Xiaomi Tablet Finally Happening In 2014

Looking at the latest traces of a possible Xiaomi tablet, it looks more likely than ever that Xiaomi is extending its choice of mobile technologies in 2014 to include a tablet computer.

(UPDATE: The first Xiaomi tablet, the Xiaomi Mi Pad was unveiled with Tegra K1 processor on May 15.)

If you don't feel all that familiar with Xiaomi Inc and you're wondering why you should know about it, the reasons can be explained with a few key elements. Xiaomi is a Chinese mobile technology company with phones that are just as good or better than Samsung's, yet they are relatively unknown outside of Asia or even China, even though their Android smartphones are one of the bestselling phones in China, and their first batch always seems to be sold out within a couple of minutes every time they launch a new phone.

Hugo Barra at Xiaomi
Hugo Barra now at Xiaomi

Hugo Barra + Steve Wozniak endorsement = What?
In August 2013 Xiaomi managed to get Google's Android Vice President Hugo Barra to leave Google and come and work for Xiaomi instead. Since September, Hugo Barra has served as VP of Xiaomi Global, in a sign that Xiaomi is about to take its international expansion quite seriously.

And then in January this year, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who even uses the 13 Megapixels Xiaomi Mi3 smartphone himself, publicly endorsed Xiaomi technology in a public speech in Beijing, alongside Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun.

None of that indicates that a Xiaomi tablet is in the works of course, but a recent benchmark listing of a device called Xiaomi HM 1AC might.

Xiaomi have naturally been rumored to work on a tablet ever since early last year, with all kinds of unsubstantiated rumors that never materialized popping up everywhere, especially on so-called news sites. But this is the first time we have something to bite our teeth into.

Steve Wozniak at Xiaomi
What phone does Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak use? Why, Xiaomi of course.
Xiaomi tablet
Possible Xiaomi tablet

The specs as listed in the benchmark test are not particularly impressive, but at the same time they are just indications of what could be. For processor it is listed with a 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 with a Adreno 305 GPU alongside it. Other specs listed include Android 4.3 and a 1280 x 720 resolution on a 9.2-inch display. Again, these are just indicators.

In the meantime, for those interested in buying Xiaomi smartphones outside of China, they have recently started to appear even on Amazon, or you can get them directly from China through Focalpriceicon, though some models often get sold out quickly.

Xiaomi MI3
Xiaomi MI3

Benchmark source: http://gfxbench.com/
– Jim Miller