How low can you go: Xiaomi allegedly prepping an 80-dollar handset for 2015

The company does not have a very extensive portfolio of products - the top-end Xiaomi Mi 4 being the flagship (and what a flagship it is indeed!), the Xiaomi Redmi Note in the upper mid-range, and the Xiaomi Hongmi/Redmi 1s in the entry-level price segment.

It seems that Xiaomi might have a new ultra-affordable Android smartphone in the pipeline for 2015. The rumor mill has it that it might cost CNY500, which translates to roughly $81. One of the hints behind this rumor is the recent inclusion of BOE Technology, a China-based supplier of display panels for entry-level phones, which made the cut and landed on Xiaomi's supplier list. The latter is already using Sharp and Japan Display's panels for its top-tier handsets, whereas AU Optronics is the provider of display panels for the mid-range offerings. Thus, it seems BOE Technology could be Xiaomi's partner for the latter's entry-level handsets.

We've already heard rumors about an alleged successor of the low-cost Xiaomi Redmi 1S, which has been already given the green light by China's TENAA certification agency. Could this be the rumored $80 handset? Well, we somewhat doubt that, but considering the Chinese phones you can get for twice the price, Xiaomi can easily surprise us all.

source: DiGiTimes via GSMDome