Xiaomi Inc (XIAOMZ), the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, today, launched its first “Made in India” smartphone. Named as “Redmi 2 Prime”, the model is rolled out from Xiaomi’s first manufacturing unit in India at Visakhapatnam in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Xiaomi has partnered with Taiwan’s Foxconn to start assembling phones in India under the contract manufacturing agreement. The move is seen as a step to make inroads in a price sensitive Indian market that has seen a liking for budget smartphones.
Hugo Barra, Xiaomi Global Vice President, said on the release,
“Redmi 2 Prime is the first smartphone from Xiaomi to be assembled in our facility in Sri City. We would like to thank Andhra Pradesh government for helping us to start local manufacturing within just six months. Initial talks started in February and today we have already started to sell the Redmi 2 Prime.”
Recognizing the “Make in Indian” initiative, promoted by the Indian Government, the company said that it intends to procure components such as battery and charger from the Indian vendors soon. As of now, Xiaomi is sourcing all components from China.
Redmi 2 Prime Specifications
Looking at the specifications, the Redmi 2 Prime is an impressive device to say the least. For those who have seen the popular Redmi 2 smartphone, the new Redmi 2 Prime looks similar to former but with upgraded features.
The 4G enabled Redmi 2 Prime comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage, twice that of Redmi 2. The device has 4.7-inch High Definition display and runs on Android 4.4 KitKat swith MIUI 6.0 software. Redmi 2 Prime is run by a 64-bit 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB of RAM. The phone houses an impressive 16GB internal storage space with microSD card option of up to 32GB.
Built with 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera, the phone comes with a 2,200mAh battery. Connectivity is plenty, as it supports dual-SIM, 3G, 4G (on both SIM cards), Bluetooth and GPS.
Valued same as Redmi 2, Rs.6999 looks to be an attractive buy for “Redmi 2 Prime”.