Xiaomi has had a very strong presence in the emerging markets since its arrival in the smartphone scene a few years ago. Already winning over the competition with effective mobiles such as the Redmi budget series and the super-powered Mi series of phones, the company has all the right makings to tap into the US and European markets. But sadly, the company says that now isn’t the right time for that and will instead focus on entering the regions within the next two years.
The senior VP of Xiaomi, Wang Xiang claims that although the company is enthusiastic about expanding to western markets, the carrier situation is such that it is difficult for the company to strike a proper deal in order to sell its products. Xiang took over the role of VP once Hugo Barra left the company for Facebook.
He further added that although Xiaomi is still the second biggest name in markets like India and is third in overall usage in Ukraine, the company is comfortably standing within the boundaries of the budget-segment. And it seems like the company is doing just fine too, since the new Mi 6 is undoubtedly the best budget Snapdragon 835-based smartphone released this year and compared to the Galaxy S8, people might be second-guessing their choice. The company is currently active in 30 markets, most still emerging but that has not wavered the company’s conviction in developing international standard quality either.
In the US alone, new Asian makers have found it rather hard to maintain a steady following in the industry. Huawei has difficulty in finding an audience in the US, ZTE and Alcatel are only known for their budget handsets while OnePlus, although widely popular the world over, has had significantly lesser reach in the US market. According to the CNet, Xiaomi’s standing in its own home market are quite low, being fifth in place, with companies like Oppo, Huawei and Vivo having considerably taken the lead.
Entering the US and UK markets was supposed to be achieved by 2017, based on ex-VP Hugo Barra’s premonition. But since his departure, the company has instead focused on taking a step back and analyzing their position and be well-prepared before they enter these new territories. This is why the company is now looking to redo its strategy and release by 2019.
Reports state the company’s engineers have to conform to strict guidelines in order to match the carrier compatibility, which they do not currently have the time for. Xiaomi currently has a large following, selling power banks as well as audio accessories in the US and European markets but has still not touched upon the sales of smartphones just yet.
With the Mi 6 shaping up to be a global hit, easily faulting the Galaxy S8 and other flagships in price-point, newer markets are bound to take notice. Xiaomi deserves a lot of praise for the dedication and innovation it carries forward to its phones, which consist of big specs at small prices. 2019 could not come sooner.
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