Xiaomi launches the next TV and a scooter

Finally Xiaomi unveiled three products on October 19, but there was no camera in sight. Well, the teasers from CEO Bin Lin were meant to deviate the media and fans from the actual product being launched. This caused a huge speculation in the market as to what Xiaomi would be unveiling.

On October 19, Xiaomi finally raised the curtains from two products, of which, one was high-end consumer electronics and the second was a transportation gadget. The Chinese tech giant has ventured into almost every segment where humans interact and benefit from digital electronics. They showed off the next version of the Mi TV—the Mi TV3 and an electric self-balancing scooter—the Ninebot mini.

Mi TV 3: The next model to the Mi TV lineup is now the Mi TV 3, priced at approx Rs 50,000. This one is a 60-incher 4K smart television with an LG 4K display panel and an ultra-thin 11.6mm aluminum metal frame. The new TV 3 is a next-generation smart television which can be upgraded every 1.5 years. The Xiaomi innovation has just made the consumer happier than before with an upgradable television. Since the display panel has a life span of around 10 years (and even more) the internal electronics can be simply upgraded with ease.

But guess what Xiaomi did to the smart TV? Unlike the conventional TVs, they have now clubbed the television into two parts—the panel and the new Mi Bar. While the panel can be kept the same, you can simply replace the Mi Bar, which has all the electronics—the motherboard with the operating system, the audio speakers and the other interfaces. The display panel usually is the most expensive part of the television and costs around 70% of the entire equipment. 20% is the motherboard and this is what has been separated. The only bad part we found—the Mi TV 3 does not support 3D since the refresh rate is just 60Hz. Come on Xiaomi—we know you could do better!

The Mi Bar: (which contains the motherboard and audio system) can be replaced by any user as it is a separate unit altogether and is priced around Rs 10,000. The Mi Bar can be bought separately and can convert any LCD display into a smart TV system. You can also opt for a subwoofer (Rs 6,000) if you prefer better bass. The motherboard features an MStar 6A928 4K TV processor, a Cortex A17 quad-core 1.4GHz processor, Mali-T760 octa core GPU, 8GB of onboard storage, an 802.11ac wireless networking and a Bluetooth LE 4.1 interface. Additionally, it features a Dolby Audio processor for better surround sound capabilities. For an additional price of Rs 1,000, you can opt for a Bluetooth LE remote controller which has a 6-axis sensor and features voice control for the television and smart Bar.

Price for the TV 3 and Bar together is approximately Rs 60,000. You can use the TV3 without the Bar if you wish as it is an optional accessory for those who prefer to upgrade their TV in future. Add Rs 1,000 and Rs 6,000 for the optional remote and subwoofer accessories.

Ninebot mini: For an excellent price of just Rs 20,000, this little segway junior can speed up to 16kmph and transport you for a whopping 22km on a single full charge. Unlike the conventional Segway, the Ninebot mini can be steered with your legs itself. The self-balancing scooter weighs just 12.8Kg and can be carried around with ease since it has a shoulder-width length and it also fits into the trunk of any car. The scooter is made from aerospace-grade aluminum alloy and can be controlled using your smartphone too. You can additionally get speedometer updates, set the preferences, get traffic data, fault detection and get firmware updates straight from your smartphone. For an additional price of Rs 1,700, you can add in a set of safety gear, which includes knee pads, elbow pads and a helmet.