It is one of the most important mobile phone manufacturers in the world and has risen to second place in telephone distribution in Europe. Yes, Xiaomi has gained recognition, and not precisely to facilitate the choice of a smartphone. Because, are you looking for a mid-range brand? It can become more difficult to choose than to retain half of the catalog.
I have lost count of all the mobiles that I have been able to analyze in recent years. Dozens, hundreds of them; among which Xiaomi surely reserves a leading position. From the most upscale to the austere; even when they couldn’t even be bought in Europe, difficult times for those looking for a Xiaomi. Today the difficulty in obtaining these phones is zero, choosing which one to buy is complicated.
This is how Xiaomi makes money – they pull you in and suck you in
Different brands by range and price. In theory
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
Xiaomi has structured its catalog of phones into different brands and families so that, at least in principle, easier to opt for one or the other model. It all depends on the budget and the desired quality in key details such as the camera, the construction materials or the fast loading speed.
According to Xiaomi, and always bearing in mind that the various “sub-brands” may have a greater or lesser degree of involvement with the main manufacturer, the catalog is structured as follows:
- Redmi. The cheapest mobiles, those that reduce the specifications so that the user finds it cheaper to access them. The price range reaches up to 150 dollars.
- Redmi Rating. The mid-range par excellence and the one that represents the most commercial successes for Xiaomi. It should oscillate between 200 and 350 dollars.
- A LITTLE. Second brand of Xiaomi and one of the best known for reducing the price of phones as much as possible. Its range oscillates between 150 and 400 dollars.
- Xiaomi Lite. Cropped versions of the main representatives of the brand. Its price line points to 350 dollars.
- Xiaomi T. It’s the “accessible top of the range”, if this categorization really exists. They are above the Lite, and below the “premium” representatives, the Xiaomi with a number (and now without the “Mi”). The T moves between 400 and 600 dollars.
- Xiaomi. The brand reserves the “premium” area of the catalog for mobiles that represent it. They belong to the “Xiaomi + number” family; with different add-ons (Pro, Ultra, Mix…). Its price starts at 650 dollars.
- black shark. They’re not strictly Xiaomi, but they’re sponsored by the brand, they appear for sale on the Xiaomi page (in China) and it also hosts Black Shark events. These are exclusively gaming mobiles that go from 600 dollars.
Black Shark 4 Pro
The previous one is a generalized classification in the extreme since the price limits as well as the ranges can vary. In addition, there is an addition that makes the classification even more confusing: the name changes as the brand internationalizes its mobiles. In China, Xiaomi sells high-end Redmi; that reach international territory such as POCO mobiles, Xiaomi T or whatever the brand offers. And the same can happen with the rest of the families (except with the Black Shark).
To make it harder to track specific models, Xiaomi may change their name when they release in another country.
If the way Xiaomi has structured the different price ranges is already a real mess for the buyer, it’s time to close the loop. Because, are mobile phones really different from each other?
A BIT that can be a Redmi and a Lite at the same time
POCO M4 Pro 5G
Xiaomi’s strategy points to the mid-range: its idea is pushes the price range from 150 to 400 dollars to the extreme. And, despite the fact that the differentiation by brands and families has its logic, the catalog that eventually emerges lacks it.
Take the latest Redmi Note 11S as an example. It’s a good mid-range for the 230 dollars it’s worth starting. And it would be the logical choice in this price range if it weren’t for a handful of other similar phones from the same brand. Because how is this Redmi Note 11S 5G different from the POCO M4 Pro 5G? Moreover: both of these phones are practically attributed to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G. This is just one example that is repeated almost until exhaustion at Xiaomi.
Mobile phones with traced interior that are distributed as different phones with different pricesmodels that come out in China with a name and then change their name when they make the leap to India and later to Europe… And another aggravating factor: Xiaomi prices are falling so fast that you never know whether to buy a specific phone or wait to lower the price.
If choosing a current Xiaomi mobile is difficult in itself, the task becomes extremely complicated when last year’s phones enter the evaluation: it is often much more interesting to choose an old Xiaomi than a recent one. And since their characteristics usually don’t differ much…
Choosing a mid-range Xiaomi mobile can be a very complicated task, and not only because of the jumble of names, denominations and features that get tangled up with each other like the cable of a headset newly stowed in the bag. Back-to-Back: It’s often more worth tossing tossing a coin and opting for whatever comes your way.
