Xiaomi, who was probably the first handset manufacturer to sell its product online only, is now all set to launch a new device which will be only sold offline. Starting this Saturday, Xiaomi will release the new Redmi 3S Plus across different retail stores in India. This might be a bit confusing as Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime is already available on Flipkart. Xiaomi’s answer to this issue is the importance of offline retailer in brand expansion. There are a lot of people in India who still doesn’t have access to online e commerce websites such as Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal. And then there are others who are still not in favour of buying products online.
Xiaomi in an attempt to attract this chunk of consumers will launch the Redmi 3S Plus through offline channels. The device is identical to Redmi 3S Prime except it has 2GB RAM when compared to 3GB RAM in Redmi 3S Prime. Apart from that, it comes with a 5 inch 720p display and hopefully it will house the same 4100 mAh battery. Inside, there is Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset. For photography, there is 13 Megapixel rear facing camera and a 5 megapixel front facing camera. There is 32GB internal storage which like the Redmi 3S Prime will be expandable via micro SD card and it also sports a finger print scanner at the back. Regarding the price, the smartphone will launch at an MRP of Rs 9,499.
But, as it will be an offline only device, the actual prices quoted is around Rs 8,799 which is only Rs 200 cheaper than Redmi 3S Prime. However, Xiaomi is not looking to dilute its Redmi 3S line up rather its looking to expand its presence in offline market as well. One might argue that the company could have released Redmi 3S Prime across different offline retail outlets but that would have significantly affected it’s online demand. In fact, offline retailers are pretty excited about this launch, reports Gadgets 360.
Talking about the Redmi 3S Prime, it still rules the sub 10,000 smartphone category with that massive 4100 mAh battery and 3GB RAM.
Note: The picture is of Redmi 3S Prime