Perhaps the most anticipated tech news of year 2015 has just broke out: Xiaomi, the Chinese tech giant which has outpaced Samsung in China and Asia has announced that it is coming to the US. The bells have finally rung for Apple, Xiaomi’s biggest potential competitor. However, Xiaomi made it clear that the company will not sell cell phones and TVs in the US. It will start with small gadgets like headphones, low priced fitness bands and accessories.
Xiaomi showcased an event in the US today and said that the company will launch an online store in the US later this year. Hugo Barra, the vice president of Xiaomi and the only man because of which the company went up in the software and hardware domain accepted that Xiaomi will have to go through a lot to challenge Apple on its turf.
Barra is the man behind Android. When He left Google and joined Xiaomi, which was almost nothing at that time (2013), experts were skeptical about the sensibility of Barra’s decision. But within 2 years, Barra’s experience, talent and skills made Xiaomi the juggernaut of cellphone sales in Asia. It’s perfect Apple like hardware and Android like software has imbibed millions of users across the world.
Back in China, Xiaomi business has surged with huge success. It sold 150,000 phones in 10 minutes, shipped 940,000 devices each day in the busy season. But Xiaomi is not even close to Apple when it comes to the US market.
Xiaomi said in a statement that it has no plans to launch its phones in the US for now. It is in talks with the US authorities regarding NFC payment regulations. The move is seen as an attempt to enter the US market and increase adaptation and learn business dynamics of the local market. If Xiaomi could deliver quality products in affordable prices, it could give a tough time to Apple.