Besides smartphones, Xiaomi has a wide range of products in its catalog that covers almost every category from laptops and TVs to IoT devices and home appliances. Expanding it further, the company has now launched an eBook reader in China and is calling it the Mi Reader. Although the eReader market is largely dominated by the likes of Amazon Kindle and the Kobo eReader, Xiaomi is not afraid to step into the market and fight for its spot.
Xiaomi Mi Reader: Design and Display
The Mi Reader appears to have a similar design language as the Amazon Kindle. It features a 6-inch HD e-ink display with 221ppi pixel density, and a built-in LED light that supports up to 24 brightness settings. The company says the LED can brighten the display uniformly up to 90% to allow for comfortable reading under different lighting situations. Towards the back, the reader has a soft-touch plastic feel and weighs in at just 178 grams, which makes it easy to carry and hold for longer durations.
Xiaomi Mi Reader: Performance
At its core, the Mi Reader comes with a 1.8GHz quad-core Allwinner B300 processor, paired with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It is equipped with a 1800mAh battery that can be juiced up using the 5V charger over USB Type-C.
On the software front, the device runs on a custom UI based on Android 8.1 Oreo. Similar to Kindle, the Mi Reader also supports a wide range of formats, such as TXT, PDF, DOC, XLS, PPT, EPUD, along with an entire suite of compatible WPS and Microsoft Office content. Furthermore, it also allows users to login with their WeChat or Xiaomi account to sync their eBook library in real-time and read it on the device.
Xiaomi Mi Reader: Pricing and Availability
The Mi Reader is priced at 579 yuan (~$82 / Rs 5923). It will be available via crowdfunding starting November 20. Xiaomi says once the crowdfunding is achieved, the Mi Reader will be available for 599 yuan (~$85 / Rs 6127), with shipments starting December 18. As for international availability, the company is yet to reveal any detail.