JOIN USChinese handset maker Xiaomi Monday launched its 5.5-inch smartphone Redmi Note for Rs.8,999 in India with its 4G variant priced Rs.9,999, a company statement said here.
"Redmi Note 4G is Mi India's very first 4G device, tailored specifically to India's 4G network. It is being launched in partnership with Bharti Airtel. As part of the Airtel partnership, Redmi Note 4G will retail at select Airtel stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai," the company, also known as "Apple of China", said in a statement.
Both the 4G and dual SIM 3G versions of Redmi Note will also be sold through Mi's Indian e-commerce partner, Flipkart.
Registration for the 3G version of Redmi Note will begin on Flipkart on Nov 25 at 6 p.m., with the sale starting at 2 p.m. on Dec 2.
Redmi Note 4G will be available in Airtel stores by end-December. Customers will need to register online before visiting Airtel stores to purchase the device, it said.
"With Airtel as our partner for Mi India's first 4G device, we are committed to providing the best Internet experience with faster speeds. Our fans will also have easier access to our products from Airtel's flagship stores," said Manu Jain, operations head of Mi India.
"The partnership with Xiaomi will enable our customers to easily access the high quality yet affordable Redmi Note 4G at our stores. While customers in our 4G cities can start enjoying 4G services on our superior network with Redmi Note 4G, customers in the other cities can be ready to upgrade to 4G as and when we launch in these markets," said Srini Gopalan, director - consumer business, Bharti Airtel.
Incidentally, Bharti Airtel is the first telecom service provider in the country to launch 4G services. Airtel 4G services are now available in 15 cities in India - Bangalore, Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Phagwara, Hoshiarpur, Nagpur, Patiala, Pune and Nasik.