle class than the iPhone 5S, which sells in that country for close to $700.
“Our product really is better than the iPhone,” bragged Lei, who was back to wearing the Steve Jobs uniform of jeans and black shirt following a detour into khakis at a press event earlier this year. “Even our white color is whiter!”