Xiaomi is already India’s No 1 phone company. It sells devices like the Redmi 6A and the Redmi Note 6 Pro that are incredibly popular in India. But looks like Xiaomi is sitting idle. Now, the company is probably hoping to take on still substantial feature phone market in India, by probably working on a very cheap, think under Rs 3000, smartphone that will be powered by Android Go. A Xiaomi phone powered by Android Go and with humble hardware, which should position it below the Redmi 6A, has popped up on internet. If real, this phone will be another best-seller in India.

A report that leaked on Wednesday evening revealed details about the Xiaomi Android Go phone. The report suggested that Xiaomi will be launching its Android Go phone very soon, possibly in the first half of the next year, around the same time when it launches the Redmi 7, Redmi 7 Pro and the Redmi 7A. With the Android Go phone that is said to be called Redmi Go when it launches, Xiaomi could end up ditching its customization-heavy MIUI interface and go for a stock Android Go interface for smoother user experience for its entry-level phone.

The inclusion of Android Go also means that the Xiaomi Redmi Go phone will be very low on hardware specifications and that it is meant for a country like India because in China the company uses MIUI. The Mi A1, an Android One phone, was also launched first in India.

Like the other existing Android Go phones in the Indian market – Nokia 1 and Samsung Galaxy J2 Core — the Redmi Go is also said to come with 1GB of RAM and 8GB internal storage. Having said that this draws our attention to the possible price of the Redmi Go phone in India.

Xiaomi Redmi Go India price

As Xiaomi says, the company offers all its products with “honest pricing”. The cheapest Xiaomi phone in the Indian market right now is the Redmi 6A. The phone now retails at Rs 5,999. Although we are yet to get information on the pricing of the Redmi Go phone, but based on the company’s current pricing strategy we believe the Android Go Xiaomi phone could be priced around Rs 3,000.

Let’s explain why.

Now that the Redmi 6A which comes with 2GB of RAM memory and 16GB of storage space retails for around Rs 6,000, chances of the Redmi Go phone to be available at half the price of the Redmi 6A is possible. The Redmi Go could be a phone that is probably going to be targeted at people who are willing to ditch a feature phone they are using all this while but can’t spend Rs 5,000 on a smartphone.

Besides the low specs that hint at a very affordable price tag attached to the phone, another reason why Xiaomi could (actually should) price the Redmi Go phone around Rs 3,000 is because of the failure of the Nokia 1 and the Samsung Galaxy J2 Core in India. These are the two popular Android Go phones available in the market right now, but even after having big brand names backing it, the handsets failed to impress the consumers, why? Answer: Because of their high prices.

The Nokia 1 Android Go phone was launched for Rs 5,499 while the Samsung Galaxy J2 Core was priced even higher at Rs 6,190. So, if Xiaomi manages to price its Android Go phone that will offer almost the same specs as the Nokia 1 and Galaxy J2 Core, around Rs 3,000 the Redmi Go can become a massive success in India.

This will also help Xiaomi take on the JioPhone 2, which is quite popular in India. The JioPhone 2 retails for Rs 2999 and offers some smart features in a phone that is essentially a feature phone. So surely, there are people who want a phone that can run WhatsApp or Facebook but can’t spend Rs 6,000 on a decent smartphone. These people often settle for the JioPhone 2. If Xiaomi brings the Redmi Go at a price of Rs 3,000, it will find a lot of takers.

Both the Nokia and Samsung Android Go phones come with 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage, and the same is expected from the Redmi Go phone as well. The reports on Wednesday revealed that the Redmi Go have a size of 141 x 71 mm and will measure 150mm diagonally, which means the phone will sport a 5.9-inch display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. On the hardware front, we expect the Redmi Go phone to be powered by a MediaTek processor.