Xiaomi announces the Mi 10T, new competitor to the iPhone 12 and Galaxy S20; Prices from R $ 5,449

SÃO PAULO – Xiaomi announced on Thursday (12) the arrival of the Mi 10T in Brazil. The company’s high-end smartphone will be available in two versions: the Mi 10 T and the 10 T Pro. The first can be found for R $ 5,499, while the most complete will cost R $ 6,999. The device was unveiled worldwide at the end of September.

The new smartphones will be marketed in the brand’s physical stores, located in the Ibirapuera and Center Norte malls, in São Paulo, and in the manufacturer’s e-commerce, in addition to the physical points of sale in the associated retailers.

Abroad, an entry version, the 10T Lite, was also included in the portfolio of countries such as the United States and China, but it will not arrive in Brazil.

The smartphones are available in the colors Lunar Silver (gray), Aurora Blue (blue) and Cosmic Black (black), and have a fingerprint reader on the side and unlocking by facial recognition. The operating system is Android 10 and it has already been confirmed that the device receives the update for Android 11.

Check out the main features of the new device:

Luciano Barbosa, head of Xiaomi Brazil, in an interview with InfoMoney, explained that the arrival of the Mi 10T symbolizes a brand positioning da Xiaomi, in the premium line of smartphones.

“It is a device created with the most modern we have and it will help people understand the potential of the technology and the product that we are capable of offering. It should not be the company’s best-selling smartphone, but rather for a specific audience: fans of the brand, users who want top-of-the-line smartphones with new features, and content producers, ”says the executive.

Today, Xiaomi’s best-selling smartphone in Brazil is the Redmi Note 9, which costs R $ 2,299, according to Barbosa. In second place is the Pocophone Poco X3, which sells for R $ 3,799. “These have won over Brazilian consumers and they should remain at the top because the cost-benefit is attractive. Therefore, the arrival of the Mi 10T is to position ourselves with one more family of smartphones in Brazil ”, he explains.

From the point of view of business strategy, Xiaomi opted for a tripod at the launch of the new device: cameras, battery and screen are the differentials of the Mi 10T, according to Barbosa. “We thought about integrating these three fronts in a smart and resource-intensive way,” he says.

See the device:

Cameras

In the two device options, there are three cameras with a set consisting of a 64 MP main sensor, 13 MP ultra wide angle and 5 MP macro camera. The selfie camera is 33 MP and videos are recorded up to 8K.

The company opted for new functionalities for the cameras, such as the possibility of using the front and rear cameras at the same time (in the 10T Pro version), or the option “fotoclone” and “videoone”, which is available for both versions, that allows the client to take a photo or video and change position, appearing in the same capture more than once, as if he were on the side of his clone.

In addition, the cameras of the new line allow optical image stabilization, focus adjustment and are more sensitive to colors.

See the dual mode, which can be used for photos and videos:

And also the “clone” mode, presented in video format, but also available for photos:

Drums

The battery of the new device arrives with a 17% increase in the recharging speed, compared to the Mi Note 10, a version that until then occupied the top place of the brand’s line in Brazil. Also, the battery has 5,000 mAh. “We kept the charger in the box with the device and improved its performance. Fast charging is carried out using a 33-watt USB-C charger and the charge is completed in 66 minutes. The average battery time is two days, ”said Barbosa.

The reference to the charger on the box refers to Apple’s positioning on its latest release, the iPhone 12, in which it announced that it will stop offering the accessory alongside the device.

The battery power is the same as the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung’s top version. The S20 and S20 Plus have 4,000 mAh and 4,500 mAh, respectively. The iPhone12 has a 2,815 mAh battery, while its Pro Max version has 3,687 mAh.

screen

The screen of the Mi 10T and 10T Pro is 6.67 inches and is LCD, unlike the competitors, which have an Amoled screen.

The main differential is the 144 Hz refresh rate, that is, the screen is updated 144 times per second. “The goal is to make the device attractive for games as well. With such a rate, the experience is much more fluid, ”says Barbosa. However, it is true that few games already have an image quality that requires this level of refresh rate.

Barbosa explained that in addition, the cell phone is capable of improving the quality of the photo or video that is received or viewed on the cell phone. “If the consumer receives a video that is 30 Hz, it will automatically double to 60 Hz. If they are watching Netflix, for example, the same thing will happen. With old content, for example, the resource is ideal because it improves the quality of what the customer consumes, ”he said.

