14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, Xiaomi’s first tablet product went on sale in China on July 1. And as we have become accustomed with the products being rolled out by the company, this one sold out extremely fast, too.
Xiaomi’s first batch included 50,000 units, and guess what, by the time we’re writing this article they are all sold out. And this happened in less than 4 minutes, as Tablet-News reports.
But those familiar with Xiaomi’s track record aren't that surprised, since the company is known for selling out on smartphones in mere seconds.
For those of you who are in China now and haven’t had the chance to pick one of these colorful models up, you should know that the next round for MiPad sales kickstarts on July 8, almost a week from now. Those interested should get their money ready and make sure to stay close to the computer when the clock strikes 12:00.
Why is there so much fuss about the MiPad? Probably because the tablet has been dubbed the Android iPad Mini with Retina Display.
Xiaomi’s tablet was officially launched on May 15, after being previously rumored extensively. The device is the first consumer-oriented one to arrive with NVIDIA’s latest Tegra K1 SoC processor clocked at 2.2GHz fitted with 2GB of RAM.
The tablet arrives with an iPad Mini-reminiscent form factor, meaning we’re dealing with a 7.9-inch screen offering 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. In the design department, Xiaomi seems to have borrowed from Apple's iPhone 5c, coating the back of the slate with colorful plastic.
The MiPad is quite light, as it weighs just 360 g / 0.79 lbs, so it could become your perfect travel buddy. The slate’s life cycle depends on a 6,700 mAh battery.
All the above can be yours (if you live in China) for the super affordable price of $240 / €176, for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, while the 64GB model can be grabbed for $275 / €201. This budget-friendly rate is one of the main reasons the tablet will become super popular.
Previous to the consumer launch, the MiPad was offered for the price of just 16 cents to VIP members of the Xiaomi forums.
As for the US, the tablet is not available for purchase there yet, because Xiaomi deems the market too competitive. However, the company has recently expressed its intentions of bringing some of its smartphone products to the country starting with 2015. But they failed to specify anything about the tablet.