Xiaomi’s Youpin crowdfunding platform has been used to launch a number of affordable electric bicycles over the last few years. And with each new model, the bikes seem to become increasingly attention-grabbing. Take for example the new Himo Z16 electric bicycle just unveiled for $352.
At first glance, the Himo Z16 looks like several other e-bikes recently launched on Xiaomi’s platform.
But a closer look reveals a number of interesting features.
The 22.5 kg (49.6 lb) bike rides on 16-inch mag wheels and is rated for riders up to 100 kg (220 lb).
The Himo Z16 folds in three locations (handlebars, frame, and pedals) and uses magnetic clasps to keep the bike folded during transport.
The Himo Z16 e-bike’s display is a high-definition LCD rated to IPX7 waterproof levels and the frame houses front and rear integrated LED lights.
The electric bike even has regenerative braking — or at least I think it does, based on the best machine translation I could get, which resulted in: “The motor generates reverse resistance, which effectively eliminates the amount of electricity loss and increases the mileage.”
The rear wheel houses a 250W geared hub motor, though the 14 Amp controller means that the system actually pulls a peak power of 500W.
The Himo Z16’s 360Wh battery is hidden within the frame, where it is lockable and removable. The battery is rated for 55 km (34 mi) of range on throttle-only and 80 km (50 mi) of range on pedal assist, though those ranges were achieved under testing at the slow speed of 15 km/h (9.3 mph). I’d wager that the range at the bike’s top speed of 25 km/h (15 mph) is likely around two-thirds of those figures.
A 360Wh battery isn’t huge, but is actually around twice the size of a standard battery for a Himo bike of this size, especially considering the low price of RMB 2,499 (US$352). Most 360Wh batteries in the West cost as much as this entire bike.
For now, the Himo Z16 e-bike is only available within China on Xiaomi’s Youpin platform. However, many of Xiaomi’s inexpensive e-bikes have made it to the international market rather quickly.
Late last year the Himo H1 electric bike debuted on Youpin for $425. Just a few months ago, it made the jump to Indiegogo and is available internationally with only a slight price increase to $465 for early-bird customers or $499 for everyone else. And full disclosure: I actually bought one. It’s a ridiculous little e-bike, but I wanted to test it out and have some fun on it. There’s still a week left on that campaign, if you want to snag one of your own.
It’s not even the first cheap Himo e-bike I’ve bought after finding it on Xiaomi’s platform. I also picked up the $261 Himo V1. It’s a hilarious little e-bike with a few surprising features that I haven’t seen on $2,000 e-bikes in the US, such as an integrated on board charger. I did a whole unboxing and test video that just passed 1M views, if you want to check that out too.
Suffice it to say that Xiaomi’s inexpensive e-bikes aren’t just getting more popular, they’re getting better. I’m going to try to get my hands on one of these new Himo Z16 e-bikes to see how it works in the real world. But with realistic (i.e. not tiny) 16-inch wheels, rear suspension that looks decently effective, an HD LCD screen and a load rating of up to 220 lb, this is a lot of e-bike for $350. Color me impressed. I’d love to have seen a higher top speed, but Chinese laws restrict e-bikes to 25 km/h (15 mph), so this is the best we’re going to get unless they offer a derestricted model for international markets. And front suspension would have been perfect for a bike like this, though I imagine cost and weight considerations left it out.
Xiaomi’s video and 5G-forward flagship smartphone series debuts alongside five new ecosystem products for global markets
Global technology leader Xiaomi today launched the latest devices in its popular Mi smartphone lineup – Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, and Mi 10 Lite 5G – alongside five new ecosystem products. For the first time ever, each device in Xiaomi’s new flagship line is 5G-ready out of the box, enabling the next generation in mobile connectivity. The new ecosystem products slated for Xiaomi’s global markets include Mi AIoT Router AX3600 , Mi AIoT Router AC2350, Mi TV 4S 65”, Mi Air Purifier 3H, and Mi True Wireless Earphones 2.
Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10: Boasting Xiaomi’s most compelling all-round smartphone experience
Creators’ Choice: quad camera setup with ultra-clear 108MP sensor captures the ultimate photo and video content
Mi 10 Pro brings photography and videography to the forefront with its impressive hardware setup and software features. Packed with an impressive 108MP primary sensor, Mi 10 Pro offers one of the biggest smartphone sensors currently on the market.
