Xiaomi Takes Aim at Apple With New MacBook Pro and iPhone X Rivals

[Gilligan's last elephant]

I wonder why phone companies insist on using 18:9 instead of 2:1. I'm guessing there is a marketing reason for it but I'd like to see if they have done studies what the results were.

This is stating the bleeding obvious. It is much clearer and easier to understand the change in screen ratio relative to the standard screen ratio of 16:9

 

[flameproof]

Very interesting and I've heard the same, that China is very app-centric. Which may be the natural progression of things and why so many tech companies, even those normally associated with physical products, are pivoting to services.


Edit: I've also heard it's the same for many African nations. It's the app, not the hardware or OS.

It's because for many the phone is their primary computer device. They have no PC. Apple realized that a few years ago, before that a PC/Mac it (bloody) iTunes was required to use your iPhone.

 

[bmot]

Why? Do what works and sells. Chinese love the industrial design of Apple but hate the price. Build something's that looks like an Apple, feels like an Apple, but costs half as much and it's gonna sell.

According to this Chinese people are absolutely superficial, caring only about the exterior of a product.
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The phone is not a copy of Apple design. The phone is the 2nd gen Mi Mix.

The first Mi phone was already an iPhone ripoff.
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Windows 10 is also good these days.

Did you ever seriously use MacOS? Because i always read those pro windows 10 comments and it turns out most of them never experienced MacOS actively to really get a even picture of the two systems.
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I'm curious what ports you "require" and why? Some people insist on VGA on their laptops. Some demand SD Card readers. Some want to have nothing but ports so that they can avoid the dock, even though the majority of people would only ever use a fraction of those ports. What's wrong with Apple saying "You know what? Keep it simple and current, and if you insist on using legacy accessories, then get a dock and be done with it." rather than catering to those who are clearly not their core target.

Sadly only very few people seem to have this forward looking approach, most people don't care or don't want things to change.

 

[Steve121178]

This is what I have been talking about with the Chinese changing tech into a cheap commodity. Prices are going to drop hard. The Chinese are making very decent gadgets nowadays that are almost as good but less than half the price of an equivalent Samsung or Apple device. Makes you really think twice by dropping $1000 on a Note 8 or iPhone 8 when you can pocket the 500 bucks.

What is there to think twice about? You either want an iPhone or you want a piece of junk that won't have much more than 12 months software support for half the money.

If you want an iPhone, you buy an iPhone. If you want cheap Android powered tat, you buy this sort of rubbish.

 

[bmot]

Apple could find itself in serious trouble if a company hired competent software engineers to completely optimize the code for their specific device. Get all the advertising and data collection code out of the OS, develop integrated drivers for the specific components (camera, audio, etc.) and it would run a whole lot better. Software scales; once you've got it working once you can put it on millions of devices without any significant additional cost. I'm surprised Samsung hasn't gotten it right yet.

Google won't allow a deep level modification of their Android OS, the spying core remains in every modification, and nobody these days seems to have the money to develop a mobile OS from scratch.

 

[mib1800]

The first Mi phone was already an iPhone ripoff.

In apple fanboys eyes every other phone out there is an Iphone rip off.
Even the extreme vision challenged can tell that the first Mi Mix looks nothing like the iphone.

 

[Naaaaak]

The thin strip on the bottom with the camera and some other things: that should be on the top, and then we'd have a better iPhone. Instead, we get the dumb "wedge".

 

[ariusbb]

So Xiaomi copied the MacBook Pro.
What about the Xiaomi Mi Mix? It was introduced last year with low body-screen ratio and then LG,Samsung followed with similar designs and Apple will reveal a device with low body-screen ration today. Would that mean that Apple copied Xiaomi which had the original design (remember it's Starck behind it - the guy that made also Steve Jobs boat!)

 

[shaunp]

If you read the linked article, the MiPC has two USB-A, two USB-C, full-size HDMI, and an SD card slot - exactly the sort of thing that people are complaining that was dropped from the MBP.

However, the problem with Apple is the lack of choice: Want 15" laptop because you are doing a lot of WP with multiple documents, or spreadsheets? You need: a $1000 MacBook Air with a 15" screen. Apple offer you: a $2000 quad i7 with discrete GPU and 60 Gbps of Thunderbolt bandwidth that you'll never use. If you can live with Windows (and 90% of computer users seem to muddle through) then you can get hardware that is far, far closer to your needs.
.

Lack of RAM is the biggest issue. I could handle the lack of ports, and possibly even the crappy keyboard, but I needed more than 16GB RAM so Apple gave me no choice.

