Xiaomi’s Manu Kumar Jain has been busy teasing the Mi 11 Lite for India on social media and at this point, it is anybody’s guess as to what it could cost. The Mi 11 Lite is a watered-down version of the Mi 11 with midrange features. While many believed Xiaomi considering the 5G variant for India, a new report suggests otherwise. Xiaomi may only launch the 4G version of the phone here.
The Mi 11 Lite was announced globally a few months ago in both 4G and 5G flavours. The 4G version is largely based on the Redmi Note 10 Pro whereas the 5G version uses the newer Snapdragon 780G chip. Given that the Mi 10i with its Snapdragon 750G sits at around Rs 21,000, it was expected of Xiaomi to bring the 5G version of the Mi 11 Lite to India.
However, it now seems otherwise and unbelievable.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G only coming to India?
The information comes from an India Today report claiming to have access to insider information. We haven’t seen reliable smartphone leak information from this source in the past and hence, we suggest you take this with a pinch of salt. Xiaomi has been more competitive than ever this year and the idea to launch a 4G smartphone with an old chip above Rs 20,000 is so not Xiaomi – at least the Xiaomi we know.
The report goes on to say that the Mi 11 Lite 4G could launch in India with prices hovering around the Rs 25,000 mark. Moreover, the Indian version is said to rely highly on the Snapdragon 732G, which is the exact chip Xiaomi uses on the Redmi Note 10 Pro series. India Today’s price logic is based on the direct conversion of the European prices.
The information seems absurd, given Xiaomi India’s competitive nature in the country. The company currently sells the Mi 10i 5G starting at a price of Rs 20,999, a phone that utilizes the Snapdragon 750G chip. Hence, Xiaomi selling a Rs 25,000 smartphone with a Snapdragon 732G in 2021 seems to be out of place. Moreover, the competition from Samsung, Realme, Oppo and Vivo in this category has been stronger this year.
Xiaomi is yet to announce anything officially on this front but based on the company’s track record, it is possible that the Mi 11 Lite 5G could end making it to India with prices above Rs 25,000. If this report is indeed true, then Xiaomi will have a touch tome justifying the Mi 11 Lite 4G as a more premium offering over the Mi 10i and Redmi Note 10 Pro Max to a highly competitive Indian market.
