The manufacturer you may have rarely heard of is making some great devices.
is a smartphone manufacturer that is growing in stature day-by-day, despite having virtually no physical presence outside of Asia. Sales of its phones in territories including its native China and India have propelled the relatively young OEM into the top 5 smartphone manufacturers in the world. Impressive, certainly, and sees Xiaomi going toe-to-toe with the likes of Apple and Samsung at the higher reaches of the league table.
And yet while so many have heard the name, the phones are still relatively alien to many in the west. Xiaomi has a reputation for building devices that are extremely good value for money without cutting corners on the specs. If you're interested in picking up a Xiaomi phone or just interested in the brand, these are the phones you'll need to know about.
Article updated January 2016
Xiaomi Mi 4c
Launched September 2015: Xiaomi's Mi 4c doesn't pack the pure hardware appeal of the Mi Note, but it sure has price on its side. For a little over the equivalent of $200 you're getting a 5-inch phone with a 1080p display, a Snapdragon 808 CPU (that's the same as in the LG G4), a 13MP camera and a 3080mAh battery.
Not just that, but also 16/32GB of internal storage and 2/3GB of RAM depending on which model you spring for, and USB-C. Xiaomi is right on the money with leading mobile technologies and in a phone that costs less than $250 for the most expensive version.
The worst part is that it's limited to China, at least initially. That'll probably change eventually, and there'll be plenty of interest in it.
Xiaomi Mi Note/Mi Note Pro
Launched January 2015: Xiaomi's newest high-end smartphone is also its best yet. The Mi Note is a 5.7-inch phone running MIUI 6 and comes in two flavors depending on your thirst for the best-of-the-best hardware or saving a few bucks. The Mi Note is still no slouch with a Snapdragon 801 CPU, 3GB of RAM and a 13MP rear camera with OIS. There's Gorilla Glass 3 on the front and back (or bamboo, if you fancy) and a 1080p display.
The tricked-out Mi Note Pro ups the hardware to a level that any Android flagship would be proud of. The display resolution is upped to 2K (2560 x 1440), the CPU is a Snapdragon 810, there's 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Xiaomi boasts this is the "best smartphone in the world" and while others will have something to say about that, there's no doubting the Mi Note Pro's credentials.
Xiaomi Mi 4
Launched July 2014: The Mi 4 was the best Xiaomi had to offer until the Mi Note Pro arrived. It's been around for a little while now but that doesn't change the fact that it's a very good smartphone. Again, well spec'd and well priced. Inside there's a Snapdragon 801, 3GB of RAM, 16 or 64GB of internal storage, a 3080mAh battery and a 5-inch 1080p display. Round the back there's a pretty capable 13MP camera paired with an 8MP for taking those high-res selfies. The stock finish is either a glossy white or black inside a metal frame, though there are wood options available to replace these with.
And if you're feeling adventurous, Microsoft and Xiaomi have partnered to allow Mi 4 owners access to a Windows 10 ROM at some point in the future. Otherwise you're looking at MIUI 6 being the current OS of choice.
Xiaomi Mi 4i
Launched April 2015: Xiaomi's newest release, the Mi 4i is a trimmed down, cheaper version of the Mi 4 and is Xiaomi's first phone to launch first outside of China. Swapping metal for plastic all round, the Mi 4i has a 5-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 615 CPU, 16GB of internal storage, a 13MP rear camera with two-tone LED flash and a whopping 3120mAh battery. Oh, and you get all that for around $200. Crazy.
The Mi 4i is also the first new Xiaomi phone to debut running the Android 5.0 Lollipop based version of MIUI 6. And it's yet another example of Xiaomi packing in good hardware without jacking up the price.
- More:
Launched January 2016: As if Xiaomi's smartphones weren't already affordable enough, the Redmi range takes it one step further. The Redmi 3 is the latest super-low cost phone aimed at markets such as India and can be had, unbelievably, for a smidge over $100.
For that you get a metal body with a striking diamond pattern etched on the rear, a 5-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 616 CPU, 16GB of storage, 2GB of RAM and a 13MP rear camera. Oh, and it has a ridiculously large 4100mAh battery inside. It also runs MIUI 7, Xiaomi's latest, with the one notable omission over the latest Redmi Note phone being the fingerprint scanner. But still, you get a lot of phone for not a lot of money.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3
Launched December 2015:The Redmi Note 3 replaces its predecessors on this list. And, just like both of its predecessor, the Redmi Note 3 represents incredible value for money while still offering a great experience.
Hardware wise there's a 5.5-inch 1080p display while inside either a MediaTek Helio X10 CPU or Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 is paired with 16GB of internal storage and 2GB of RAM or 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM. There's a 13MP camera around the backand a whopping 4000mAh battery squeezed inside it's all-metal chassis. The Redmi Note 3 is also one of Xiaomi's first phones to feature a fingerprint scanner on the rear, while software wise it ships with the Lollipop based version of MIUI 7.
