Technology
With its Sights on Apple, China Smartphone Maker Xiaomi Unveils First Tablet
(Reuters) – Chinese budget smartphone maker Xiaomi unveiled on Thursday its first tablet, expanding its product lineup to directly challenge established rivals Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc.
The Mi Pad, which comes in six colours, will have a 7.9 inch screen, the same size as an iPad Mini.
Like other tablets, it comes equipped with wireless internet, front and back cameras and a built-in memory capacity of 16 gigabytes or 64 gigabytes. But it is priced cheaper than comparable iPad Mini and Samsung Galaxy Tab models at 1,499 yuan ($240) for the smaller version.
The company did not say anything about a 4G version.
“We wanted the hardware to come close to, or even surpass Apple’s iPad,” Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun said at the launch event in Beijing. Xiaomi’s flagship smartphones, which are among the fastest selling in China, resemble Apple’s iPhone.
