Why Xiaomi didn’t talk about its software quirks during Mi 10 5G India launch

After an almost three-year long hiatus, Xiaomi finally launched a “proper” Mi-branded flagship phone in India on Friday. The phone in question, the Mi 10 5G, was launched via an online keynote event, amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. That’s not the only crisis that Xiaomi has been dealing with lately though. Until a week ago it was also fighting another battle. To convince its users that it was very serious about their privacy, despite the fact that it made money off of showing them ads in MIUI, its default Android-based software running on the majority of its phones. Curiously, Xiaomi did not talk about software during the Mi 10 India launch — not even once.

The Mi 10 5G has a lot going for itself. The phone has an all-glass body, a large AMOLED screen with a high 90Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 865 processor with gobs of high-speed RAM and storage, a 108MP main camera with OIS, 30W fast wired and wireless charging support, dual stereo speakers, I can go on and on, but I am sure you know the gist. The Mi 10 5G is a phone that’s akin to a OnePlus 8 Pro or a Samsung Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra. And unlike any of its past attempts, like say the Redmi K20 Pro, Xiaomi isn’t even beating around the bush anymore. The Mi 10 5G is a no holds barred flagship, not a flagship killer.