In addition to shooting ultra-clear 108MP shots, users can document scenes in full perspective, thanks to Mi 10 Pro’s 20MP ultra wide-angle lens. The device includes two dedicated telephoto lenses that cover a wide range of focal lengths: users can snap gorgeous portraits at 2x zoom, or faraway subjects up to 50x zoom with the OIS-stabilized ultra long-range zoom lens.
The main camera’s laser autofocus module, AI 2.0, Night mode 2.0, and dual-flash join forces to capture unrivaled details during daytime photography and brighter, clearer photos at night. Mi 10 Pro offers the world’s most compelling photography experience with a DxOMark score of 124, ranking #1 globally at launch.
When it comes to videography, Mi 10 Pro goes all in. Achieving a DxOMark video score of 104, Mi 10 Pro is the top-ranked device for videography. The device offers the industry-leading UHD 8K 30fps video recording feature to capture every moment in detail, while its unique video modes – including Portrait video, Color focus, ShootSteady, Vlog, and slow motion – allow users to easily create movie-grade content. Mi 10 Pro also offers a Pro mode with additional software options for those striving for a more professional video quality.
Mi 10 Pro
World’s best smartphone audio experience with symmetrical dual speakers
Leveraging best-in-class audio hardware, both Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10 sport a symmetrical dual speaker system on both the top and bottom. The setup involves two 1216 super-linear speakers and a 1.2cc/1.0cc-equivalent speaker chamber with up to 0.65mm/0.5mm speaker amplitude, respectively. Both devices have been specially tuned at every discrete volume level which assists in producing superior sound fidelity. These features come together to create an extraordinary and immersive smartphone audio experience, with Mi 10 Pro earning a DxOMark Audio score of 76, ranking #1 globally.
Introducing Xiaomi’s most elegant smartphone design with unmatched TrueColor Display
Beauty and functionality join forces to form Xiaomi’s most elegant smartphone design ever. Both Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10 sport a 3D curved front and back with smooth contoured edges and slim side bezels to enable the Mi series’ most comfortable in-hand feel yet. To ensure durability, both devices are outfitted with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5 on both the front and back. Mi 10 Pro flaunts an anti-glare finish and frosted glass rear panel, while Mi 10 offers a gorgeous glossy back. Moreover, the devices’ specially designed discrete in-display front camera minimizes bezels and allows for more display area.
Featuring a dazzling 6.67” curved AMOLED edge-to-edge DotDisplay with TrueColor technology, Mi 10 Pro offers unparalleled color accuracy for serious creatives and casual consumers alike with a JNCD <0.55 and △E <1.1. This new generation display technology yields higher brightness (up to 1200nit maximum brightness) and better power efficiency over its predecessor, while a 90Hz SmoothSync display provides fast and fluid screen response for a stutter-free experience.
All in all, Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10 deliver Xiaomi’s most pleasant display ever. Dual brightness sensors offer accurate brightness detection, while various brightness modes ensure ultimate eye comfort. In fact, both devices are TÜV Rheinland low blue-light certified, and verified by HDR10+ for their vivid visual experience.
Mi 10
Leading performance and speed with Snapdragon™ 865 + LPDDR5 + UFS 3.0
Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10 feature the latest 5G-enabled flagship Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 865 5G Mobile Platform. Enhancing CPU, GPU, AI performance and the overall user experience, the 7nm chipset features a maximum clock speed of 2.84GHz with the new Kyro™ 585 based on the ARM Cortex-A77 architecture, and also touts improvements in power-efficiency. The powerful chipset is accompanied by ultra high-speed RAM and storage combinations – LPDDR5 and UFS3.0, offering exceptional write-read data and powerful computing capabilities.
Moreover, the devices boast LiquidCool 2.0 – an advanced cooling system consisting of a large vapor chamber, as well as multi-layer graphite and graphene stacks that dissipates heat generated during long-term use to ensure peak performance. This robust overall hardware setup earned Mi 10 Pro a compelling AnTuTu benchmark score of 602,660.
