At its high-profile Redmi Note 12 5G series launch event, Xiaomi revealed some key insights into how it is approaching 2023 in terms of product positioning as well as pricing. The company seems a lot clearer about its future roadmap setting itself clear-cut goals basis of user and critical feedback. The key takeaways include a more streamlined portfolio and the intent to launch “flagship” Redmi phones priced at above Rs 30,000.
Both the bits are crucial. The company has, prior to the Redmi Note 12 series launch in India, admitted that launching way too many phones under the Redmi Note 11 line-up was a “misstep” and that it was willing to do course correction by launching fewer models under the Redmi Note 12 series “with each standing tall in its segment”. At the event, Xiaomi reiterated on this further with some more information (that wasn’t shared before) announcing that it was dropping the Redmi Note S and T series altogether this year.
“This year, we are promising to have a much cleaner and neater portfolio,” Muralikrishnan B, President, Xiaomi India said during his keynote address, adding that “the Redmi Note S and T series have been dropped in order to streamline and clean up the portfolio [basis of user feedback]”.
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The Note 12 series spawns three models for now. These are the vanilla Redmi Note 12, Redmi Note 12 Pro, and Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus. The Redmi Note 12 starts at Rs 17,999 for 4GB/128GB and can go up to Rs 19,999 for 6GB/128GB. The Redmi Note 12 Pro is available with 6GB/128GB for Rs 24,999, 8GB/128GB for Rs 26,999, and 8GB/256GB for Rs 27,999. The top-shelf Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus on the other hand starts at Rs 29,999 for 8GB/256GB and can go up to Rs 32,999 for 12GB/256GB.
With the Redmi Note “pro” series, Xiaomi wants to offer flagship-like capabilities in a package that’s “still easy on the pocket”. But the company also plans to go beyond that with the Redmi K-series, that’s now being billed as the ultimate Redmi flagship that would stand toe-to-toe with other Xiaomi flagship models.
These Redmi K-series phones will be priced above Rs 30,000 and can go upwards. That’s a bit of change from what we’ve seen from something like say the Redmi K50i which was launched at around Rs 25,000 and is currently available for as low as Rs 23,999. It could be that Xiaomi is talking about a phone more on the lines of a Redmi K60 which comes with premium hardware like a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and wireless charging (this phone has been rumoured to launch in India, eventually, either as is or as a Poco phone).
Whatever be the case, we will know soon enough. Watch this space for more.
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