Xiaomi reportedly preparing to release its first tablet

A new tablet referred to as the “MiPad” is soon to be released from Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. The launch of a tablet follows on Xiaomi’s release of the Redmi Note, a 5.5-inch phablet that sold 1000,000 units in 34 minutes upon its release in March. Sources tell Reuters that the release of the tablet is on the horizon, perhaps as soon as a planned May 15 launch even in Beijing. However, Xiaomi declined to offer any information on which products will be announced, nor was Reuters able to get confirmation from sources close to the situation.

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi will soon release its first tablet, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, expanding the fast-growing company’s product lineup in a potential challenge to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc. Xiaomi this week said it would hold a launch event in Beijing on May 15, but declined to give details or comment further. The sources could not confirm whether the tablet would be unveiled at that event. The four-year-old Chinese company, which reached the No. 5 spot in its home market in the final quarter of last year according to Chinese research firm Analysys, is a standout among China’s crop of emerging smartphone makers that are expanding the market with lower-priced products.