Catering to the increasing demand for high speed content consumption in the 5G era, Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10 not only offer 5G network connection, but also support 5G MultiLink for simultaneous connection to three networks (2.4G/5G Wi-Fi and mobile data) at once for quick connection switching. Additionally, both devices feature Wi-Fi 6 support, the most advanced Wi-Fi standard currently available. This significantly increases the upload and download speed, while reducing network congestion when connected to multiple devices.
Wireless charging-enabled high capacity batteries team up with ultra-realistic haptic feedback systems for the ultimate smartphone experience
Under the hood, Mi 10 Pro packs an ultra-high-capacity 4500mAh battery that enables a triple fast charging experience with 50W wired charging, 30W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. Mi 10 sports a 4,780mAh battery and offers 30W wired and wireless charging, as well as reverse wireless charging.1
Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10’s ultra-realistic vibration system delivers crisper, more realistic haptic feedback than ever before with 150 different vibration options. These updated haptics improve acceleration strength and consistency, and provide sophisticated vibration for the user.
Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10 also offer multifunctional NFC and IR blaster for daily access of swift payment transactions and quick remote control of home appliances.
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 865 5G Mobile Platform, up to 2.84GHz clock speed
Storage
LPDDR5 + UFS 3.0
Cooling System
LiquidCool 2.0 – Vapor Chamber + multi-layer graphite + graphene with up to 10.5°C CPU temperature reduction2
Rear Camera
108MP main lens with 1/1.33” sensor, 8P, 1.6μm 4-in-1 Super Pixels with OIS 20MP ultra wide-angle lens, 117° FOV 12MP telephoto portrait lens with dual PD 8MP telephoto lens with 10x hybrid zoom and OIS
108MP main lens with 1/1.33” sensor, 7P, 1.6μm 4-in-1 Super Pixel with OIS 13MP ultra wide-angle lens, 123° FOV 2MP depth sensor lens, 1.75μm 2MP macro lens
Front Camera
20MP discrete in-display camera
Connection
Multifunctional NFC, IR blaster
Security
Ultra-thin in-screen fingerprint sensor
Battery & Charging1
4,500mAh (typ) high-capacity battery 50W wired fast charge (45 mins to 100%2) 30W wireless fast charge Reverse wireless charging 65W in-box charger
4,780mAh (typ) high-capacity battery 30W wired fast charge (56 mins to 100%2) 30W wireless fast charge Reverse wireless charging 30W in-box charger
Audio
Dual 1216 linear speakers, symmetrical speakers system 1.2cc sound chamber Hi-Res Audio certification
Dual 1216 linear speakers, symmetrical speakers system 1.0cc sound chamber Hi-Res Audio certification
Motor
X-axis linear vibration motor
System
MIUI 11 based on Android 10
Storage Variants
8GB+256GB
8GB+128GB 8GB+256GB
Mi 10 Pro is available in two colors, Alpine White and Solstice Grey, in 8GB+256GB at €999. Meanwhile, Mi 10 has two variants 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB, in Twilight Grey and Coral Green, starting at €799 and €899 respectively.
***
Introducing 5G to everyone – the brand-new Mi 10 Lite 5G
In an effort to make the endless possibilities of 5G accessible to every user, Xiaomi unveiled an additional member to the Mi 10 family during today’s launch – Mi 10 Lite 5G.
Inheriting the flagship screen and camera offerings from the Mi 10 series, Mi 10 Lite 5G features a 48MP AI quad-camera setting and a 6.57’’ AMOLED TrueColor display with optimized color accuracy. Paired with incredible photography and videography features, such as Night mode 2.0, AI Dynamic Skyscaping, and Vlog mode, Mi 10 Lite 5G allows users to create stunning static and video content with top-notch visual performance.
Featuring a Qualcomm®️ Snapdragon™ 765G and an integrated X52 modem, Mi 10 Lite 5G offers blazing 5G connectivity to power even the most hyper-connected lifestyle. With its Kyro™ 475 chip processor, stellar RAM and storage combo, LPDDR4X and UFS 2.1, Mi 10 Lite 5G ensures a powerful computing performance and efficient operating system.
Mi 10 Lite 5G packs a 4,160mAh large battery and up to 20W fast charge for all-day use, as well as QC3.5 and FFC support.
Mi 10 Lite 5G will be available for purchase starting at €349 in May.
