Chinese smartphone manufacturers have to face tough competition in their home markets, however their competition is tougher when it comes to gaining a toe-hold in the highly lucrative markets of US and Europe. To establish their image and to depict a major differentiator for such incumbents, it is necessary to either provide premium specs, or an amazingly affordable price point or – preferably – both. The latter factor – premium specs and affordable price – is the mantra for Xiaomi, which is being termed as China’s Apple. The rumor mill has been buzzing for quite some time that Xiaomi would be trying its hands in the tablet segment as well. In the latest confirmed news from the Asian continent, a Xiaomi tablet – on the lines of Apple’s iPad Mini – is already in the works.
Focus Taiwan News reports that the Topology Research Institute is claiming that Xiaomi is in talks with chipmakers Intel and NVidia and is evaluating their offerings for its upcoming tablet device. If this news is accurate, Xiaomi will eventually select either of these chipmakers to provide SoCs for their tablet device, which is expected to have a screen size and form factor similar to Apple’s iPad Mini at 7.85 inches. The best news is users would be treated to an ultra-high resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, which translates to approximately 326 pixels per inch (ppi) resolution density. This is also similar to Chinese manufacturers have been accused of blatantly copying designs and form factors of existing players, however Xiaomi seems to have taken a different route with the design of the tablet, at least that is what can be ascertained through the leaked images below. The best aspect though is the highly competitive and affordable price tag being attributed to the device. When it gets launched, this as-of-yet-unnamed Xiaomi tablet will retail in China for a price of 1000 CNY, which is around $160. So far there is no confirmation on other specs for the device, however since it is expected to launch sometime during the third or fourth quarter this year, we can expect more leaks to come our way in the coming months. If Xiaomi plans to build their tablet on the same quality levels of smartphones, we could see their tablet turning out to be a game-changer. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
