Xiaomi sets its sights on the United States for its next endeavors
If you’ve been interested in Android for the last few years, one name that has continued to come up has been Xiaomi. The Chinese manufacturer has been slowly been on the rise since its arrival in 2010. We’ve seen products that have turned heads and devices that have dominated markets, such as India, but the question has been, when is Xiaomi coming to the US.
Technically, Xiaomi is already here. The company operates a US based web store, Mi.com, where consumers can purchase power banks, headphones, and various other accessories, but you cannot purchase a device from the web. Instead, you must rely on outside sources to get your hands on these devices, which is something that Xiaomi is planning to change in the “near future”.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Xiaomi’s Vice President of International, Hugo Barra gave everyone an idea as to the time frame that the company would be working with. While we can expect to see a new product launched in the US sometime in October, Barra would not put a time frame on when we will begin seeing devices such as the Xiaomi Mi 5 or Xiaomi Mi Max.
Some of the limitations that are blocking Xiaomi from making a huge splash is in terms of the company’s vision. Instead of trying to crash the party, the company is planning to enter the US market in a gradual pace. This will allow Xiaomi to properly staff and prepare its backend services such as customer support, to make sure the experience is what Xiaomi expects for its customers.
Where Xiaomi is performing the best is currently in India, as the combination of great hardware and low prices are allowing the company to challenge Samsung and MicroMax for market share. In fact, Barra stated that Xiaomi has grown in India by 72% year-over-year, which is definitely cause for some celebration.This experience, combined with the recent acquisition of over 1,500 patents from Microsoft, give Xiaomi the footing it needs to enter the market, at whatever pace it chooses.
That’s not to say that there won’t be some competition in the way of Xiaomi making a huge impact, as devices such as the OnePlus 3 and honor 5X continue to grow in popularity. It will definitely be of interest to see what Xiaomi has planned for the US market, and what product is in the woodworks for an October release. I, for one, am pumped to see Xiaomi come state side, and hope Hugo Barra and the whole Xiaomi team the best of luck in this endeavor. How do you think Xiaomi will do once it lands in the US?