Analysis: Why The Rumor Of Xiaomi Dropping The Redmi Note Lineup May Be True

If the word of a member of the Device Team on Xiaomi's forums is to be believed, Xiaomi will be dropping the Redmi Note moniker entirely. The rumor started doing rounds when mitch002, a Super Moderator on Xiaomi's forums and a member of the Device Team, published his review of the Redmi 5 Plus. In the review, mitch002 wrote:

The wait is finally over, Xiaomi has finally decided to release the Redmi Note 5, wait!!! I heard its called the Redmi 5 Plus? No kidding?? There was a name change? Well yes folks, the 2 new Redmi Note sized phones are named Redmi 5 for the 5.7" and Redmi 5 Plus for the 5.99". What will happen to the successor of the Redmi 4X which is supposed to be a 5" Redmi 5? No one knows, but as of the moment, Xiaomi has decided to drop the Note name on their 5.7" sized budget phones.

Since I wasn't sure about the authority of claims made by a Device Team member, I decided to dig in. I came across a thread wherein Xiaomi was recruiting members for its Device Team. Below I have copy pasted two sections from the thread - what a device team member does and what are the benefits of being a part of the device team.

WHAT DEVICE TEAM DOES?

• Write/share device-specific tips & tutorials
• Answer users' questions in Device Sub-forums
• Report bugs faced by users
• Write product reviews
• Share Tools and ROMs
• Share photos taken with Xiaomi Device (Optional)

BENEFITS:

• Access to MIUI Beta updates
• Priority to join Mi Community official activities (like this)
• Promotion to higher management level e.g. Moderator
• Interact with  Mod/SMod team directly
• Prizes from Mi Community Team
• Priority to try new pre-launch products
• Priority entry to launch events
• Incentives include Mi Community points
• Read permission: 90
• Larger attachment size

Since mitch002 is a Super Moderator too, I also pulled out a list of benefits for being a moderator on the Mi Community forums.

BENEFITS:

• Management of forum threads
• Promotion to higher management level e.g. Super Moderator
• Talk to Admin team directly
• Prizes from Mi Community Team
• Priority to try new pre-launch products
• Priority entry to launch events

What I was trying to ascertain was how much value can we accord to mitch002's claims. Can his words be considered close to an official statement? Although a Device Team member cannot speak to the Admin team directly, a moderator can. Admins on the Mi Community forums "are site administrators who are the official Xiaomi employees who keep the Mi Community website and APP up and running". Since Admins are Xiaomi employees and the moderators can speak to Admins, there can be some truth to mitch002's claims. It's worth noting here that this by no means is an official confirmation from Xiaomi, but this is as close we can get to an official confirmation.

The Redmi Note 4 has been the best selling Xiaomi smartphone in India over the course of last year. From a business point of view, it makes absolutely no sense to kill off a moniker that is doing so well. Having said that, there is a possibility that Xiaomi will rebrand the Redmi 5 Plus and sell it under the label of Redmi Note 5 in India.

What the rumor has going for it is the specification sheet of the Redmi 5 Plus. The Redmi 5 Plus has a 5.99-inch 1080p display with 3/4GB of RAM and Snapdragon 625. The 3GB RAM + 32GB storage model of the Redmi 5 Plus costs 999 Yuan (approx Rs 9,500) and the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage version costs 1299 Yuan (approx Rs 12,500). The pricing and hardware specifications of the Redmi 5 Plus make it close enough to take over the Redmi Note series.

Another reason why Xiaomi might do away with the Redmi Note brand is to differentiate it from the Mi Note series. Xiaomi currently has smartphones under eight different labels - Redmi, Redmi Y, Redmi Note, Mi Note, Mi Max, Mi, Mi Mix and Xiaomi's Android One devices. Doing away with one of the labels will help in simplifying the market and differentiating the labels from each other. This in turn will make it easier for the consumer to find a device which meets their needs.

Only time will tell what happens to the Redmi Note series. There are pros and cons of doing away with or retaining the Redmi Note lineup. The words of mitch002 suggest that Xiaomi has dropped the Redmi Note series for the time being but there is a chance that the Redmi Note series will return. Since this is a half-baked rumor, I would recommend you to take it with a grain of salt and wait for an official confirmation from Xiaomi's end.

[Image credit - Xiaomi]

Krittin Kalra

Krittin Kalra is a 20 year old Android freak. Striving for passions, chasing down his dreams and living a life without regrets is his sole mantra. A bit moody, he also does custom ROM reviews for AndroGuider. Currently pursuing his B.Tech, he aspires to follow his heart.