Xiaomi's 12.5-Inch Laptop to Start Shipping in April: Report

Xiaomi has been now for months rumoured to be working on its first laptop that will look like Apple's MacBook Air. Now, a new report citing supply chain makers claims that Inventec will start ODM (original design manufacturing) for Xiaomi's 12.5-inch laptop. The report adds that shipments of the Xiaomi's 12.5-inch laptop are expected to begin in April.

Digitimes claims Xiaomi initially planned to launch a 12.5-inch model and another 13.3-inch model with two separate ODM manufacturers - Inventec and Compal Electronics - in-line with an earlier report. The company however now plans to launch just the 12.5-inch model initially, according to the report.

Xiaomi's 12.5-inch laptop, which is said to look like the MacBook Air, is likely to be priced at CNY 2,999 (approximately Rs. 31,000), according to the sources. The components in Xiaomi laptops will be mostly made by manufacturers based in China.

This is not the first time that Xiaomi has been rumoured to be working on not just one but two laptop models. Back in October, a report claimed that Xiaomi's both laptop models - 12.5-inch and 13.3-inch - will enter mass production in the first quarter of 2016. The report had also added that Xiaomi had placed orders for about 250,000 units for the 12.5-inch model, and 500,000 units for the 13.3-inch model. Inventec was said to be tasked to produce the 12.5-inch model units, while Compal Electronics will manufacture the 13.3-inch model.

Back in September, Inventec Chairman Richard Lee had suggested that the first laptop from Xiaomi's stables could be expected to start shipping in the first or second half of 2016. Lee had further tipped that Xiaomi's entry into laptop segment could shake up the laptop market the same way it did with smartphones. For those unaware, Inventec has assembly lines for Xiaomi smartphones.

Gadgets 360 had reached out to Xiaomi for a response on the earlier report, but the company refused to comment. In an emailed response, Xiaomi said "We would not like to comment on the speculation."