Mivi has spent the better part of a decade building a name for itself in India’s audio space, with earbuds, neckbands, speakers, and soundbars that have earned it a loyal following. Now the company is taking a big step outside that comfort zone. Mivi has officially entered the smartphone category with its first device, the Mivi One 5G, set to launch in India on September 24.
Of course, this comes at a time when Apple has also just made headlines with its own big lineup expansion. If you’re curious how the very top end of the smartphone market looks right now, Apple’s launch of the iPhone Duo, 18 Pro and Pro Max is worth a look for contrast.
Mivi’s approach with the One 5G is clearly aimed at a very different part of the market, but the timing of both launches says something about how active the smartphone space is right now.
Why This Move Makes Sense for Mivi
For a company that built its identity entirely around audio products, jumping into smartphones is a genuinely significant shift. But Mivi frames it as a natural next step rather than a random pivot.
The company has spent years investing in domestic product development, R&D and manufacturing, including building out its own manufacturing ecosystem in Hyderabad. With Mivi One, it’s essentially taking that same in-house approach and applying it to a much more competitive category.
According to Mivi co-founder Viswanadh Kandula, the first decade of the company was about proving that an Indian brand could design and manufacture consumer technology for Indian consumers. Smartphones, in his words, are simply the natural next step in that same journey.
It’s also being positioned as more than just another product launch. Mivi is describing it as the starting point for a broader ambition, building a global consumer technology company out of India.
What Makes Mivi One 5G Different
One of the standout claims here is that Mivi One will be the only phone in its segment running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G chipset, developed with Indian use cases specifically in mind.
The company has built this launch around three key partnerships, Qualcomm for the chipset, Google, and Flipkart for distribution. That last one matters a lot, since Mivi One will be sold exclusively through Flipkart, leaning on the platform’s nationwide logistics and reach to actually get the phone into people’s hands across the country.
In terms of design, Mivi has already revealed a fair bit ahead of launch. The phone will come in three colour options, Burgundy, Blue and Green, and will ship with 128 GB of onboard storage. Design-wise, expect a flat rear panel with a pill-shaped dual camera module placed in the top left corner, paired with an LED flash right next to it.
The Mivi branding sits vertically in the bottom left corner of the back panel, and the phone has a flat mid-frame, with the power button and volume controls on the right side. A USB Type-C port and the speaker grille are both placed along the bottom edge.
What’s Still Unknown
Mivi hasn’t confirmed the exact Snapdragon chipset variant yet, nor has it revealed which version of Android the phone will run. Pricing also hasn’t been announced, though the company has said more details are expected in the days leading up to launch.
Flipkart’s Senior Director Mukund Kedia pointed out that Indian consumers are increasingly gravitating toward homegrown brands that offer real value and differentiation, and Mivi’s move into smartphones fits neatly into that trend.
Whether Mivi One 5G can actually compete in a market crowded with established players remains to be seen, but the company’s approach, building locally, partnering strategically, and leaning on a brand it has already built through audio products, gives it a reasonable foundation to work from.
For now, all eyes are on September 24, when Mivi One 5G officially goes on sale in India through Flipkart, marking Mivi’s first real test in a category far more competitive than the one it built its name in.