UPDATED 04:23 EDT / JULY 28 2016

NEWS

Xiaomi enters the laptop market with the $750 Mi Notebook Air

Xiaomi Inc. has launched its first laptop called the Mi Notebook Air, which comes in a top-of-range 13.3-inch version as well as a more portable 12.5-inch model. Whether this is a good move by the Chinese company is unknown at this stage. However, considering the Chinese notebook market is predicted to contract by 10.4 percent this year, according to IDC analyst Bryan Ma, it could be a risky move.

We look at how the top-of-the-range 13.3-inch model compares to the Apple MacBook and 13.3” MacBook Air.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air vs. Retina MacBook vs. MacBook Air: Tech specs

13.3” Mi Notebook Air

MacBook

13.3” MacBook Air

Processor

Intel Core i5-6200U “Skylake-U” processor

1.1GHz or 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor (Turbo Boost up to 2.4GHz) with 4MB shared L3 cache
Configurable to 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor (Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz) with 4MB shared L3 cache.

1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache.
Configurable to 2.2GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz) with 4MB shared L3 cache.

Memory

8GB of RAM

8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory

4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Configurable to 8GB.

Hard Drive / Storage

256GB SSD

SATA slot available to increase storage by up to 256GB

256GB PCIe-based onboard flash storage, Configurable to 512GB flash storage.

128GB PCIe-based flash storage / 256GB PCIe-based flash storage
Configurable to 512GB flash storage.

Display and webcam

13.3-inch full HD display 1,920 x 1,080. NVIDIA GeForce 940MX GPU. 1MP webcam

Retina display
12-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology
(2304 x 1440 at 226 ppi), Intel HD Graphics 5300, 480p FaceTime camera

13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900),Intel HD Graphics 6000, 720p FaceTime HD camera

Ports and connectors

Type-C USB for charging, 2x USB 3.0, 1x HDMI, 3.5mm audio port

One USB-C port with support for:
Charging
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps)
Native DisplayPort 1.2 video output
VGA output using USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
HDMI video output using USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (sold separately)

Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), Thunderbolt 2 port (up to 20 Gbps), MagSafe 2 power port, SDXC card slot

Battery

Up to 9.5 hours, 40Wh battery. 50 percent charge in 30 minutes

Up to 9 hours wireless web, Up to 10 hours iTunes movie playback, Up to 30 days of standby time, Built-in 39.7-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, 29W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C power port

Up to 12 hours wireless web, Up to 12 hours iTunes movie playback, Up to 30 days standby time, Built-in 54‑watt‑hour lithium‑polymer battery, 45W, MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management; MagSafe 2 power port

Dimensions and weight

12.17” x 8.3” x 0.58”, 2.82 lbs

11.04”” x 7.74 x 0.14–0.52, 2.03 lbs

12.8” x 8.94“ x 0.68”, 2.96 lbs

Price

$750

$1,299: 256GB$1,599: 512GB

$999: 128GB    $1,199: 256GB

Design

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air

The 13.3-inch Mi Notebook Air is thinner and lighter than the MacBook Air, but lacks the wedge design of the MacBook Air.

Both models feature a slim body, devoid of a logo on the exterior and come in silver and gold color options. Both have a 1080p display with slim under-glass bezels, 1MP webcam, a USB Type-C charging port and an appealing price tag.

Battery

The claimed battery life for the Mi Notebook Air of 9.5 hours puts it on par with the MacBook, but still lags behind the 12 hours claimed for the MacBook Air. However, the lower specced 12.5-inch Mi Notebook Air does provide a claimed battery life of 11.5 hours.   

Enhanced gaming capabilities

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 3

The 13.3-inch Mi Notebook Air comes with a discrete graphics card – the Nvidia GeForce 940MX. The Mi Notebook Air’s full-HD 1,920 x 1,080 display allows gamers to enjoy games like Dota 2 at 85 frames per second.

Price & availability

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 4

If you are now eager to get your hands on the Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air when it becomes available on August 2, unfortunately, you are out of luck, unless you are in China. At this stage, the Mi Notebook Air will only be available for purchase in China.

The 13.3-inch model will retail for $750. While the lower specced, but lighter 12.5-inch model with longer battery life will retail for $525.  

Images via: Xiaomi

 


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