Despite being a newcomer in the laptop business, Chinese tech giant Xiaomi is getting a lot of praises with its debut laptop, the Mi Notebook Air. While the laptop does sound a bit like the Apple MacBook Air, which is not the only aspect that it shares with Apple's flagship device, the Mi Notebook Air looks hauntingly familiar as well.
Despite criticisms of downright ripping the MacBook Air, Xiaomi claims that 13.3-inch model of the Mi Notebook Air is 13 percent thinner that it's Apple counterpart. The company added that it is also 11 percent smaller in overall form factor.
Despite its familiar looks and aesthetics, the Mi Notebook Air is not a pushover when it comes to hardware specs. Powering the laptop is an Intel Core i5-6200U clocked at 2.7GHz with 8GB of memory, and an Nvidia GeForce 940MX dedicated graphics card. The Mi Notebook Air has 256GB of SSD storage space. The display comes in Full HD resolution and a full keyboard setup with individual backlights.
According to The Next Web, the Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air is available in two color variants; gold and silver. It sports an all-metal body and weighs nearly three pounds. Xiaomi claims that the laptop can last for up to nine and a half hours on battery.
Charging the laptop can be done via the USB Type-C port and can charge from zero to 50 percent in just 30 minutes. The laptop also has an HDMI and USB 3.0 ports in case users want to add more peripherals.
A smaller 12.5-inch model is also available and it has an Intel Core M3 processor with integrated graphics. It has 4GB of memory and 128GB SSD storage.
Xiaomi has built its reputation over the years as a manufacturer that combines premium specs with affordability. The Mi Notebook Air is no exception. The 13-inch model costs $750, while the 12.5-inch variant costs $525. It will be released into the market on August 2. One key factor though, the laptop will be released only in China, according to CNet.
