Xiaomi to launch Mi 4 smartphone in India on January 28

New Delhi: Chinese handset maker Xiaomi is expected to launch its latest 4G device Mi 4 in India later this month as it looks to strengthen its position in the booming Indian smartphone market. 

The company, which entered the Indian market last year, has launched three devices here so far - Redmi 1S, Redmi Note and Mi 3 - in partnership with e-commerce major Flipkart. 

"You are invited to a front-row view on January 28, 2015...Mi hits a 4 and a 6," Xiaomi said in an invitation.

Often called the Apple of China, Xiaomi launched the Mi 4 in July last year. However, the device did not hit the Indian market. 

Last week, Xiaomi had launched its flagship smartphones, the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro, at an event in Beijing. 

Earlier, Xiaomi India Head Manu Jain had said the company would aggressively expand its product portfolio in India, which is its largest market after China. The Xiaomi Mi4 has a 5-inch IPS display and is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor and has 3GB RAM. 

It comes with a 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, Sony IMX214 BSI sensor and 4K video recording. With a 8MP front camera, the smartphone comes with Android KitKat operating system with a layer of the MIUI OS skin. 

According to research firm IDC, the Indian smartphone market grew at 82 per cent year-on-year in the quarter ended September 2014 to 23.3 million units. 

Korean handset maker Samsung led the smartphone market with 24 per cent share, followed by Micromax (20 per cent), Lava and Karbonn at (8 per cent each) and Motorola (5 per cent).