Mi 10 Series India Launch Teased Yet Again, Different Pricing Model Confirmed

Mi 10 series launch in India has been teased by Xiaomi Vice President Manu Kumar Jain. The latest flagship series, which comprises the regular Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro, was launched in China last month. Both new smartphones come with a curved AMOLED display and have a quad rear camera setup that includes a 108-megapixel primary camera. The Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro both also have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC and support 5G connectivity. Notably, Xiaomi hasn't launched any of its Mi-series flagship smartphone in India after the debut of the Mi 5 back in April 2016. The Mi 10 series is, therefore, likely to grab some eyeballs in the country.

Jain took to Twitter to create some hype before the official launch of the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro in India. Amazon has also separately released a teaser through its India Twitter account to suggest the online availability of both new Mi-series phones in the country. The official Mi India account has also changed its cover image with a highlighting the launch of the 108-megapixel camera-featured smartphone series in the country.

Having said that, the official launch date of the Mi 10 series in India is still a mystery. The new flagships are, however, coming to the global markets on March 27.

This is not the first time when Jain has teased the launch of the Mi 10 series in India. He previously hinted at its arrival just after the official launch concluded in China in February. At that time, he also warned that there will be a different pricing model than usual since the company would have to import the units.

Jain reiterated his claim through a fresh tweet stating that there would be changes in the pricing due to direct import, higher GST, and depreciating rupee. The GST Council recently increased GST rates on mobile phones from 12 percent to 18 percent with effect from April 1.

Nevertheless, to give some perspective, the Mi 10 was launched in China with a starting price of CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs. 42,300), while the Mi 10 Pro debuted at an initial price of CNY 4,999 (roughly Rs. 53,000).

In January, Xiaomi told Gadgets 360 that it would bring premium smartphones to India under its Mi label later this year. The Beijing-based company did tease the launch of its 108-megapixel camera phone in the country in 2019 as well. However, it didn't unveil the Mi Note 10 that debuted in China as the Mi CC9 Pro -- with a 108-megapixel primary camera.

Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro specifications

The Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro both share a similar list of specifications. The smartphones run Android 10 with MIUI 11 on top and feature a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,340 pixels) curved AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate. They're powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC. The phones have the quad rear camera setup that includes the 108-megapixel primary sensor.

Further, the Mi 10 packs a 4,780mAh battery that supports 30W wired charging and 30W wireless charging. The Mi 10 Pro, in contrast, has a 4,500mAh battery that supports 50W wired fast charging, 30W wireless fast charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging as well.

Is Redmi Note 9 Pro the new best phone under Rs. 15,000? We discussed how you can pick the best one, on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.