Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro Takes Aim At Apple MacBook Pro With Core i7 Power At Budget Prices
At first glance, the Mi Notebook has a lot going for it. It features a 15.6-inch display, backlit keyboard, and enough ports to make a MacBook Pro user blush. You'll find two USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, HDMI port and a headphone jack. For comparison, the 15-inch MacBook Pro comes with four Thunderbolt 3 ports.
You can now forget about carrying port extensions just because.. you know, we've got it all! pic.twitter.com/FxxGbXaySE
— Mi (@xiaomi) September 11, 2017
Powering the Mi Notebook Pro are Intel Kaby Lake processors, with customers able to choose from up to a Core i7-8550U or a Core i7-8650U paired with up to 16GB of RAM and up to a 256GB SSD. Standard graphics include integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620, while users that require a bit more power can opt for an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory. The GeForce MX150 is based on NVIDIA's Pascal architecture, and is claimed to offer a 3x performance-per-watt advantage over the aged GeForce 940MX.
But Xiaomi doesn't stop there; you'll also find a glass trackpad with a fingerprint sensor incorporated into the top right corner, Harman Infinity speakers and a 60 Whr battery that can be go from 0 percent to 50 percent in 35 minutes with a supported charger.
All of this so far sounds pretty good, but there's one aspect of the Mi Notebook Pro that might be disappointing for potential customers. Its 15.6-inch display only has a resolution of 1080p, which seems a bit out of step with other high-end machines these days. However, we can't argue with the Mi Notebook Pro's pricing, which starts at just $850 with 8GB of RAM and a Core i5 processor. Stepping up to a Core i7 processor with 16GB of RAM and the GeForce MX150 will set you back just under $1,100. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Xiaomi plans to bring the Mi Notebook Pro to the United States (at this time).
Earlier this morning, we brought you news of Xiaomi's brand-new Mi Mix 2 flagship smartphone, which features minimal bezels, an expansive 6-inch display, and a burly Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. The smartphone will no doubt be compared directly to Apple's incoming iPhone X.
