Lei Jun wasn't discouraged even when the audience's reaction remained calm.
He smiled and pressed forward:
"The GPU on this Snapdragon 810 chip delivers the strongest graphics performance among all processors on the market!"
Those words immediately piqued everyone's curiosity.
"We'll now show a live demo. The Mi 4 phone and the Mi Pad will play the same video side-by-side to see the difference for yourself!"
The big screen behind him split into two displays.
On the left: the Mi 4.
On the right: the Mi Pad.
Both played the same video, but now with real-time frame rate data displayed.
Audience murmurs filled the room:
"The tablet's video looks smoother!"
"The colors are richer, more vivid!"
"The Mi 4 stutters slightly here and there... The tablet's frame rate is definitely more stable."
The comparison was obvious.
Even Lu Haifeng, watching from the crowd, had to admit it—
Qualcomm's chip design prowess was still formidable.
Balancing raw performance and powerful GPU acceleration wasn't easy.
Qualcomm had mastered it.
But Haifeng also understood something deeper.
If the Snapdragon 810 were this powerful,
thermal management and power consumption would become critical pain points.
If not controlled properly, the chip could overheat or drain batteries at alarming rates—
And history had already seen flagship processors stumble because of it.
Still, there was no denying the tablet's specs were strong.
Screen quality, processing power... It wasn't just a blown-up Mi 4—it was a legitimate contender.
The only question left?
The price.
Seeing the eagerness in the crowd, Lei Jun finally announced:
"The Mi Pad comes in two versions:
2GB RAM + 16GB storage — ¥1999 (≈ $275)
2GB RAM + 32GB storage — ¥2499 (≈ $344)"
The moment the prices flashed onto the screen, the audience cheered again.
"Mi Company is amazing!"
"This tablet is incredible!"
Once again, Xiaomi had nailed the "ultimate cost-performance" mantra.
Even if the entry model was only 2+16GB, with a premium display and flagship-level chip,
the value proposition was undeniable.
Lei Jun wrapped up with a final bombshell:
"Sales for Mi 4 and Mi Pad first generation begin at 10:00 AM tomorrow!"
The next morning, chaos.
Just ten minutes after the sales window opened,
Both the Mi 4 and Mi Pad were sold out.
Completely wiped clean.
Such blistering sales numbers stunned the mobile industry.
Few companies could boast this kind of explosive demand.
Inside Mi Company, the mood was euphoric.
Lin Wen, face flushed with excitement, reported to Lei Jun:
"President Lei, it's a huge success! The online buzz is insane. Everyone wants our products!"
Lei Jun's crescent-moon eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Of course, inventory was limited:
2 million Qinglong 810 chips from China Star Semiconductor.
500,000 Snapdragon 810 chips from Qualcomm.
Plenty to keep up momentum for a while, but Lei Jun was playing it smart.
For this first wave,
200,000 Mi 4 phones and 100,000 Mi Pads were released for online sale.
Lei Jun's marketing playbook was brilliant:
Consumers who snagged a device?
Feel lucky. Feel validated. The product must be excellent if it's so hard to get.
Consumers who missed out?
Feel frustrated... but convinced. High demand meant it was worth chasing.
Artificial scarcity, psychological pressure—
Xiaomi wasn't just selling devices.
They were selling desirability.
Only Mi Company had mastered this tactic to perfection among domestic phone brands.