Xiaomi has announced its first Indian exclusive smartphone, named the Mi 4i, at a huge event in New Delhi. The device features a familiar design to the Mi 4 but with a plastic design and low-end specs.

The Mi 4i features a full HD display, octacore Snapdragon 615 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of onboard storage. Even with its smaller body, Xiaomi has crammed a larger 3120 mAh battery inside the Mi 4i.

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Dual-SIM, Bluetooth, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi ac support are all added to the Mi 4i, and Xiaomi has added quick charging enabling 40 percent in one hour. On the back sits a 13 MP camera, what Xiaomi is calling the best camera in India, with multiple modes for different type of photos.

It will run Android 5.0.2 with Xiaomi's own MIUI skin. It's partnering with some of the big services in India like FlipKart to offer a more complete experience devoid of the usual apps supported in Mainland China.

Xiaomi is putting a lot of money on the Indian market where it's seen comfortable success in the past with the Redmi 2 and other low cost devices. The Mi 4i will be available for around $200 in the region, making it competitive against the Moto G, HTC Desire 816, Nokia Lumia 525 and Micromax Yureka.

The Chinese company has already pushed out to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and a few other regions, but India is the largest. The population is almost as large as China's and most experts claim it will surpass China by 2022, meaning more smartphone customers.

India is also rapidly becoming a more developed country in terms of disposable income. That means if Xiaomi can get in on the ground floor and establish itself as a prominent supplier, it will be able to sell phones for a much higher net profit in the future.

Xiaomi is planning to launch in Indonesia, Brazil, Russia and Europe in the coming year with a planned launch in the U.S. by 2016. Whether it can perform as well in these other regions remains to be seen, although India has taken to Xiaomi quickly with its low prices and high performance.

TagsMi 4i