Xiaomi might be known better for its smartphones, tablets or other electronic stuff like wearable for now, but its product portfolio is set to expand to accommodate an unlikely candidate – drones.
The Chinese company had earlier shot to instant stardom on the back of products that are high on style and quality comparable to the best in business – read flagship offerings from Apple or Samsung – while still costing much less than the competitors. Needless to say, it might play the price card with its drone offering as well, deciding the prices competitively while offering best in class components and features.
While specific details are missing, unofficial sources have stated Xiaomi plans to price its drone 20 percent lower than comparable drones from the market leader, SZ DJI Technology Co.
It comes to around $610, which is much less than the Phantom 3 4K drone that is listed on the DJI website for $799. Also, much like its DJI counterpart, Xiaomi’s drone that is made by third-party Chinese manufacturer FIMI Technology will also be equipped with a high-resolution camera capable of shooting 4K videos. No other specifications are available at the moment though that shouldn’t be much of an issue considering the drone is set to be unveiled on May 25 itself.
Stepping out of its comfort zone, Xiaomi drones will also enjoy close integration with its smartphone range which no doubt will make things more exciting.
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The drone business is in its nascent stage with annual sales expected to hit 4 million this year. The same is forecasted to reach 16 million by 2020 and Xiaomi clearly wants to position itself to take on the lead later on. It again makes a lot of sense considering the drone business expected to be worth an impressive $4.19 billion by 2024, as Grand View Research has forecasted.
There have been many issues governing the free use of drones that again can impact its growth in the long run. For instance, drones are often accused of a threat to not only individual privacy but to the overall state security as well. Several countries have banned the use of drone around sensitive regions such as airports while specific use cases, such as that of Amazon employing drones to deliver products too has been turned down in certain countries.
Unlike smartphones or wearables, drones will likely come in use as hobby items that again runs the risks of going against the law or for government-backed purposes such as land mapping, disaster management and such. However, there is no denying the efficacy of drones, and Xiaomi is indeed aiming to have an early lead on this.
