In a surprise move, listed online retailer Infibeam has started offering 32 GB versions of Xiaomi’s much-in-demand-ever-so-elusive Redmi Note 3 phone on its website.
This is at a time when the phone has gone out of stock on other websites like Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon.
Infibeam was not listed among the suppliers for the phone, at least initially, by Xiaomi.
However, there should be no problem with getting warranty cover, unless the phone has been imported by third parties (and not Xiaomi India).
According to Infibeam, the Note 3 that they are selling does carry a manufacturer warranty of 1 year.
The phone is being sold by a vendor called Philps Point, which seems to have decent ratings (though how many ratings it has got is not revealed on Infibeam website.)
Interestingly, all three colors of Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (32 GB)– Gold, Silver and Dark Grey — are in stock as we are writing this story.
The Note 3, despite being ‘overtaken’ by the LeEco Le 2, continues to see strong demand in India due to the brand value created by Xiaomi.
Though inferior to the similarly priced Le 2 in terms of specifications, many people continue to try to buy the phone for two reasons:
Xiaomi is a more established player in India, and there is no surety about the availability of LeEco Le 2, which will have its first flash sale on Tuesday.
The Redmi Note 3 is based on the Snapdragon 650 chipset, while the Le 2 is based on the more powerful Snapdragon 682 chipset. The cameras on the LeEco model are also reported to be superior to those on Redmi Note 3, which started selling in India in early March.
Xiaomi has come under fire from fans for failing to deliver stocks after creating hype ahead of the launch of the Note 3.
According to all indications, the company managed to sell only a few thousands units of its 32-GB phone in March, while close to a million users were trying to buy the device.
Supply, however, improved in April. Soon after, Xiaomi stopped conducting flash sales in the traditional fashion, and decided to remove the requirement for pre-registration.
Despite increasing supplies, the company has not been able to meet demand even three months after sales began for the model.