Xiaomi maybe one of the largest smartphone vendors in the world, but the company isn’t happy to be known as just a smartphone seller for long. The Chinese tech startup has already started dipping its toes in the world of IoT devices and smart home automation products, and if recent reports are anything to go by, that day isn’t far off when the company will start giving the Lenovos and the Dells of the world a run for their money in the PC business. That’s because the company, which was until very recently the largest smartphone brand in China, is believed to be prepping the launch of a number of Windows-based laptops as part of a larger plan to increase its footprint in the consumer technology business. Long standing rumors going as far back as September last year have claimed that the company has very real ambitions to enter the PC business, but nothing came of it until now.
While recent reports have indicated that Xiaomi may release two different notebook models this month, all-new leaked images of what’s believed to be the outer packaging of a Xiaomi laptop, has now seemingly revealed quite a bit about the upcoming device. This follows a leak from yesterday which also showcased alleged images of the Xiaomi Notebook as well.. As per the images posted on Chinese microblogging site, Weibo, at least one of the notebook models will feature a 12.5-inch Full HD display and will be powered by a sixth-generation Intel Core M3 processor. The device will apparently be marketed as the Notebook Air 12, and come with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. One curious bit, meanwhile, is the pricing that’s being rumored right now. While earlier reports had indicated that Xiaomi, true to form, will look to undercut established players by coming in with a $450 price-tag for its entry-level model, the latest leak seems to claim that the device will cost a whopping $1,999 at launch.
It’s worth reminding everybody that while the earlier leaks had revealed some details regarding Xiaomi’s upcoming notebooks, the model being supposedly revealed today comes with significantly less-impressive hardware specs than the devices that were leaked earlier. Those earlier leaks pointed at devices with 13 and 15.6-inch display panels that would reportedly be powered by Intel’s Core i7 6500U CPU. While the top-end model is expected to come with 8GB of RAM and other impressive hardware, the entire series is expected to have certain things in common. That includes a USB Type-C port as well as large batteries for hassle-free computing on the go. On the software front, all the Xiaomi laptops are expected to launch with Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system.
