Xiaomi has been very popular in this country for a long time due to fair prices and good hardware. The company has been represented in Germany since August 2019. TECHBOOK explains what consumers should look out for with Xiaomi.
Xiaomi is at the forefront
The company was founded in 2010 and introduced its first smartphone in 2011. Since then, Xiaomi has successfully expanded its portfolio. The manufacturer not only offers smartphones, but also all kinds of other technology such as televisions, laptops and wearables.
Market share of smartphones
In 2019, Xiaomi temporarily managed to become the market leader in its home country of China. Globally, Xiaomi counts out loud extra with Apple and Samsung in the top 3 (unless BKK, which includes Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus, is counted as a single manufacturer). Depending on the quarter and especially in the case of Apple, the release of a new iPhone, you swap places here. Xiaomi’s smartphone brands once included Mi and Redmi. Mi was the name given to Xiaomi’s high-end smartphones, while Redmi includes affordable entry-level and mid-range devices. Mi was abolished without replacement, so that new flagship models are only called “Xiaomi 12”. The term Redmi is still in use.
Market share wearables
In terms of wearables, the company is in second place, a relatively large distance behind Apple (Apple Watch), followed by Samsung and Huawei. The company is particularly successful with the comparatively inexpensive fitness trackers, the Mi-Bands.
Xiaomi portfolio
In addition to smartphones, Xiaomi’s portfolio also includes numerous other devices, gadgets and software, including apps, laptops, headphones, fitness bracelets, TVs, smart home and IoT products (Internet of Things), but also razors, bags and shoes . Ranked in the 2021 Fortune Global 500, a list of the highest-earning companies in the world Xiaomi at number 338. In 2019 it was still in 468th place. The group went public in July 2018 on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Positioned globally
The company is now active in more than 80 countries worldwide. When asked by TECHBOOK, Xiaomi said it has a presence in almost all of Europe’s key markets, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the UK. The smartphones are sold online, in stores and also with telecommunications providers. Since August 2019, the official devices can also be found on Amazon.de, at Media Markt, Saturn and in the shops of providers such as O2.
What does “Xiaomi” mean and how do you pronounce it?
The name “Xiaomi” literally means millet and represents the company’s small beginnings and eye for detail. According to Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, millet is related to a Buddhist wisdom that says that a small grain can be as important as a mountain. The brand name “Mi” also has a meaning: the abbreviation stands for “Mobile Internet”. However, Xiaomi itself also says that it also means “Mission Impossible”, allegedly due to the company’s difficult early days.
When pronouncing Xiaomi, we don’t want to get lost in explanations. Instead, just listen to the clip. Above all, the stress on the last syllable does not usually take place in Germany.
Also read: Do you already know the mobile phone manufacturer Oppo?
These are the most important Xiaomi smartphones in 2022
Xiaomi’s most important smartphones include the 12 series, consisting of the Xiaomi 12, 12X and 12 Pro. We compared all three models in a detailed article:
Xiaomi 12 is here and putting the smartphone competition under pressure
The Redmi series, which was expanded in 2022 with the Redmi Note 11, for example, is cheaper than the smartphones mentioned. Again, you can get more information in the article.
Privacy is an issue
Xiaomi’s Android smartphones run their own MIUI user interface, which has been in development since 2010 and has already received a lot of criticism. In 2014, it was reported that Xiaomi user data, logs and contact information sent to its servers in China via its cloud messaging service. With an update, the company gave users the option to turn off the service, which also stopped data sharing. In 2016 it also became public that Xiaomi smartphones not only send personal data to China, but also have a back doorwhich allows the company to install apps on the smartphone without the user’s permission.
According to their own statements, “Xiaomi devices create files for internal settings and some applications, but do not collect any personal user data”. When asked by TECHBOOK, Xiaomi assured us that data collected from users in the EU will remain in the EU. The company was already pursuing this strategy before the GDPR came into existence. Depending on the location, the data is processed by the cloud servers from Amazon, Microsoft and Alibaba Cloud.
Despite all the assurances from Xiaomi, skepticism is more than appropriate. It cannot be ruled out that data will be passed on in other ways due to possible security gaps.
What about the guarantee?
Devices that have been bought in Germany since August 2019 have after-sales services and a guarantee from Xiaomi, the company told us. The after-sales services are offered in partnership with third-party providers such as Ingram Micro. Anyone who buys elsewhere must have services such as repairs carried out by the respective dealer. According to the Xiaomi spokesman, devices purchased in the EU would not be sent to China for repairs, but would be processed on site.
Xiaomi gives no international warranty and no guarantee against physical and water damage. The company also does not offer a guarantee for devices that customers have not purchased directly from the company, but through other sites and dealers.
Connections to the Chinese Communist Party?
The company was founded by Lei Jun, who is now also the CEO. With a fortune of around US$12 billion, Lei Jun is one of the richest men in China. In 2014, Forbes named him Businessman of the Year. However, since 2013, Lei Jun has also been a deputy to China’s National People’s Congress. At that time still as allegedly non-partisan. It is unclear whether he is now a member of the Communist Party (KP), but it is likely. This is supported, for example, by the fact that he was recognized by the Chinese regime in 2019 as “Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics”.
Also, most major Chinese companies have ties to the KP. To this end, committees made up of members of the party are often set up in companies to ensure their influence. Chinese companies are rightly under close scrutiny in many countries because of their relationship with the KP. The CP is a unity party and leads the country in an authoritarian manner, opposition parties are suppressed and have no power at all. Among the numerous atrocities for which the Communist Party is responsible are massacres of peaceful protesters, capital punishment of minors and torture.