Xiaomi’s First Laptop

laptop xiaomi

Xiaomi has long been a big player in the smartphone and tablet markets, but it’s now branching out into laptops. The company’s first ever ultraportable, the Mi Notebook Air, is now on sale in China and offers a number of impressive features for its low price.

The 13-inch model comes with a Full HD display and a choice of 8GB or 16GB of RAM. The base price is 4,999 yuan, which converts to about $750 or PS570. For comparison, the Apple MacBook starts at $1,250. The Mi Notebook Air is also a lot thinner and lighter than the MacBook.

Despite its slim profile, Xiaomi’s designers have managed to cram in two USB 3.0 Type-A ports and an HDMI port alongside a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack. This is a welcome improvement over the MacBook’s offering of just a single USB port and an audio jack.

It is a little disappointing that the laptop does not come with a dedicated graphics card as this would have greatly improved its gaming performance. Instead, it relies on Intel’s integrated Iris Xe Graphics G7 chip. This is an older processor that is not really well suited to running games at high frame rates. In 3DMark tests the laptop scores only 76 frames per second at 1080p resolution, which is below the class average of 84.

However, if you’re a light gamer you may be able to get away with it. The unreleased Xiaomi TM2211 model that has appeared on Geekbench recently scored 2,701 points in the single-core test and 15,586 in the multi-core test. This puts it a fair way behind the Acer Predator PH16-782, which has a Core i9-14900HX.

The Xiaomi notebook comes with Windows 11 S mode which restricts software to apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store. This is a great security feature that helps protect your computer from malware, but it can be annoying for power users who want to run all their favourite apps. If you do want to get around this limitation, there is a workaround that involves installing a third-party app called S Mode Manager.

Xiaomi is releasing the laptop in its home country of China initially. There is no word yet on when it will be available in the UK, US or other markets, but if you do end up buying one of these laptops be aware that you will likely need to import it. This could lead to problems with getting warranty support if you run into issues with the device. You will also probably need to pay more for shipping back to the manufacturer if you need it repaired or replaced. This is a significant factor to take into account when deciding on a laptop. This is a potential deal-breaker for some buyers. However, if you can live with these limitations then the Mi Notebook Air is a solid option. The build quality is excellent and the screen is bright and crisp. The keyboard is also good, and the touchpad feels solid enough too.