The best smart phone you can get for under RM800 will be here in the coming weeks

The Mi 4i is Xiaomi’s latest global smart phone which can be considered as the successor of former Mi 3. Packing a 5″ Full HD display, an Octa-Core Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage, 13MP main camera and a large 3,120mAh battery, this is the most advanced smart phone you can get for less than RM800.

For the naysayers that still doubt on its imminent release, the Mi 4i is still on track to hit our shores this month. We’ve seen it passed certification under SIRIM and the latest update is that Xiaomi Malaysia will be making an announcement very soon.

In a reply to a fan on Instagram, Xiaomi mentions that they will announce the Mi 4i sometime next week. Assuming it is about an upcoming flash sale, this might take place around the last week of May. At the moment, the Mi 4i is already on sale in India since 30th April and most recently they have started pushing the device in Hong Kong and Singapore on 12th May.

The Mi 4i in Malaysia should be priced below RM800 considering the current markets are pricing it as follows:

Mi India – Rs. 12,999 (about RM729)
Mi Singapore – S$279 (about RM752)
Mi Hong Kong – HK$1599 (about RM743)

Compared with the Mi 4 that was launched earlier, the Mi 4i is seen as a budget version with the use of polycarbonate body instead of having a more upmarket metal frame. Although the Mi 4 is having a similar 5″ Full HD display, it gets a higher spec 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB of RAM on either 16GB or 64GB storage. For taking pictures, it gets a main 13MP f/1.8 camera while selfies are taken with a higher resolution 8MP front shooter.

Initially Xiaomi refrained from bringing the Mi 4 in due to lack of wider 4G LTE band support, particularly 2600MHz that’s mostly used in Malaysia. Surprisingly they had introduced the Mi 4 recently in Malaysia. However it was the 3G only model and sold through a single distribution channel in the northern states of Malaysia.

For less than RM800, it is hard to think of anything better that comes with a 5″ Full HD display, an all day battery and equipped with dual-SIMs supporting 4G LTE. Probably the only gripe is the lack of the microSD slot which they claim to have intentionally removed for better user experience.

Want to learn more about the Mi 4i? Check out our coverage below:
Mi 4i announced in India. Innovation made compact
3 features that make the Mi 4i the most advanced smart phone below RM800 right now
Watch the Mi 4i launch event in 14 minutes
These sample images taken using the Mi 4i are pretty darn good
Mi 4i torn apart by Hugo Barra
Xiaomi Mi 4i gets certified in SIRIM. It’s coming in May
Xiaomi flagships will never come with a microSD slot and it’s for your own good