Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10,400mAh Indian Unit vs. Chinese Unit

As two of the most affordable power banks available in the market at the moment, the 10,400mAh and 5,200mAh Xiaomi Power Banks find themselves in huge demand. A refreshingly good build quality helps, as does the use of high-quality internals. But that naturally means that getting your hands on either of these is quite a task.

Xiaomi is only a 4 year old company, and in this period, the young maker has been successful in starting operations in multiple markets besides its home country of China. India is what we believe will be Xiaomi’s second home for the years to come. It is not only because of the stupendous response that it has garnered here, but also because of the immense similarity that the Indian market possesses with the Chinese.

Coming back to the power banks, the 5,200mAh and the 10,400mAh variants got a ninja launch in India a couple weeks back. Flipkart being the choice of partner for Xiaomi, is selling the devices for 799 INR (US$13) and 999 INR (US$16) respectively; consciously staying on the right side of the 1,000 INR mark.

We managed to have our hands on both, the Indian and Chinese variant of the 10,400mAh power bank, and here is how the two versions stack up against one another.

Packaging

Packing on both devices is more or less identical. As you would expect, the Chinese version comes with literature in Chinese whereas the Indian version has it in English.

The Indian version comes with a sticker on one side, cautioning about the contents and its hazards while there’s nothing of that sort on its Chinese counterpart. The sticker is perhaps an addition by Flipkart, to keep it’s delivery staff up to date on the potential hazards that come along.

Another additional sticker finds place on the left edge of the packaging of the Indian version. Nothing great here, just the usual stuff – barcode, importer and manufacturer information, model number, etc. Similar information is found on the Chinese version as well, but it only talks about the model number, which in both cases is NDY-02-AD.

The opposite edge on the package describes the power banks energy ratings – Input: DC 5V/2A, Output: DUAL-CORE 5.1V/2.1A. This again is the same on both versions, with only the language used being the differentiating factor.

An additional area (with a scratch code) can be found on the Chinese version. This contains a code that you can use to verify the authenticity of your purchase. Since Xiaomi devices are sold only via Flipkart in India, you know you’re getting the original thing (when you buy from Flipkart).

Units

The units themselves look and feel exactly the same. However, a closer look reveals a couple of differences. Most notably, the ‘mi’ logo that sits on the front isn’t exactly the same on both devices. The Indian version has a darker and a more pronounced shade; the Chinese one, on the other hand, is a bit more ‘minimalistic’ and easier to miss.

Moving on to the opposite side, you’re greeted by the official URL for the company, which surprisingly isn’t the same on both versions. The Indian version says ‘xiaomi.com’, while the Chinese one, ‘mi.com’. Considering that Xiaomi moved to the mi.com domain only a few months back, it could be possible that units sold in India were manufactured before the one that we have from China. That’s the only possible explanation.

The ports section of both the versions are exactly identical. There’s the same full USB port, micro USB port, 4x LEDs and 1x indented button on both versions.

On the opposite edge, you find the certification markings, ratings, etc. Perhaps due to regulations that are more stringent, or in preparation of going international, the Indian unit comes with regulatory markings while the Chinese one doesn’t. You’ll find markings that confirm compliance with CE and FCC’s standards on the Indian version, which is a good addition.

Accessories and working

Both versions come with exactly identical accessories. This includes a short-ish flat-type USB to micro USB cable, and a user’s manual. But naturally, it’s only the language that varies.

As you would expect, the manner in which these two variants work is exactly identical as well. Charging takes about 6 hours on either version (with a 2A charger, not bundled in the package), quite close to Xiaomi’s estimate of 5.5 hours. Both devices were able to charge the OnePlus One 3 times (3100mAh; ~9300mAh total) and had the last LED blinking which points to <25% charge remaining. We’d bet on around 5% remaining, since a lot of the 10,400mAh is lost due to energy dissipation in the form of heat, etc.

Verdict

There’s hardly anything that’s differs, in real world terms, across the two versions of this power bank. However, if you care about compliance with regulations (which frankly, you should), you should go for the Indian version. Our guess is that the Chinese version too will soon start shipping with regulatory markings; Xiaomi can’t afford to upset its home country after all.

Do let us know if you have further questions on this, we’ll be happy to answer you!