Understanding India's love for 'China maal' like Xiaomi, Gionee & OPPO

[Kloitra]

Do you know the magic of McDs, they can bring an "tasty," to some, product on essentially no little cost. You think the people at McDs don't know how to make good food with good quality ingredients?


Your talk of quality, you think we can't? It takes a long time to be able to figure out, how to build something cheaply while still effective.

Anyone can build a good device given the cash. Like a Lambo, you think Toyota can't build a car like that? They could, but they choose to make money instead.


Also, since Modi is saying make in India, do you know what that means? If successful. I don't think he was talking of spaceships.

I never said you can't. Infact, I know that goods sold to western countries are superior compared to those that come to India. I am not blaming Chinese manufacturing, but the demand and supply game.

 

[halupridol]

Indian goods are better, What a joke.

if that is what you were able to comprehend,,,than the joke is on you

 

[BoQ77]

Repost:
Understanding India's love for 'China maal' like Xiaomi, Gionee & OPPO


I doubt there is any anti-Chinese sentiment in India in general. The only negative of Chinese products has been their low quality, the word Chinese has become synonymous with being cheap and low quality.
Lets see if that changes.

Same comment for Vietnam market.

 

[Kloitra]

are they doing export? if you feel good in India, did you realize maybe the politics limit import of good quality staffs?

No, not politics, but the cost.

 

[JustAnotherWomen]

You just have no idea how hard to have a company in Indian as a foreigner, so many officers will come to charge lots of non-official things.
Btw, government control is a good thing for your local companies, otherwise some of them like TATA will be crushed by impact of foreigners'.

You are right to some extent. Yes it has been tough and that is what we are working on.

The question here is not TATA. the question is common man. TATA and all can very well take it. For example wallmart if it opens up directly in india it is not going to impact reliance but it is going to impact small shop owners. Reliance and all can compete with them.

 

[cirr]

FORBES ASIA 10/10/2014 @ 12:23下午 9,264 views

Xiaomi President Suggests Apple's Jony Ive Give Xiaomi A Try
Comment Now

Jonathan Ive, the designing genius behind some of the legendary Apple products is known for his pleasant manners and mellow Essex accent. But even the ever-gentlemanly Jony couldn’t hold his temper when a Chinese smart phone brand name was mentioned.

At a recent Vanity Fair event, when a member of the audience came up to ask a question about Xiaomi, referring it as “the Apple of China,” Ive purportedly said:

“I’ll stand a little bit harsh, I don’t see it as flattery. When you’re doing something for the first time, you don’t know it’s gonna work, you spend 7 or 8 years working on something, and then it’s copied. I think it is really straightforward. It is theft and it is lazy. I don’t think it is ok at all.”

In response, Lin Bin, cofounder and president of Xiaomi, made a rather circumspect reply today.

Lin suggested that Johnathon might have never used a Xiaomi product and urged him to try. He even made the gesture of giving Jony a Xiaomi product (presumably a Mi Phone) for free.

Why The Word Thief Would Better Having Never Been Said

It is going to be a futile debate whether Xiaomi or other smart phones have copied Apple’s. While one can compile a list of similarities between a Xiaomi and an iPhone, Xiaomi defenders are most likely come back with a list of differences that is just long. Imitation seems to be inevitable but Xiaomi is not the only one that is guilty – don’t get me wrong: I am not trying to defend the company saying it should not be criticised for doing what the rest of the world seem to have been doing. But lets face it: the cost of not imitating Apple is high in today’s environment. Just take a look at BlackBerry and Nokia , the two examples who resisted the temptation.

But there is more reason that Jony Ivy should not be that blunt from a PR perspective.

First, accusing a competitor being a thief wouldn’t do any good to Apple’s image except maybe making it appear insecure and negative. Given that Xiaomi was mostly selling in China, a country with a legal system that doesn’t favour foreigners, Apple’s patent lawsuits wouldn’t work here. And it is never wise to make accusations when you are not ready to back them up.

Second, such a statement may be (mis)interpreted as Apple’s semi-official acknowledgement that Xiaomi is indeed “China’s Apple”. Despite that the Chinese company’s effort to differentiate itself from the rest of Chinese Apple wannabes, so far its high sales numbers have been driven mostly by low prices. Even if there were no Xiaomi, its price-conscious customers would most likely go to Meizu or Huawei rather than Apple. For the later, it would be wise to avoid being associated with a brand that is below its league. Steve Jobs may have called Android a stolen product, but hey, at least that is Google .

