After a series of leaks and rumours, Xiaomi has launched its next smartphone, the Mi 4c. The device is available in 2 variants – 2GB of RAM coupled with 16GB storage priced at CNY 1,299 (Rs. 13,500 approx. directly converted) and 3GB RAM along with 32GB of storage priced at CNY 1499 (Rs. 15,500 approx. directly converted). The Mi4c also boasts of a USB type-C connector.
Other specifications of the Mi 4c include a 5-inch full HD display and 64-bit hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor clocked at 1.8GHz. The rear of the device houses a 13MP camera and the front has a 5MP camera. A 3080mAh battery powers the entire package. You can see more details about the smartphones features here.
We think the Mi 4c will launch in India in the coming weeks to cash in on the Diwali holiday season. If you have a budget of about Rs. 20,000 and are looking to pick up the Mi 4c, we say hold your horses. Here is a quick look at how the Mi 4c competes against other smartphones currently available in the market.
| Particulars | Xiaomi Mi 4c | Asus Zenfone 2 (ZE551ML) | OnePlusOne | Mi4 | Moto X Play |
| Display size | 5-inch | 5.5-inch | 5.5-inch | 5-inch | 5.5-inch |
| Display resolution | 1920x1080p | 1920x1080p | 1920x1080p | 1920x1080p | 1920x1080p |
| Display Type | IPS LCD | IPS | LTPS LCD | IPS LCD | IPS |
| OS | Android 5.1.1 | Android 5.0 | Android 5.1.1 | Android 4.4.3 | Android 5.1.1 |
| UI | MIUI 7.0 | Asus Zen UI | CyanogenMod 12 | MIUI 5.0 | Stock Android UI |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 | Intel Atom Z3560/Z3580 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 | Qualcomm MSM8939 615 |
| CPU | Quad-core 1.44GHz & dual-core 1.82GHz | Quad-core 1.8/2.3 GHz | Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 | Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 | Quad-core 1.7 GHz & quad-core 1.0 GHz |
| RAM | 2GB/3GB | 4GB | 3GB | 3GB | 2GB |
| Dual-SIM | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Built-in storage | 16GB/32GB | 32GB/64GB | 16GB | 16GB/64GB | 16GB/32GB |
| Expandable storage | NA | microSD, up to 64 GB | No | No | microSD, up to 128 GB |
| Rear camera | 13MP | 13MP | 13MP | 13MP | 21MP |
| Front facing camera | 5MP | 5MP | 5MP | 8MP | 5MP |
| FM radio | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | 3080mAh | 3000mAh | 3100mAh | 3080mAh | 3630mAh |
| Price | Rs. 13,500 and Rs.15,500 (Directly converted from CNY) | Rs. 18,999 (Z3560 1.8 GHz/ 32GB/ 4GB) | Rs. 19,000/ Rs.22,000 | Rs. 15,000/ Rs. 18,000 | Rs. 18,500/ Rs. 20,000 |
The display on all the smartphones in the above chart have the same resolution although the grade will vary. What’s interesting is that the Mi 4c has the Snapdragon 808 chipset, which will give it an edge over the competition. The reason we have compared the smartphone to other phones priced around Rs. 20,000 is because we think that the Mi 4c 16GB will launch in India for about Rs. 16,000 and the 32GB variant will be priced at Rs. 19000 approx. That is our speculation.
The Xiaomi Mi 4c has a 13MP rear shooter, which is standard when compared to the other phones on this list except the Moto X Play, which has a 21MP camera. How the camera performs is something we will comment on once we have the phone with us. Although, from what we've seen from Xiaomi till now, it should be good.
Overall the phone showcases features that we expect from a sub Rs. 20,000 phone. If you are in the market to pick up a smartphone for about Rs. 20,000 and don’t want to wait for the launch of Xiaomi Mi 4c then you can check out list of top 10 smartphones for Rs. 20,000 here.