 

[lec0rsaire]

I must say this is quite a package for the price. If the screen is as good with P3 it is a nice alternative to a mbp for those who can do without MacOS. Unfortunately I can't. No MacOS no deal, but it would be nice as a 2nd device not my primary notebook.

People say that Apple doesn't innovate but every company seems to copy or want to copy them. It's nice that this notebook has 2 USB 3.0 type A ports as well as an SD card slot but overall I#m happy with the really clean design on my tMBP. The 16GB ram limit is my only complaint. I have gotten really used to the touchbar and I love it now. However, I have to admit the keyboard is just not as good as those in the previous gen models like this 13" 2015 rMBP I'm using right now. I'm much more accurate with the older keyboard but the new one is very usable after being used to it. In the first couple of weeks most long time macbook users will probably hate it. I expect them to further improve it with the 3rd gen butterfly keyboard tech which should arrive in a refresh in 2018 or 2019.

 

[x0vash0x]

According to this Chinese people are absolutely superficial, caring only about the exterior of a product.

Yes. Welcome to China. Especially when giving gifts, packaging is much more important than content. If it looks good, it must be good! Chinese people will buy on aesthetics or price alone, which is one reason why quality is nonexistent in China. I'll give you an example (although this is completely off topic). The Chinese who buy mooncakes from Starbucks in China don't do so because they taste good (they're mediocre at best). They buy them because (1) they're expensive (2) the packaging looks pretty darn nice [Edit: Look at the marketing. No mention of flavors, or the quality of the mooncakes. It's all about how nice the packaging looks!].

This is the market in China, and is the reason why Xiao Mi is taking market share from Apple. The only reason Apple has any success in Chinese its (1) expensive (2) looks nice. It's not because there's a huge fanbase of rabid Apple fans who simply enjoy macOS or iOS more than its competitors. Apple is a classic Veblen Good in China.

 

[KmanOz]

It will run Windows 10 Home Edition out of the box

FAIL !

NO other manufacturer has an OS tailored exactly to their hardware. Until then, keep trying.
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In apple fanboys eyes every other phone out there is an Iphone rip off.

LOL if you cannot see that then you're either blind or are using selective vision. EVERY manufacture give or take copies Apple. Apple are the bench mark that all others want to be. Wake up

 

[flameproof]

Apple are the bench mark that all others want to be.

Apple fails in many areas. Remember they were late with 3G and LTE. Till now there is no SD card support or 2nd SIM support. No wireless charging. No NFC that users can use. No file browser. No alternate app stores (other than Chinese pirate stores). No pen models. You make it sound that buying something else is a lesser choice, but in most cases you get more function for less $.

It's good to have choice. For me iOS brings too many disadvantages. For example, not being able to install APK files directly is a major disadvantage of iOS.

When I go to places were the internet is less free I like to give VPN apps to the poor souls, easy to be done with Android over Wifi.

This said, the Mix 2 looks really cool, but glass to the edges might break easier and you need an ugly protection. I skip those phones.

 

[73CortinaV8]

"dual"

ugh

 

[weeniewawa?]

Apple will let this slide as this thing running Winders, the best thing about a Mac is the Mac OS and and if they steal that, the gloves are off. It is like someone copying a Ferrari and putting a Briggs and Stratton engine in it.

 

[geniusj]

I just find it sad that they're blatantly ripping off entire designs from Apple.

I hope you're only talking about the laptop? Regarding the phone, if anyone's copying anyone, it's Apple (and Samsung, etc) copying Xiaomi. Here's the original Xiaomi Mi Mix from a year ago. I don't think Apple and Samsung are, I just think tech has evolved to allow manufacturers to do these edgeless displays, but Xiaomi was the first to do it (or at least come very close) that I'm aware of.
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Did you ever seriously use MacOS? Because i always read those pro windows 10 comments and it turns out most of them never experienced MacOS actively to really get a even picture of the two systems.
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I can't speak for the person you're replying to, but I use/develop software on both OSes. They're both fine. I probably overall prefer macOS, but the margin is pretty slim these days.

 

[AlphyNL]

I actually like Xiaomi. They operate in different markets and they have some very well designed, good looking and well made products of their own. QC is invariably good too. Like Mini LED lights, power banks, led strips, WiFi controlled lighting. The only disadvantage of their phones and laptops is Android and Windows. If someone would find a way to run OSX or IOS on them, I wouldn't hesitate a second to switch. Apple has pissed me off by making the iPhone X €250,= more expensive in Europe than in the US.