In what has to be disappointing news to Xiaomi fans in India, a new report suggests that the company’s flagship phone, the Mi 6, will not be coming to India.
The report comes from India Today, which claims that “sources” have confirmed this news to them. The company is apparently more interested in focusing on the budget end of the market with devices like the Redmi 4A and Redmi Note series.
Last year’s Mi 5 was a great phone from the Chinese company, but it’s safe to say that it was easily overshadowed by the likes of the Redmi Note 3 and other devices. It’s unlikely that the Mi 5 earned the company much either. It wasn’t readily available at first and it wasn’t long before the likes of the OnePlus 3 stole the limelight.
The fact that Xiaomi’s flagship isn’t coming is hugely disappointing, but in the absence of a face like Hugo Barra and Xiaomi’s declining fortunes in India and China might simply mean that the company is wary of taking risks.
In that light, the decision to stick to budget smartphones in India seems like a very sensible one.
The company’s budget offerings are still very strong right now, and for good reason, the absence of a face like Hugo Bara and high-profile launch events might, over time, erode its brand image and relegate it to the just-another-Chinese-smartphone category.
As we’ve noted in our reviews of Xiaomi devices, they represent excellent value for money, but they’re very hard to get.