Xiaomi India MD explains why the K20 Pro couldn't be cheaper in India than in China

• Xiaomi’s latest flagship smartphone, the K20 Pro, has come under some criticism for being over priced.
  
• Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi India’s Managing Director, took to Twitter to tell fans why the K20 pro was priced at ₹27,999.
  
• His main argument is that its the cheapest phone in the market to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 along with Xiaomi’s suite of features.
  

Xiaomi launched its new ‘flagship killer’ device, K20 Pro which claims to be best in its class. But, smartphone manufacturer is unable to meet the ‘price expectations’ of bargain hunters in India with #Refund855 trending on Twitter shortly after the phone’s launch.

The K20 Procosts ₹27,999, and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset — the same one on the OnePlus 7 Pro, which costs ₹32,999 .

While it might be termed reasonable by tech enthusiasts, budget users weren’t too happy about the fact that a Xiaomi device was going to make them loosen their purse strings — and that it’s retailing cheaper in China where its on sale for ₹25,000.

So, Xiaomi India’s Managing Director (MD), Manu Kumar Jain, took to Twitter to explain to fans the rationale behind the price.



The processor that makes it all possible

Jain justifies the cost of the phone stating, “Redmi K20 Pro has specifications that are only available in flagship phones above ₹40,000-50,000.”

The phone’s primary features includes a 48MP AI triple rear camera setup, a 20MP pop up selfie camera, an in-display fingerprint scanner and Gorilla Glass 5 protection on both sides of the phone.

Jain points out that the primary reason that the phone is expensive is because of its high-end processor.

K20 Pro’s Snapdragon 855 is 40% faster than its predecessor, and is the latest offering by Qualcomm. In India, Jain claims that Xiaomi’s device is the cheapest which houses Qualcomm’s fastest chipset, till date.

Jain hedges his argument by pointing out that technology does get cheaper with time. Xiaomi had the option of either launching the phone now or 6 months down the line, when it would be cheaper, but wouldn’t be fair to users who wanted their hands on the latest technology.

Unfamiliar pastures

Users are mostly irked by the fact that Xiaomi, a brand that’s known for its ‘budget’ offerings, didn’t bring the cheapest price of the K20 Pro to India — which has normally been the standard process.

And Xiaomi fans have also gotten used to seeing prices of its devices under ₹20,000. The Redmi series — Xiaomi’s lineup of budget devices — starts at ₹6,000.

It’s not Xiaomi doesn’t have more expensive phones on the market. The Mi Mix 3 retails for ₹34,500 and even the classic ‘Mi’ phones hit the ₹25,000 barrier. But, all of the phones are cheaper in India, than they are in China.

See also:
Mi launches Redmi K20, Redmi K20 Pro launched in India, starting from ₹ 21,999

Xiaomi has shut down the testing of its new phone features by users before launch

Xiaomi makes its largest investment in India so far