Xiaomi, while previously known for their MIUI customized Android OS, exploded onto the China brand scene in 2011 and skyrocketed to the top of the ‘must-have’ list. They now hold 2 of the spots on the top 10 phones list. Their sales model has been aggressive and smart — cutting out the middle man and offering phones with excellent specs and quality at near cost, which made Xiaomi a viable alternative to iPhones and flagship Samsungs.
Xiaomi just held a meeting in Beijing for the special purpose of announcing their expansion plans. Founder Lei Jun has confirmed Xiaomi will be officially entering the market in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, Turkey, Mexico and Brazil.
Earlier this month, Xiaomi further marked their commitment to going global with a new international website — www.mi.com. Xiaomi VP Li Wanqiang stated “When it comes to ecommerce, a short domain name helps obtain higher user traffic because it is easy to remember”.
Xiaomi pushing in 2014 to sell 60 million units
Xioami sold 70% of its units via their website in 2013 and this latest move with an internationally focused site should significantly increase sales. Xiaomi isn’t satisfied with their rapid growth and are pushing in 2014 to sell 60 million units. That’s 3x the 18.7 million phones they sold in 2013, which is up 150% from 2012.
At the meeting in Beijing, Xiaomi also announced their release of an inexpensive, yet stylish mini WiFi router. Set to sell at around $20, the router comes in an array of colors. Also set to be released is a non-mini standard home router in the $100 bracket.
I think this is an extremely smart move by Xiaomi and is mimicking the move made by Huawei who also sells home routers. The name of the game is branding. That is getting the name into the minds and households however possible, and a WiFi router is a staple ingredient in any modern living unit.
Xiaomi to release a 7.85″ LCD tablet
On top of all this jazz, Xiaomi has planned to release a 7.85″ LCD tablet with 2048×1536 resolution. This is a PPI of 324 and about 10% sharper than a 5″ LCD with 1280×720.
Currently Xiaomi is considering both Intel and Nvidia for the SoC and may be selling for as low as $160. The tablet is expected to be released by Q4 of 2014.
Foxconn and Inventec have been Xiaomi’s manufacturing partners for their mobiles and it’s believed that these will be the manufacturers of Xiaomi’s tablet as well.
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