***
Advanced technology sets new ecosystem devices apart: Mi AIoT Router AX3600 , Mi AIoT Router AC2350, Mi TV, Mi Air Purifier 3H and Mi True Wireless Earphones 2
Mi AIoT Router AX3600: Leading the next generation of network speed, Mi AIoT Router AX3600 is Xiaomi’s first Wi-Fi 6 enabled router, offering the latest wireless connectivity standards. It sports a dedicated AIoT antenna and Wi-Fi chip, allowing for automatic discovery of IOT devices and easy pairing with one-click configuration. It also supports connecting up to 248 devices simultaneously. Mi AIoT Router AX3600 will be available soon for €119.99.
Mi AIoT Router AC2350: Mi AIoT Router AC2350 is the Wi-Fi 5 variant of Mi AIoT Router AX3600 and supports up to 128 devices. Featuring Wi-Fi speed up to 2183Mbps, the device’s seven external power amplifiers ensures great coverage and stable connection. Mi AIoT Router AX2350 will be available soon for €49.99.
Aside from the two routers, Xiaomi also introduced an array of ecosystem products armed with advanced technology that sets them apart from other products on the market. These offerings include:
Mi TV 4S 65’’: Boasting a truly cinematic experience, Mi TV 4S 65’’ offers best-in-class picture quality with 4K and HDR10+, along with superior sound quality via DTS-HD and Dolby Audio support. Featuring a variety of content providers including Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and more, viewers will enjoy an extensive library of entertainment options. Additional apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store for even more content options, and users can take advantage of convenient features such as Chromecast and Google Assistant.
Priced at €549, Mi TV 4S 65’’ will be available for purchase this June at Authorized Mi Stores.
Mi Air Purifier 3H: Featuring a significantly improved purification performance, the newly released Mi Air Purifier 3H offers an upgraded CADR of 380m2 which efficiently covers up to 45m2 of space. It also sports a true HEPA filter that eliminates 99.97% of micro-particles and an OLED touch display that shows real-time air quality and allows users to manually adjust settings. Mi Air Purifier 3H can also be controlled via the Mi Home App and is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Mi Air Purifier 3H will be available soon, starting at €179.99.
Mi True Wireless Earphones 2: The brand new Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 offer a premium sound experience with amplified bass and noise cancellation technology (ENC). Boasting Bluetooth 5.0, the new and improved earphones allow for a faster and more stabilized signal transmission. Users will enjoy the simplified experience with a pop-up pairing function3, automatic detection for device in/off ear status, and a quick double-tap function to access music or voice assistant.
Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 will be available starting at €79.99.
Product availability may vary between markets. For more details, visit www.mi.com.
1 Wired and wireless charging compatibility and actual charging speed may vary depending on the charger. 2 Data sourced from Xiaomi labs. 3 Only specific Xiaomi smartphone models on up-to-date MIUI versions support this feature. Additional device support will be available via OTA.
Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Android, YouTube, Google Play and other related marks are trademarks of Google LLC.
The highly anticipated Redmi Note 9 series is confirmed to go official next week on March 12. We actually got several hints from the official Redmi India Twitter account as well as Xiaomi India head Manu Kumar Jain.
Brace yourselves for the biggest #Redmi product launch of 2020! 🤩#ProCamerasMaxPerformance is going to be nothing like you have ever seen before! A new #RedmiNote is coming on 12th March! 😎
From the official teasers, we can see the Redmi Note 9 series will sport a four-camera array on the back housed in a square cutout. An Amazon placeholder also touts the newest Redmi Notes will offer premium design, immersive gaming experience and improved fast charging capabilities.
In a separate teaser post, Manu Kumar Jain showed out the phone laying on its screen, revealing the lower half of its back as well as its Type-C port, headphone jack and speaker grille. That’s all we have for now but it won’t be long before more leaks and teasers surface leading to next week’s big event.
Xiaomi has announced that it will launch its new Mi 10 smartphones on February 13th in China with a global launch to follow on February 23rd, the day before Mobile World Congress kicks off in Barcelona, Spain (via Android Authority).
The company announced the Chinese launch on the Chinese social network Weibo and the global launch on Twitter. The two models, which will reportedly be named the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro, look to have four back cameras and, as is increasingly common, the curved screen has a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera.
The year 2020 is now upon us, and the gadgets are coming: specifically, a new Mi Watch Color smartwatch device from Xiaomi, which the Chinese tech giant has teased in a short new promo video.
