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Xiaomi is likely a company that you have heard in passing, as we have been covering its various products for some time. However, the company’s devices are not exactly readily available for purchase here in the US.
This all could change sooner than expected, as Xiaomi’s Chairman confirmed the company’s plans:
“We’ve always been considering entering the US market. We plan to start entering the market by end 2018, or by early 2019.”
Some devices from Xiaomi are already available, notably the Xiaomi Mi TV, headphones, and more. However, these are available through limited retailers and you likely have to wait at least a few weeks in some cases.
While Huawei continues to struggle working partnerships with US carriers thanks to interference from the government, it seems that Xiaomi does not care. The company will eventually be making some type of push into the US, although its unknown if smartphones will only be available through third-party retailers.
Despite Xiaomi not having the same global “clout” as Huawei, the company could still see some pushback. Especially when directors of US agencies warned consumers against purchasing devices from Huawei and ZTE due to espionage worries.
Nonetheless, with Xiaomi releasing devices such as the Mi MIX lineup and its Android One push with the Mi A1, I would be interested in seeing how the company performs. Currently, and surprisingly, you can pick up the budget-minded Xiaomi Mi A1 from Amazon for around $200.
But if the company makes a more concerted effort to push into the US, we won’t have to worry about waiting three weeks for a device to ship from China. Let us know what you think about this possible move in the comments below and if you think it would be good for the industry. If not, be sure to let us know why you would shy away from Xiaomi devices being sold here in the US.
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