Welcome back to our weekly recap of all the news you can use from the world of technology and gadgets. Xiaomi[1] was in the news a lot this week, thanks to some interesting announcements. For one thing, the company has announced a smartphone exchange programme[2] in India, under which you can exchange your old smartphone in order to get a discount when you buy a new Xiaomi phone at a Mi Home store. The company established as many as 13 Mi Home outlets across the country in just seven months following the debut of its first brick-and-mortar store[3] in Bengaluru in May.
To assess value of the users' phones, Xiaomi has tied up with Cashify[4], a New Delhi based company that specialises in repurchasing old phones[5]. The Cashify team will determine the exchange value, and purpose the discount value for a new phone, when you take your phone to a Mi Home. You can only exchange one phone at a time - you can't gather multiple old phones together for a bigger discount on a new phone under this offer.
MIUI 9 Rollout: How to Download and Install on Your Xiaomi Phone[6]
Xiaomi also teased the "Desh Ka Smartphone[7]", an entry-level handset that's expected to launch next week. Although the company hasn't revealed more yet, it's most likely to be the Redmi 5A[8] that will launch in the country. The entry-level Redmi 5A was recently unveiled in China[9], and claims an eight-day battery. The phone is priced at CNY 599 in China, or roughly Rs. 5,900, but as of now there are no leaks about India pricing.
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