Speculations about an upcoming Xiaomi laptop have been swirling for a while now, with the latest nugget of news pinning a date for its release. According to sources, the device will begin shipping from April 2016.
So far, we know that Xiaomi has teamed up with Inventec, a Taiwan-based manufacturer, to build the laptop. The notebook apparently resembles the Apple MacBook Air in terms of design and will supposedly continue the Chinese brand’s philosophy of providing premium specs at an affordable price.
Android Headlines claims that Xiaomi was planning to unveil 12.5-inch and 13.3-inch versions of the notebook at the same time. The variants were to be produced by Inventec and Compal Electronics, respectively. It’s now decided to only launch the 12.5-inch version first, possibly to see what kind of response it garners from the public and whether it does well or not.
It’s a safe move, allowing Xiaomi to test out its maiden laptop offering (mock-up image above) within the highly competitive PC market before expanding its range. The segment has seen a decline over the years with the rise of smartphones. The 12.5-inch gadget is set to be manufactured by Inventec at its Shanghai factory and will be ready for shipping by April next year.
This information is sourced from Taiwan-based supply chain makers, who told DigiTimes the Xiaomi notebook may cost about 2999 Yuan, which translates to approximately $470. They also stated that most of the components for the device will be provided by China-based companies.
Also See: Xiaomi Mi 5 possibly seen sporting bezel-less display
Other than the Xiaomi laptop, 2016 will also see the release of the highly-anticipated Mi 5. The latest rumor concerning the specs of the handset maker’s next flagship phone speculates that it will have a physical home button which doubles up as a fingerprint scanner.