All articles tagged with #xiaomi
Xiaomi launches the 14-inch Book Pro 14, a lightweight laptop powered by Intel Panther Lake with up to 32 GB RAM, featuring a 120 Hz OLED display, a 72 Wh battery, and 100 W charging. Weighing about 1.08 kg and offering HDMI and USB-A ports, it starts at CNY 7,999 (24 GB RAM, 1 TB) with higher-end models at CNY 9,199–9,999 (32 GB RAM, 1 TB). Global availability hasn’t been announced yet.
Xiaomi’s Leica Leitzphone lineup highlights hardware advances (including continuous zoom and LOFIC sensors) over AI, with Angus Ng saying the company will push hardware limitations first and only turn to software/AI if hardware innovations stall—a stance that contrasts Google and Samsung’s AI-focused camera strategies seen at MWC 2026.
MWC 2026 showcased mobility-forward gadgets—from Xiaomi’s teardrop-shaped electric hypercar concept and Leica-branded phones to modular Tecno phones, high-brightness Honor foldables, dual-screen Lenovo laptops, AI wearables and humanoid robots—signaling a broader shift of 'mobile' into transport, robotics, and on-device AI.
Xiaomi previewed the Vision Gran Turismo, a radical hypercar concept focused on extreme aerodynamics and a cocoon-shaped cockpit, featuring an unusual x-wing steering wheel and magnetically mounted wheel covers to cut drag. The company says it will show more at MWC Barcelona, but details on powertrain, speed, and feasibility are still unclear, with a home gaming cockpit version teased as well.
Leica teams with Xiaomi on the Leitzphone, a Leica-flavored variant of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra that adds exclusive Leica Looks, a tactile Camera Ring, and Leica Essential mode, blending retro-film aesthetics with top-tier hardware. Priced at €1,999, it emphasizes photography over pure phone features, offering 50/200 MP JPEG options, a 10x hybrid zoom, and Pro controls, while RAW is limited to 12.5 MP and some legacy modes limit shutter/ISO control, signaling a niche, camera-forward approach rather than a general smartphone.
Leica teams with Xiaomi to globalize the Leitzphone, a Xiaomi 17 Ultra variant co‑engineered with Leica that retains the strong camera setup (50MP LOFIC main, 200MP tele with Leica 75–100mm, 50MP ultrawide) while adding a mechanical camera ring, Leica UI/Looks, and 13 Leica Looks plus bokeh simulations; it includes CAI support and will be sold globally outside the US via import, with region-based pricing.
Xiaomi has globally released its high-end Android tablet, the Pad 8 Pro, powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite, with an 11.2-inch 144 Hz display, a 9,200 mAh battery and 67 W charging, and up to 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage. It features a 50 MP main camera and a 32 MP front camera, and includes complimentary accessories; the 512 GB variant bundles a Focus Pen Pro and keyboard. In Europe, prices start at €599 for 8/256 GB and €699 for 12/512 GB, with a €519 promo on the 256 GB variant until March 14. The Pad 8 Pro follows a China launch in Sept 2025 and targets premium rivals like Oppo Pad 4 Pro, Galaxy Tab S11, and OnePlus Pad 3.
MWC 2026 kicks off with Xiaomi-Leica’s Leitzphone, a Leica-branded handset built around a 1-inch sensor and mechanical zoom; Xiaomi also unveils the Pad 8 and Pad 8 Pro tablets, a 5000mAh UltraThin Power Bank, and the Xiaomi Tag. Honor reveals the ultra-thin MagicPad 4 tablet (165Hz OLED, 13MP rear/9MP front). Tecno teases a modular phone concept as hands-on coverage begins.
Xiaomi's Pad 8 Pro aims for an iPad Pro-like Android experience, with an 11.2-inch high‑res display, Snapdragon 8 Elite, up to 512GB storage, 8/12GB RAM, a 9,200mAh battery with 67W charging, and optional keyboard/pen accessories; it’s a premium, well‑built tablet that excels at browsing, reading, light work and media, though it isn’t as powerful as a true iPad Pro and runs a close-to-iPadOS-like HyperOS with some quirks.
Xiaomi announced its first Bluetooth tracker, the Xiaomi Tag, featuring a built‑in metal loop to clip to a keyring or carabiner. It works with Apple’s Find My or Google’s Find Hub during setup (not both simultaneously), runs on a replaceable CR2032 battery for up to a year, and has IP67 dust/water resistance plus NFC for sharing contact details. Unlike AirTag, it lacks UWB for precise location and relies on audible cues for nearby finding; it’s cheaper, priced at £12.99 ($18) for one or £44.99 ($61) for a four-pack.
Xiaomi has released the Pad 8 outside China, pairing a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 with an 11.2‑inch 3.2K IPS display at 144 Hz, a 9,200 mAh battery and 45 W charging. The global Pad 8 starts at €449.90 in Europe with 12 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, with a €50 upgrade for double storage and temporary discounts through March 14; accessories like the Focus Pen Pro and a detachable keyboard are available, though not included for free (unlike the Pad 8 Pro).
Xiaomi launches the Leitzphone international edition of its 17 Ultra, a Leica-branded variant with a rotatable camera ring and Leica-focused software tweaks. It delivers excellent photography and premium build, but remains largely the same as the standard 17 Ultra and carries a hefty price premium for branding rather than new features.
Xiaomi launched the 17 and 17 Ultra at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, pricing them at €999 and €1,499 as memory-chip costs surge 80–90% on AI/data-center demand. Analysts warn higher component costs could lift smartphone prices in 2026 and dampen mid-range demand, though premium devices may be more insulated. The broader market is expected to shrink, while Xiaomi expands its EV business, which now accounts for about a quarter of sales; smartphone revenue fell about 3% year over year in the latest quarter, even as EV sales surged.
Ford reportedly explored a US-based joint venture with Xiaomi to produce EVs in the United States, with talks also touching BYD; Ford denied the report, Xiaomi did not comment, and any potential deal would face tariff hurdles and political scrutiny in Washington.
Ford and Xiaomi reportedly discussed forming a U.S.-based EV joint venture, per the Financial Times, but both Ford and Xiaomi denied the report. The piece notes U.S. concerns about Chinese automakers and battery suppliers entering the United States (including BYD), mentions Ford's scrutiny over partnerships (and a proposed CATL battery-related data center), and points to Ford’s ongoing EV restructuring and recent $19.5 billion writedown.