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Xiaomi
AbacusTech

Xiaomi’s first OLED TV costs nearly US$2,000

  • With the Mi TV Lux 65-inch OLED, Xiaomi says it’s moving into the premium TV market
  • The company has global ambitions, but there are no plans to offer the new TV outside China

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Xiaomi's new Mi TV Lux 65-inch OLED is the company's first OLED TV, and it costs considerably more than most of its TV offerings. (Picture: Xiaomi)
Matt Haldane
When Xiaomi announced its new flagship Mi 10 smartphone this year, some people were shocked at the price tag. China’s premiere budget electronics brand was now selling a phone for more than US$1,000. Now the Beijing-based company is showing its premium ambitions extend beyond just phones.
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The company’s new Mi TV Lux 65-inch OLED, unveiled on Thursday, sells for an eye-watering 12,999 yuan (US$1,840). The price isn’t actually that unreasonable for such a large OLED TV. A 2019 65-inch OLED TV from LG currently sells for around the same price, and this year’s models go for well-above US$2,000. The Xiaomi TV also undercuts Vizio, an American budget TV brand that recently released a 65-inch OLED TV for US$2,000.
For most of its 10 years of existence, Xiaomi has tried to stand apart by offering good-quality products for low prices. Now anyone in the market for an OLED TV in China has to ask themselves if they want to spend all that money on a Xiaomi TV or go with its South Korean competitor. After all, LG is currently the leading name in OLED TVs, and it’s the only maker of OLED TV panels. So that shiny new Xiaomi TV has LG inside.

Some of Xiaomi’s fans aren’t impressed with the company’s move into premium territory, either. Some users of microblogging site Weibo bemoaned the new TV’s price.

“People used to buy Xiaomi because they had no money. Now people can't buy Xiaomi because they have no money,” one person wrote. “If I don't work hard, I really can't afford Xiaomi.”

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Another Weibo user urged people to wait for sales: “Let's wait, Singles' Day is coming. Buy early and regret, or buy late and feel good -- advice from an early buyer of the K30 Pro,” the person wrote, referencing the recently released Redmi K30 Pro smartphone.
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