Ma Zhiyu: Xiaomi notebook's return after four years "carries too many people's expectations and hopes"

Return and reaction

Ma Zhiyu (马志宇), product marketing director at Xiaomi (小米), said in a social post that the company’s revived laptop line “carries too many people's expectations and hopes” as the brand brings back a Xiaomi Notebook after a four‑year hiatus. Why the gap? It has been reported that a former Xiaomi PR head, Wang Hua (王化), previously explained the pause by saying Xiaomi’s CEO wanted Redmi to solidify its position in laptops first before Xiaomi re‑entered the segment. Ma also responded to user questions online, replying that the D‑panel is “fairly easy” to remove and that there will be no 16‑inch version of the Xiaomi Notebook Pro.

Product highlights

It has been reported that Xiaomi Notebook Pro 14 (小米笔记本 Pro 14) will ship in three colors — soft matte blue, white and elegant gray — and uses an integrated die‑cast magnesium‑alloy body with a high‑strength carbon‑fiber base. Reportedly the keyboard support plate is upgraded to lighter titanium‑alloy and the machine weighs about 1.08 kg. On performance, the new Pro 14 reportedly tops out with Intel’s latest Core Ultra X7 358H and a large 10,000 mm² vapor chamber, paired with quiet high‑speed fans and a three‑channel airflow layout to enable up to 50 W sustained performance.

Market and geopolitical context

The return comes as Chinese OEMs rekindle efforts to compete on premium laptops at home and abroad. Reportedly this push takes place against a backdrop of tightening US‑China tech tensions and export controls that have complicated access to certain advanced components for some Chinese firms, making Xiaomi’s use of Intel silicon noteworthy. Whether the new Pro 14 can convert the high expectations Ma described into sales remains the question — but for now Xiaomi is signaling a clear intent to contest the premium laptop space again.