by - Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi has announced its first laptop in the form of the RedmiBook series.
- The two models bring Intel Tiger Lake CPUs, a 10-hour battery, and a 15.6-inch FHD display to the table.
- Pricing starts at Rs 41,999.
Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi is probably best known for its affordable line of smartphones that meld solid specs with affordable prices. Now, the brand has applied this philosophy to a new technology sector laptops. The firm has today announced its new RedmiBook laptop series aimed at the stay-at-home crowd.
The RedmiBook series consists of two models, namely the Pro Edition and the E-Learning Edition, but they dont differ much in terms of the core design. Visually, the RedmiBook line is nothing exciting, but this isnt really the point. Its understated and clean with black keys and a Charcoal Grey matte finish.
Both feature a 15.6-inch FHD display housed in a 1.8 kg polycarbonate body. Overall, the RedmiBook Pro comes in at just under 20mm thick. A 720p webcam is mounted just above the screen, while a large touchpad with Windows Precision Driver support should do wonders for productivity. The keyboard features scissor switches with 1.5mm of travel.
In terms of I/O, the power port sits on the left-hand shoulder of the laptop while two USB 3.2 ports flank an HDMI port. On the right, a Kensington lock slot, a full-sized Gigabit Ethernet port, USB 2.0 port, SD card slot, and 3.5mm combo jack are present. Theres no USB-C port on either version of this machine, so naturally, more versatile USB-PD charging isnt available either.
Other features shared across the two models include two 2W speakers with DTS support, Wi-Fi 5 support, and Bluetooth 5.0.
RedmiBook core specs
The RedmiBook Pro packs Intels 11th-Gen Tigerlake CPUs, headlined by the quad-core Core i5-11300H with Intels Iris Xe GPU. Its mated to 8GB of 3,200MHz RAM and 512GB NVMe-based storage. A 46WHr battery thats good for 10 hours powers the laptop with a 65W charger for support. Redmi claims that this charger will push the battery from 0% charge to 50% in around half an hour.
The RedmiBook e-Learning Editions main differentiators include the CPU and SSD options. The Intel Core i3-1115G4 is on offer as the alternative silicon. Youll sacrifice base clock speed and two cores with this option, but the chips performance shouldnt differ too much in general day-to-day use.
E-learning buyers can also choose a 256GB SSD, although its SATA-based. Again, youll be sacrificing some speed over the NVMe-based 512GB storage.
Both laptops arrive with Windows 10, and Redmi guarantees both are upgradable to Windows 11 when that time arrives. Microsoft Office 2019 also arrives baked in, lending further appeal to those grafting from home.
RedmiBook series price and availability
The RedmiBook Pro is available for Rs 49,999 (~$672), undercutting the likes of Dells Inspiron, HPs 15s, and Lenovos Ideapad series in Indias crowded 15-inch laptop market.
The 256GB RedmiBook e-Learning Edition will be priced at Rs 41,999 (~$565) and is arguably the better buy if raw power isnt what youre after. To snag the 512GB option, youll need Rs 44,999 (~$605).
Both RedmiBooks will be available for slightly less than their list prices with select bank offers. The two models begin shipping on August 6 from Xiaomis online and physical stores, and Flipkart.
Despite Redmis popularity in the smartphone space and Xiaomis previous laptop offerings, the brand will have a point to prove going up against these established computing heavyweights. The RedmiBook seems a solid start.
But what do you think of the RedmiBook? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and vote in our poll above.