While the video is hardly spilling over with details and specs, it does give us a few ideas about what to expect. For a start, the watch has a circular casing, unlike the squared design of the Mi Watch that debuted a couple of months ago.
We’ve got two buttons on the right of the dial and what seem to be replaceable straps as well. According to Gadgets360, the color options are going to be black, gold and silver, with a variety of strap choices.
What we don’t get from this promo is any idea what software the watch is running – though considering the Mi Watch had Wear OS on board, it would be a surprise if this Color variant didn’t.
The CC9 Pro is a more conventionally designed phone by comparison, although it still managed to pack in five rear cameras: the aforementioned flagship 108-megapixel wide angle lens, a 5-megapixel telephoto with 5x optical zoom (and 10x hybrid zoom), a 12-megapixel telephoto camera designed for portrait mode shots, a 20-megapixel ultra-wide with a 117-degree field of view, and a 2-megapixel macro lens for close-up shots. There’s also a sixth 32-megapixel camera on the front of the phone, which is housed in a teardrop-style notch.
The 108-megapixel sensor in question is the same Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX that the company designed together with Xiaomi, which was announced earlier this year. The 1/1.33-inch sensor is unusually large (for a phone, at least). By default, it’ll shoot 27-megapixel shots that combine four pixels together, as is fairly standard on ultra-high megapixel-count smartphones. There is an option to shoot in the full 108-megapixel resolution should you want to.
Wild camera specs aside, the rest of the CC9 Pro sounds like a fairly competent phone, with a 5,260mAh battery, a curved 6.47-inch AMOLED display with an in-display fingerprint sensor, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 730G processor. It even has a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the software side, it’ll run Xiaomi’s MIUI 11 skin on top of last year’s Android 9 Pie.
The Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro will cost 2,799 yuan (around $400) for the base model, with 6GB RAM with 128GB storage, or 3,099 yuan (roughly $443) for an upgraded model with 126GB of storage and 8GB RAM. In typical Xiaomi style, there’s also a CC9 Pro Premium Edition variant that will cost 3,499 yuan (around $500) with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and an upgraded “8P lens system” for the main 108-megapixel camera.
The CC9 Pro goes on sale in China tomorrow, but there’s no word yet about a larger international release.
Xiaomi’s Mi Mix series has always pushed the boundaries of phone screens and form factors, from the original model that kicked off the bezel wars to last year’s sliding, notchless Mi Mix 3. Now, just as we’re starting to see “waterfall” displays with extreme curved edges, Xiaomi is taking this to a wild new level with the Mi Mix Alpha.
The “surround screen” on the Alpha wraps entirely around the device to the point where it meets the camera module on the other side. The effect is of a phone that’s almost completely made of screen, with status icons like network signal and battery charge level displayed on the side. Pressure-sensitive volume buttons are also shown on the side of the phone. Xiaomi is claiming more than 180 percent screen-to-body ratio, a stat that no longer makes any sense to cite at all.
The Mix Alpha uses Samsung’s new 108-megapixel camera sensor, which was co-developed with Xiaomi. As with other recent high-resolution Samsung sensors, pixels are combined into 2×2 squares for better light sensitivity in low light, which in this case will produce 27-megapixel images.
We’ll have to see how that works in practice, but the 1/1.33-inch sensor is unusually large for a phone and should give the Mix Alpha a lot of light-gathering capability. There’s also no need for a selfie camera — you just turn the phone around and use the rear portion of the display as a viewfinder for the 108-megapixel shooter.
As for the phone’s more traditional specs, there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor, 5G connectivity, 12GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, 40W wired fast-charging, and a 4,050mAh battery. That last spec would perhaps suggest that Xiaomi doesn’t imagine you having the whole screen turned on all the time.
Xiaomi describes the Mix Alpha as a “concept smartphone” and isn’t going to be mass-producing it any time soon. The phone will go into small-scale production this year and go on sale in December for 19,999 yuan, or about $2,800. The original Mi Mix was also given the “concept” label and released in small quantities, with the Mi Mix 2 following a year later as a more mainstream device.
On one hand, this design poses obvious issues with cost, durability, battery life, accidental touch recognition, privacy, and so on. On the other, well, just look at it:
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