“To fabric AdaptiveSync from Xiaomi automatically adjusts the frame rate of content, from enjoying your favorite movie at 48Hz to venturing into games up to 144Hz, ensuring a smooth experience and restricted battery usage. The device screens also feature the technology Motion Compensation (MEMC), with more frames to make the video smoother and with better visualization, “says the company’s note.

5G

According to Xiaomi, an important new feature of the Mi 10T line is 5G connectivity. “More than high-speed, low-latency connections, 5G promises to change the way we live, making connected devices, ranging from cars to smartphones, more and more accessible,” Xiaomi said in a note.

However, the infrastructure that will allow 5G to reach Brazil is not ready yet. “We are bringing a device that is already compatible with 5G technology, although we know that the tests are still in the approval process and the service is not yet fully functional. But we are one step ahead and offer a ready device for the Brazilian consumer, ”Barbosa told InfoMoney.

Recently, the activations of the fifth generation mobile internet network carried out by Claro and Telefônica Brasil, owner of Vivo, put Brazil once and for all on the 5G route. The coverage, still restricted to some capitals, such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, promises a connection with a speed 12 times higher than that of 4G.

To be purchased you must be seen

Even during the pandemic and the economic adversities facing Brazil, Xiaomi continued with its launch schedule for this year. In addition to the arrival of the Mi 10T, in 2020 alone the company announced more than eight new products on different fronts.

Among them: Pocophone Poco X3, Redmi Note 9, Redmi Note 9 Pro smartphones, Mi Smart Band 5 and Mi Smart Band 4C smart bracelets, Mi Robot Vacuum MOP robot vacuum cleaner, Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 and Mi TV Stick.

“We had route adjustments, but most of the time it was to speed up the plans we already had. Indoor products grew during the pandemic, such as the robot vacuum cleaner, glasses with protection against blue rays, computer items, smart lamp, smart scale, among others ”, explained Barbosa.

The company’s strategy today is mainly focused on offering its products in more places. “We are working on access points. We need to be seen for customers to buy. We entered large retailers, such as Casas Bahía, and today we are present in more than 6 thousand physical points of sale, and we want to expand this performance as of next year ”, he said.

Portfolio increase

In addition, another part of the consolidation process of the brand in the country is to expand the portfolio. “We already understand that this format worked very well in Brazil. We want to increase our product line and bring more news. This year we brought the beauty line and we are looking for other lines to bring to Brazil. We are going to bet on household appliances, which are giving results ”, he explained.

Currently the company has about 400 products available in Brazil, and more than 2,000 in total in its portfolio covering the most diverse areas: from scooters to electric toothbrushes.

Today, the company’s best-selling product in Brazil is not a smartphone, but the Mi Body smart scale. The company did not disclose any product revenue or growth compared to last year. “The scale sells more than bracelets and smartphones. It is a differential of Xiaomi and also an ‘interior’ product, for the home ”, he said.

Although the best-selling product is not a smartphone, Barbosa said that today the financial volume of sales is proportional: 50% for smartphones and 50% for sales of the so-called ecosystem, which includes all products that are not cell phones.

Bet on electronic commerce

Another novelty this year was the update of the company’s e-commerce. “We exchange all the technological infrastructure behind our electronic commerce. We reformulated it to offer more experience, to be able to better organize our service, to offer more products ”, he said.

But even without this new version of the company’s official website, e-commerce has been showing considerable results. “We had an 800% increase in the financial volume of online sales. The jump was significant, but largely driven by higher average ticket products. The robot vacuum cleaner, for example, has been in great demand and costs around R $ 4,000. They are products with higher added value. So this in line with the increase in orders impacted this result. We hope to grow even more with the new website that was updated this month, ”he explains.

Next steps

In the world, Xiaomi surpassed Apple for the first time in global phone sales in the third quarter of this year and now ranks third among manufacturers. Xiaomi sold 46.5 million devices in the third quarter, almost 5 million more than Apple.

The road in Brazil is more challenging, but the executive is confident and said that the company will invest in consolidating contact with fans. “Before, our infrastructure did not allow an effective approach with the fans. We were unable to provide personalized service to everyone. We are working on it. And it is one of the objectives for next year. In addition, we are going to strengthen our brand positioning in the country, with more quality products that bring efficiency, “said the executive.