Xiaomi’s Mi TV range has been available in India for close to two years now. However, while the smartphone range is backed up by a variety of accessories, the televisions don’t have as much available. This was particularly bothersome for Mi TV users who lost or damaged their remotes, since Xiaomi didn’t officially sell replacement remotes – till now. The Chinese electronics giant is now selling the Mi IR Remote and Mi Bluetooth remote separately for Mi TV users looking for replacements, priced at Rs. 199 and Rs. 499 respectively.
The announcement of the Mi Remote duo being sold separately came through a tweet by Sudeep Sahu, a product manager for Xiaomi in India. The tweet suggests that Xiaomi’s fans have been asking for the remotes to be made available individually, and the company has now put the Rs. 199 IR Remote and Rs. 499 Bluetooth Remote on sale. The former is better suited to Mi TV models without Bluetooth remote support, while the latter is for the higher-tier models.
The two remotes look similar, but the key differences are in how they function. The IR remote works like a traditional television remote, sending an infra-red signal to the TV. The Bluetooth remote communicates with the TV using the more modern and capable Bluetooth signal, and is also able to send voice commands for Google Assistant on a paired TV.
The option to buy a new remote is a welcome one for Mi TV users, since a lot of people may end up damaging or losing the remote long before the TV is ready to be replaced. The remotes have a minimalist approach in terms of buttons and functionality, and the Bluetooth remote is also said to be able to control some smart devices such as the Mi Air Purifier range. Pairing the remote with a Mi TV is a simple process, so users picking up replacement remotes can easily resume where they left off.
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