Behold the Mi Notebook Air: Xiaomi’s First Ever Laptop!

So, have you been dreaming about getting the MacBook Air? Is it taking forever to save Rs. 60,000 or so to get your hands on the sleek device? Do you wish you could get similar or even better features for less? Then it’s time to put your worries aside. The Mi Notebook Air is here to the rescue. Yes, that’s exactly what Xiaomi is calling it. Xiaomi was labeled “The Apple of China” a few years ago, and it seems the Chinese electronics giant is really going with it.

More from iSpyPrice: Order your Apple Macbook Air Laptop today

In a recent event held in Beijing, the company announced the launch of the latest flagship phone in the Redmi series – Xiaomi Redmi Pro. It also unveiled the Mi Notebook Air, its first series of laptops. The Notebook Air went on sale in China on August 2. And with that, Xiaomi has officially forayed into the laptop space.

The Notebook Air, which will pit itself against the MacBook Air, is available in two sizes – 12.5 inches and 13.3 inches. These sizes allow for portability, making the device suitable for people who like to work on the go. Now, let’s cut to the chase and compare the larger variants of the Notebook Air and the MacBook Air in terms of some critical features and specifications.

The 13.3-inch Notebook Air is 13% thinner and 11% smaller than the 13.3-inch MacBook Air. The former’s display offers a higher pixel density of 166 ppi. The bezels are ultra-thin and measure 5.6 mm. The design is minimalistic with no logos on the top. The 13.3-inch variant supposedly offers 9.5 hours of battery life and can reach 0-50% charge in just 30 minutes. Xiaomi has incorporated the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics card in both variants, which is sure to attract gaming enthusiasts.

The 12.5-inch Notebook Air has relatively modest specifications. It is powered by the Intel Core M3 processor and weighs only 1.07 kgs. It has 4 GB RAM along with 128 GB SATA SSD. Apparently, it offers a battery life of 11.5 hours, which makes it suitable for long work hours. However, the factor that appeals the most about Xiaomi’s products is, as always, the price. The 12.5-inch and 13.3-inch variants are priced at RMB 3,499 (approximately Rs. 35,000) and RMB 4,999 (about Rs. 50,000), respectively. This price range is quite reasonable considering the fact that the MacBook Air starts at around Rs. 60,000.

More from iSpyPrice: Have you seen the new Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air Laptop?

The Notebook Air will face some stiff competition from the Lenovo Air 13, though. The latter offers similar features at virtually the same price. A differentiating feature in the Lenovo Air 13 is fingerprint recognition. However, the Notebook Air can be unlocked using the Mi Band 2 via Bluetooth, which is a good-to-have feature for convenience. Other impressive features of the Notebook Air include dual SSD expansion, edge-to-edge glass protection, full metal build, and Dolby Digital surround sound.

So, will the Notebook Air see a global release? Will Xiaomi succeed in its bold attempt to disrupt the ultra-portable laptop market? The answers to these questions are yet to be known. Xiaomi loves to compare its products with Apple’s offerings. And the fact that the Notebook Air concept was inspired by the MacBook Air is no rocket science. Nonetheless, Xiaomi’s attempt to outdo the latter is admirable to say the least.

For consumers in China, the Notebook Air is available in two colors – silver and gold. The launch of these laptops by Xiaomi can be thought of in two ways – a stratagem to gain a significant share in the ultra-portable laptop space; and a statement to lay stress on the fact that the company is not just about smartphones anymore. The Notebook Air indeed has impressive specs on paper, but will it really trump the MacBook Air? Only time will tell, and the tech enthusiasts are waiting.