Through 2020, we saw Xiaomi expand to various new product categories and price points. For 2021, it looks like Redmi will follow the same path by launching its first smart TV in India.
The information comes from Mukul Sharma, a leakster who is more commonly known as Stufflistings, shared on Twitter that Redmi TVs will launch in India as early as March of this year. He further added that it could come in either a 55 or a 65-inch variant.
While this development isn’t particularly surprising, it does suggest that Redmi wants to capture the 65-inch TV market — a segment that has been less popular and pretty expensive in India. For context, the current cheapest 65-inch TV in India is the Xiaomi Mi TV 4X, which is priced at Rs 54,999. Originally launched in September 2019, it has been out of stock for a while now.
Thought that large TVs are expensive?Redmi might finally launch smart TVs in India at competitive prices, as early as MarchCould it be the Redmi Smart TV X series TV, which launched in China last year? It was available in a 55" variant and a 65'' variant#Xiaomi #RedmiFebruary 2, 2021
Currently, there’s no official information about this, so take the information with a grain of salt. It’s also unclear if this will be an entirely new product for India, a rebranded TV from Xiaomi’s portfolio or one that is already available in other countries. If it’s the latter, then the Redmi Smart TV X65 is the most likely candidate, which was launched in China in May 2020, at an incredible price of CNY 3,299 (~Rs 37,000).
Available in 50, 55 and 65-inch variants, the Redmi Smart TV X series has a 4K UHD resolution, Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation (MEMC) for smoothening, an 8-unit sound system with four 12.5W speakers, Dolby Audio and DTS-HD capabilities, and more. They have pretty slim bezels on three sides, allowing for a screen-to-body ratio of 97%. There’s also far-field voice recognition for voice commands sans the remote, but that could be a region-specific feature.
It will be interesting to see how Redmi positions its new TVs. Historically, Xiaomi has faced some criticism in the premium segment. Redmi’s approach as a price leader might just attract people to consider these larger TVs, which are way above what the average Indian household looks for.
