Xiaomi absolutely killed it on Singles Day

For those not in the know, Singles Day (11/11) is widely celebrated in China, and it has become the largest annual online shopping day. This year, Xiaomi made ¥1.2 billion ($188 million) in a single day.

The holiday began as a university tradition in the 90’s, and it was originally only celebrated by male bachelors. However, as the popularity of the concept grew, Singles Day came to be celebrated by young men and women alike. It serves as a massive meet-and-greet, and unattached individuals all over the country take advantage of the opportunity by throwing karaoke parties and meeting new people. Businesses have cashed in on the festivities by establishing a custom of slashing prices in online shops, making 11/11 the Black Friday of the internet in China.

Xiaomi got off the mark early by offering a chain of discounts since the first of the month. The company, which is already renowned for offering relatively high quality devices for insanely low prices, unveiled deal after deal in the days leading up to the eleventh. They cut prices on practically all of their Mi line of mobile devices, introduced a slew of new accessories, and even released a teaser for a new smartphone.

See also: Xiaomi just released a 20,000 mAh Mi power bank with Quick Charge 2.0 for $24… AND a fitness band for $1514

When the big Singles Day sales went live at midnight, Xiaomi sold $16 million worth of product in the first twelve minutes. By the time the sun was coming up, Xiaomi was already closing in on $100 million, and sales continued throughout the day’s festivities. By closing time, the company netted $188 million.

So… when are we going to get a Singles Day in the west? Can we make this a thing?

Xiaomi just released a 20,000 mAh Mi power bank with Quick Charge 2.0 for $24… AND a fitness band for $15

Xiaomi may have outdone themselves with this one. Their phones and accessories are pretty well-known for offering insane quality for the price tag, but this might set a new bar.

The new 20,000 mAh Mi power bank can be fully charged in five hours, and with its six-pack of 3,350 mAh LG/Panasonic high-capacity cells, it has the potential to fully recharge your phone four times before it needs a boost itself. All for the low, low price of $24.

One Redditor joked that you could almost string a bunch of these babies together and create a cost-efficient Tesla Powerwall competitor.

Although not many specifics are known about the device, it appears to have the same slender, high-quality design we saw in the 10,400 mAh predecessor. It’s a bit heavier than the previous model, weighing in at 338 grams, but that’s an understandable attribute considering its increased power density. We expect it to have an array of LED power indicators and at least 2 USB ports, but stay tuned for more concrete details as they arrive.

The question on everyone’s mind is: “Where can I get one?”

Unfortunately, if you’re outside of China you can expect to pay a hefty chunk for shipping. The power bank looks like it’s available for pre-order on BuyGou, but you might want to keep an eye on AliExpress as well.

That Mi line of products is pretty crazy. You might think this is the latest in a long line of jaw-droppingly inexpensive devices, and you’d be wrong. It’s at least the second-latest.

Yep. Only hours after Xiaomi released the new Mi power bank, they brought out the Mi Band 1S, a water-resistant fitness wearable that will cost you $15.

Like its forerunner the Mi Band, the 1S is compatible with both Android and iOS. It tracks heart rate, counts calories and steps, monitors your sleep, and will survive for up to half an hour under a meter of water if you try to drown it. All at a fraction the price of its similar competitors.

Again, the Mi Band 1S will be releasing exclusively in China this week, and there’s no word yet on where to pick one up overseas.

Want to help us track down these gems? Let us know in the comments below if you find a reputable place to buy them online.

Xiaomi teases dual smartphone launch for Wednesday

Xiaomi has begun teasing the launch of two new smartphones for the Chinese market, which is scheduled for this coming Wednesday. The post on Weibo doesn’t offer anything in the way of spoilers, but contains the words “Mi Dual 11”, hinting at two new smartphones heading our way on November 11^th.

The current top runners on the rumor circuit are the Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship and the Redmi Note 2 Pro. The former is rumoured to come with a Snapdragon 820 or Helio X20 SoC, 4GB of RAM and a 5.3-inch QHD display, along with a few other high end features. However, another recent rumor suggested that Xiaomi may not launch its Mi 5 flagship until early in December, and the Snapdragon 820 is not expected to arrive in devices until next year, so take this rumor with a pinch or two of salt.

The Redmi Note 2 Pro, the second rumored handset, is expected to share the same internal components as the existing Redmi Note 2, but with a fingerprint scanner and a metal build added in. This would make it more of a mid-range handset, but the phone still comes with an octa-core SoC, 13Mp rear camera and 1080p 5.5-inch display. A similarly named handset called the Redmi 2 Pro also recently appeared at the FCC in the US.

Xiaomi has released plenty of new smartphones and a few surprises already this year, so it feels that almost anything could be on the cards at this point. Fortunately, we don’t have long to wait to find out what Xiaomi has hidden behind that curtain.

‘Enhanced’ Xiaomi Redmi 2A boasts double RAM and ROM

Xiaomi is gearing up to sell an ‘enhanced’ version of its Redmi 2A smartphone, which is heading to China. The handset offers improved hardware at the same ultra-low price point as the original handset, which falls under $80 (RMB 499).

The enhanced model comes with twice the RAM and flash memory space of the regular model. The handset comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of ROM, so the phone should run a little smoother and will give consumers extra storage space for apps, etc. Xiaomi’s Lei Jun has previously said that these specifications are the minimum required to give the best user experience.

Other hardware specifications remain unchanged from the regular Redmi 2A. The phone features a 4.7-inch 720p display, a Leadcore LC1860 quad-core SoC, an 8MP rear camera, 2MP front facing shooter, dual-SIM card slots, and a 2,200mAh battery.

The Redmi 2A has been a popular handset for Xiaomi, mostly due to its incredibly low price point and acceptable hardware. Over 10 million units have been sold so far, although Xiaomi is still expected to miss its total smartphone sales target this year. Doubling up on some of the key components should keep the model competitive for the foreseeable future as well.

The enhanced Redmi 2A will be going on sale on November 11^th in China. The handset will hopefully appear in other regions in the coming months too.