Is Redmi K20 Pro overpriced? Xiaomi tries to clear the air

Xiaomi explains why its Redmi K20 series is priced the way it is. Do you agree with the company?

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro starts at Rs 21,999 in India. (Xiaomi)

Xiaomi's new premium phone Redmi K20 Pro costs ₹27,999 (base model) and some fans think it's overpriced.

Shortly after the price announcement, fans took to social networking platforms to express their displeasure over an 'expensive Redmi phone'. Some fans and critics, however, defended the pricing of Redmi K20 Pro.

Company VP Manu Kumar Jain on Thursday finally responded to the controversy with an open letter addressed to the fans.

"We realized while millions have shown interest in the product series, but there are a few who are critical of the pricing. Xiaomi has always actively sought feedback being able to listen to our users and exchange thoughts and ideas to essential to our though and operating process. We want to tell you that we worked day and night to ensure Redmi K20 series provided a truly flagship experience to all our consumers without compromises," he wrote.

Jain in his letter further explained why its new flagship phones are more expensive than previous generation chipset devices. He pointed out that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip on Redmi K20 Pro is about 45% faster than the predecessor 845 chip. Jain also highlighted some of the premium features such as AMOLED display with hardware DC dimming, high-res DAC that are usually available on phones priced between ₹40,000-₹50,000.

 

An open letter to all our Mi fans for #RedmiK20 & #RedmiK20 pro.

Thanks for your unconditional love and support 🙏#Xiaomi ❤️ #FlagshipKiller pic.twitter.com/C4PDVFMTMM

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) July 18, 2019

Yes it's the cheapest

Xiaomi's Redmi K20 Pro, even at ₹27,999, is indeed the cheapest phone with Snapdragon 855 processor. Asus 6Z comes next to offer SD 855 SoC at ₹31,999. OnePlus 7 with similar features and specs is available at a starting price of ₹32,999.

Xiaomi's Redmi series is usually associated with the company's budget smartphones. The company, however, earlier this year announced making Redmi an independent brand in China. While the change hasn't impacted much in India, it has opened doors for "Redmi" as a brand to experiment with premium phones. Earlier this year, Xiaomi had revealed plans to launch a SD 855-powered phones.

Redmi K20 Pro: The missing link

In Q1 2019, Xiaomi was the top ranked smartphone brands in the country, according to Counterpoint Research.

"Xiaomi remained the smartphone market leader in Q1 2019 with a 29% share, though its shipments declined by 2% YoY," according to the report.

Xiaomi has a solid presence in the budget smartphone market of India but the same cannot be said for the premium segment, currently dominated by the likes of OnePlus and Samsung. Last year Xiaomi did introduce Poco F1 series but its reach was limited to power users and enthusiasts.

"A few years ago, the premium market was about 3-4 per cent of the India smartphone market. This segment has now grown and makes a high single-digit contribution...we were prioritising the belly of the market which was the affordable segment," Xiaomi Vice-President and India Managing Director Manu Jain told PTI earlier this week.