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Earlier this month Xiaomi introduced the much-awaited Redmi Note 10 series including the Redmi Note 10, Note 10 Pro and the Note 10 Pro Max in India. All three devices are available in multiple variants based on memory and storage.
Since launch, the Redmi Note 10 and the Redmi Note 10 Pro have already had a round of targeted sales each while the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max will start retailing from March 18.
However, during both the initial sales of Redmi Note 10 and Note 10 Pro, Xiaomi chose not to make the cheaper 64GB variant available for purchase. Instead, only the pricier 128GB variants were up for grabs during the first round. We expect the same to happen with the 64GB variant of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max as well.
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However, there is no real mystery around this practice where brands are known to delay one variant of a device to promote the other one or introduce a cheaper one later date. In the case of Xiaomi, the 8GB RAM variant of the Note 10 Pro was not made available during today’s sale.
The buyers or fans, as some of them prefer to call themselves, were pretty vocal about the missing 64 GB variant of both Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro and expressed their disappointment via Twitter. Here are a few that we came across.
Not interested your 6+128GB 🤨😏😏 pic.twitter.com/2gncw6TSmJMarch 16, 2021
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This is how Redmi cheating Indian customers with their dirty Chinese game made publicity for Note10 4GB variant of 11,999 then retreat on-sell it’s a clear #CommerceScam #RedmiNote10 #FakeFlashSell #RedmiCheaterMarch 16, 2021
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Where the F**k is the 4/64 variant? pic.twitter.com/t4QLFhuauzMarch 16, 2021
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Why only 6gb 128gb variant available for 1 st sale.????Fake sale hi hai aaj bhi . Note 10 6/128 dikhara aaj bhi amazon pe, aur Note 10 pro ka bhi base version ni aara 😌March 16, 2021March 17, 2021
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What the 🤬🤬🤬🤬😡😠😡#RedmiNote10Pro is a Realy Fake f**ing sale..😠😠Explain this @manukumarjain @RedmiIndia @amazonIN @RedmiSupportIN @XiaomiIndia ..@AmreliaRuhez @stufflistings @KaroulSahil @SalimBabaTech @C4ETech @techstarsrk @gogiinc @nirmaltv @ishanagarwal24 @abhishek pic.twitter.com/xeUtW476eFMarch 17, 2021
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Readers would recall that Xiaomi sells its phones via online sales that help the brand control the number of units shipped during each sale. Since there is a huge demand for budget phones, these devices disappear off the shelves in a jiffy leaving buyers a tad more frustrated.
Lack of clarity around the availability of some of the variants that they particularly want to purchase appears to have become a custom more honoured in its breach. Which means, these fans end up purchasing whatever is available. That is, if they can get their hands on it as limited stocks means devices disappear within minutes.
(Image credit: Future)
This is not the first time that Xiaomi has practiced such an operation. The Mi 10i that was launched in January also had a couple of variants, viz., 6+64GB, 6GB+128GB and the top end variant 8GB + 128GB. While both the 128GB variants are available on Amazon and Xiaomi’s official website, the 64GB variant is nowhere to be seen.
We did try to reach out to Xiaomi a couple of times to get the status on the availability of the Mi 10i 64GB variant but the company has chosen neither to respond to us nor has it started selling the phone thereafter.
What is with the 64GB variants and Xiaomi?
Of course, Xiaomi isn’t the only company that delays a particular variant of its devices. This not only allows the brand multiple opportunities to market its product but also prolongs the life of that particular series.
Even OnePlus followed a similar tactic during the launch of OnePlus Nord and the base variant was made available following some media reports calling out the brand for delaying the launch deliberately.
In the competitive age that we live in, these marketing practices give companies a breathing space between multiple launches to assess market feedback at a deeper level and improvise on their upcoming products.
However, a brand like Xiaomi, which has captured mindshare through its range of best-bang-for-the-buck devices, could be a bit more proactive and transparent. After all, the fans and the users deserve this. Especially, when the company takes pride in calling itself community-driven and fan-focused.
With that being said, deferred availability is still okay, but announcing a phone and not making it available for purchase, ever, is not kosher.
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