Currently if you want a 5G phone you have to pay quite a bit more than a 4G phone, which isn't ideal given 5G isn't quite as ubiquitous yet, so there's little reason to switch. However Xiaomi may be about to change that.
The company just launched the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite, the first 'affordable' 5G phone, alongside the Mi 10 series of mid-ranged devices. All the phones are 5G-enabled, but the Mi 10 Lite is now the cheapest-ever 5G phone.
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When the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite launches in May 2020, it'll cost just €349 (around $380, £310, AU$640), which is far more affordable than current-cheapest-5G-phone. the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, which costs £699 / AU$1,399 (about $860). The Mi Mix 3 5G has reduced in price since its launch, but you'll still have a hard time picking it up for the Mi 10 Lite's price.
Well, that price is for Europe, and while Xiaomi told us the phone will be coming to other regions at some point, including the UK, it's unlikely the price will be an exact conversion.
For that low price tag, you're getting a 6.57-inch AMOLED screen, four rear cameras lead by a 48MP snapper and a 16MP camera on the front, a nicely sized 4,160mAh battery, and the Snapdragon 765G chipset.
Those are some specs you'd more typically find in mid-ranged phones, but the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite is toeing the line to budget-phonedom with that cost.
Perhaps now that Xiaomi is releasing a truly affordable 5G phone, more people will be able to access the next-generation connectivity, or at least other companies will get the hint that 5G needs to be more affordable before people take it seriously.
