In a rather slow launch in the Philippines, Xiaomi sells 3,000 Mi3 phones after an hour

Xiaomi’s first sale of Mi3 smartphones in the Philippines today marks its slowest sell-out ever. 3,000 Android-powered Mi3 phones were snapped up by shoppers after more than an hour. Tech in Asia reached out to Xiaomi for further details and the exact time taken.

Xiaomi, known for its online flash sales, usually sells out a batch of phones in minutes.

The devices were sold through the Chinese phone-maker’s local partner, Lazada, at 12 noon today. By watching the availability of the phone on Lazada, we saw that it took the Mi3 about 75 to 90 minutes to sell out completely. Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra explained in an interview earlier this month that its partnership with Lazada – rather than selling via its own site, as it does in China, Singapore, and a few other places – is because it wants to offer a variety of payment options to consumers in the Philippines, including cash on delivery.

Shortly after today’s first batch sold out, Xiaomi’s Philippines Facebook page announced that the next batch sales date will be revealed soon.

So far, Singapore holds the record for the fastest Xiaomi debut sell-out at two minutes. Later this year, Xiaomi will launch in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and India.