As Samsung is preparing to release the Galaxy M series in India, Xiaomi has decided to openly mock the Korean OEM’s latest series in an attempt to convince potential customers to wait for the arrival of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 to the Indian market before putting their money on the table. Using the upside-down tagline “Good things come to those who wait” on the official Mi forums in India, the Chinese OEM picks on one of the weaker points of the Samsung Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20, namely the fact that these new devices feature TFT display technology.
The forum post reads “Becausea ‘M’obile with TFT display is just too old, wait for the MiPower” and includes an upside-down image exaggerating the poor quality of a TFT panel compared to a crisp image.
In addition, the crisp image associated with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 includes the hashtag 48MP, reminding readers that the aforementioned device boasts a high-resolution main camera along with a 5-megapixel depth sensor. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 are each equipped with a 13-megapixel unit and a similar depth sensor as Xiaomi’s solution.
Likewise, while the Samsung Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 feature PLS TFT display technology and a screen resolution of 1,520 by 720 and 2,340 by 1,080, respectively, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 has a more modern IPS LCD panel with the same pixel count as Samsung’s higher-resolution model. Furthermore, Xiaomi’s phone arrives with Android 9 Pie while Samsung’s duo relies on Android 8.1 Oreo, but in both cases, the OS is modified by the OEMs and the choice between Samsung Experience 9.5 and MIUI 10 boils down to personal taste.
Generally, TFT displays have been phased out and gradually replaced by IPS LCDs and OLED panels over the past few years, at least in the mid-to-high-range segments, so regardless of Xiaomi’s mocking tone or marketing strategy to poke fun at its rival in India, it is rather difficult to make a case in favor of Samsung’s latest budget devices when comparing them to Xiaomi’s alternative.
However, the two Samsung Galaxy M smartphones are expected to launch in India very soon, whereas Xiaomi’s solution will arrive at a later date and its price has not yet been confirmed. Meanwhile starting with February 7, Amazon India will sell the entry-level Samsung Galaxy M10 with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage for the starting price of Rs. 7,990 ($111) and the Galaxy M20 model with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard memory for Rs. 10,990 ($153). The more powerful models with additional RAM and storage will cost Rs. 8,990 ($125) and Rs. 12,990 ($181) respectively.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is expected to sell for around Rs. 9,990 ($139) and if this will indeed be the case, it will position the handset right between the two Samsung models, price-wise. Having said that, the only advantage Samsung appears to have over Xiaomi right now is the earlier release. Xiaomi seems to be well aware of this fact, which is why the recent mocking post emphasizes that prospective buyers should wait and be rewarded with a better device later down the line. Of course, this might not be an option for some customers but it’s worth noting that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is rumored to become available for purchase in the country before the end of February, and possibly sometime next week.