Xiamomi, a leading smartphone manufacturer in China, will soon sell its affordable accessories to the US, as well as to UK, Germany, and France. Previously it did not offer its products to any of these countries.
The new efforts are a test to see what the audience is response is before Xiaomi decides whether to sell its smartphones to the west. The accessories for sale will include headphones, portable battery packs, and fitness wristbands. All of these types of products very popular right now in the US.
Nicknamed as “China’s Apple,” Xiamomi is starting to broaden its selling efforts. The company will target developing countries. The announcement was made mid-May, and it will mean that US-based tech firms have yet another competitor to contend with for sales. Xiamomi originated five years ago.
The Mi store, as it will be called, will open in the US, Germany, France, and UK. Its accessories are low-cost but high quality. An example of a sports gadget it has done well with selling in China is the Mi Band, which is a fitness band that lets users set daily activity goals and more.
Xiamomi’s CEO is Lei Jun, who is also a co-founder. The company’s goal is to reach beyond China for Xiamomi to become a leader in the tech world globally, rivaling Apple and Samsung. However, to date, the company has had legal issues with doing so. For example, when it launched in India, there were patent infringement issues that resulted in India banning the company from selling there.
Watch for the Mi store and its low-priced accessories to come, and we will continue to watch as “China’s Apple” continues to expand its efforts in the global tech market.