Xiaomi surprised everyone (even us) by launching the Xiaomi 14 Ultra model in India earlier this month along with the Xiaomi 14 model. The company did not share any teaser for the product, but closer to the launch, the brand was sharing its release notes with Xiaomi 14 series, which got people excited for something big.
And that’s exactly what happened, as India got its first-ever Xiaomi Ultra model which takes on the Google Pixels, Samsung Galaxy S models and the iPhone Pros at a sub Rs 1 lakh bracket.
Xiaomi has seen its market share erode in the popular mid-range segment, as the competition has caught up and even bettered in many aspects. The company has recently talked about realising its mistakes in the past few years, and promised to revise its strategy, which includes a refreshed approach towards the premium segment.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra is priced at Rs 99,999 which is Rs 30,000 more than what you pay for the vanilla Xiaomi 14 model in India. The brand has decided against bringing the Pro moniker, as the base variant has enough in the bank to become a viable option for buyers. When it comes to the 14 Ultra, Xiaomi has a big learning curve to tackle, something it has seen with the Xiaomi 13 Pro last year and any other Xiaomi phone that costs above Rs 40,000 in the market.
We have brands like Vivo, OnePlus and even Realme going above the Rs 50,000 range in the country, and everybody accepts that these products are not going to the volume churners. Even a new brand like Nothing has been quick to realise the need for a mid-range model, which it has done in the form of the Phone 2a in India and few other markets this year.
So, even though Xiaomi 14 Ultra has launched, the battle has just started. Most people would say that why would anyone pay Rs 1 lakh for a Xiaomi phone, and those concerns stem from the fact that the brand has predominantly been a value-for-money option.
Going against the big boys needs a lot more conviction, greater marketing focus and build an experiential setup that allows people to see what a Rs 1 lakh phone from Xiaomi offers and how it competes with the other premium brands. More importantly, the Ultras need a refined software approach with regular OS updates and reliable support with a hands-on strategy to keep the buyers happy.
Either way, we are just excited that Xiaomi 14 Ultra has launched in India, and from here on, the brand can build a portfolio that caters to the segment.
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