Xiaomi Mi4 Now Available in Nepal for NPR 18,999

Last week, a family member accidentally damaged their Samsung Galaxy S5 screen, which would cost around NPR 15,000 to repair—a cost that seemed unreasonable. This prompted a search for the best smartphone under NPR 20,000 that includes a full HD display and a high-quality rear camera.

Until recently, finding such a device in Nepal within this budget was challenging. However, the situation changed when Mi Nepal announced the re-release of the Xiaomi Mi4 at a new price of NPR 18,999. Initially, when the phone launched in March at NPR 23,000, the author criticized the move, arguing that releasing a two-year-old model seemed illogical for a brand like Xiaomi, especially with newer options such as the Redmi Note 3 and Mi5 already on the market. Additionally, the variant introduced in Nepal offered only 16GB of fixed storage, a feature that even phones priced below NPR 5,000 commonly provide today. Offering a 64GB version would have been a wiser choice.

Nevertheless, the recent price adjustment has shifted perspectives. At NPR 18,999, the Xiaomi Mi4 stands out as an impressive option. While its hardware specifications are not groundbreaking—it utilizes a 32-bit Snapdragon 801 SoC, which can overheat during intensive gaming or app usage—the device boasts solid build quality, a vivid 1080p display, and an outstanding 13MP camera. However, users who rely heavily on multimedia storage should look elsewhere, as the phone lacks an SD card slot and is limited to 16GB of internal storage.

The Xiaomi Mi4 includes a 5-inch IPS display with a sharp 1920 x 1080 resolution and 441 PPI, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. It is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Running MIUI V6 based on Android 4.4 KitKat (upgradable to Marshmallow 6.0), the phone features a 13MP rear camera with an LED flash, Sony IMX214 BSI sensor, and support for 4K video recording, alongside an 8MP front camera. Other specifications include a 3080mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, GPS, and infrared LED capabilities.