Xiaomi[1] is all set to launch the 'Desh ka Smartphone'[2] in India on November 30, a device the company started teasing earlier this week. We don't know much about the smartphone, with the company leaving very few hints for us to speculate too much upon. That being said, the Redmi India Twitter handle on Friday teased the smartphone would have a great battery life - pointing at either a large battery or optimised software in the form of MIUI 9. The other hint is the wording of the tagline, with 'Desh ka Smartphone' implying it will be an affordable offering.
India is certainly an important market for Xiaomi, with the company holding several 'global' launches in the country, or more specifically, unveiling products for the first time globally at events in the country. Examples of this include the Xiaomi Mi A1[3] and MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM. The Xiaomi's Desh ka Smartphone may be one of these offerings, one that hasn't been unveiled anywhere else (read, China). Or, it may be an offering that has already been launched.
Speculation points to the Xiaomi Redmi 5A[4] as the prime candidate for launch on November 30. The biggest factor in its favour is the fact that the Redmi India handle was used to tweet, revealing it would be a Redmi-branded device. The second biggest factor in its favour is its price - CNY 599 (roughly Rs. 5,800).
If Xiaomi manages to bring the smartphone to India at a lower price than it was made available at in China, the Xiaomi Redmi 5A may be significantly cheaper than the Xiaomi Redmi 4A[5], which is currently the cheapest smartphone offering from Xiaomi in India. Another...