The reason that Apple is able to charge premium is its ability to innovate. Apple used to be able to claim it was two years ahead of its competitors. Now this claim seems to be a bit shaky. Yes, to keep ahead of your competitors is a tough battle, especially when they not only “copy” your products but also “copy” your methods and philosophy. But among ways that Apple can earn respect, calling people thieves is not one. When you start to feel hard to keep up with users’ expectations, look into your design process and do some self-reflection. An aloof Apple that wows its customers with great products is much preferable than a self-righteous one that sleeps on its past glory.

A better response for Jony would perhaps be a curtly: “I am afraid I am not aware of the brand.” Or just a shrug, a helpless grimace – “What can we do? We are Apple.

 

[cirr]

Xiaomi Unveiled Company’s Home Automation Devices In China

Published on October 10, 2014 by Kristijan Lucic




Xiaomi is a Chinese company most known for it affordable and yet well-built smartphones. In Asia, people are calling this company China’s Apple, which is a good fit I guess. Xiaomi’s hardware and software are often inspired by Apple’s products, or so it seems. Xiaomi Mi4 and Redmi 1S are probably company’s most known products. The former is Xiaomi’s 2014 flagship while the latter is an extremely affordable device which carries rather good specifications and design, this device is extremely popular in India where Xiaomi is selling it as part of “Flash Sales” via Indian retailer Flipkart.

This Chinese manufacturer has serious plans to bring its business abroad, they’re already active in Italy, India and will soon be in South America. Xiaomi has other countries in plan soon as well. It seems they want to differentiate in their products lineup as well, other than expanding their business geographically. After teasing company’s “Mi Home” smart box yesterday on its official webpage along with some other smart products which are used through that box, Xiaomi announced all of those today. This Chinese manufacturer announced 4 new product as part of their very own smart home lineup, Mi Smart Remote Center, Ants smart camera, Mi Smart Power Plug / Socket and Yeelight Smart Lightbulb. The first one is of course the smart box itself which is basically a router for all other of these devices, or as Xiaomi calls it, smart Remote Control Center. The second one is the Ants Smart Camera, this little gadget has a viewing angle of 111 degrees, a resolution of 720p and it comes with 4-times optical zoom. You can make voice calls through it without a problem considering it has an embedded microphone and a loudspeaker. Xiaomi’s Smart Socket, on the other hand, lets your remotely switch power on and off, it has a USB port. You’ll be able to do this via the special app for your smartphone of course. Yeelight is the 3rd device we’ll talk about, this is a Bluetooth 4.0-powered smart bulb which lets you adjust its color and light via the aforementioned smartphone app.

There you have it. Xiaomi has made its first step towards home automation market, the company has made it clear that the products will be “sold at cost”, so the prices of these gadgets should be quite affordable once they hit the market. We can only guess what those prices will be at this point though, but will let you know as soon as we find out more details.

Xiaomi creating range of smart home devices, after mobile success

David Curry |Oct 10, 2014 11:57 AM EDT

Xiaomi has locked down the Chinese smartphone market and is on track to sell 60 million smartphones, but they want to be more than a mobile provider.

In a recent announcement, Xiaomi revealed the new smart home devices and a platform to make them work together. The devices will be sent out to 200 beta testers later this month, to work on the implementation of the platform and fix any bugs.

Inside this bundle of smart home devices is:

• Mi Smart Power Plug - Small 3C multi-function power plug, with USB interface. Has a timer and can be remote controlled from a Xiaomi phone.
  
  
• Ants Smart Webcam - 720p HD resolution webcam with 111 degrees wide-angle zoom.
  
  
• Yeelight Smart Lightbulb - Colorful light options, can light up gradually on a timer.
  
  
• Mi Smart Remote Center - Allows you to control your Xiaomi TV, music player, air conditioner and more Xiaomi connected first and third party products.
  

This is not Xiaomi's first step in smart home devices. They previously announced a smart WiFi router, which looks a lot like Apple's recently updated Mac Pro. The WiFi router supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz and can connect with all smart home devices that run on WiFi.

In the battle of the Internet of Things, Xiaomi has a clear lead in China, where its competitors ZTE and Huawei are slow to embrace these new wearable and smart home devices. The problem is drawing interest to these smart home devices, even with the Xiaomi brand, they don't sell as quickly as their smartphones or tablets.

Xiaomi didn't give any dates on when the smart home platform would be available to all Chinese buyers.

 

[cirr]

China’s Xiaomi plans to buy $13 million stake in GPS mapping company Careland

• October 10, 2014
• at 11:10 pm
• by C. Custer

Red-hot Chinese startup Xiaomi has long since ventured out from its initially territory of smartphones, getting involved in everything from blood pressure monitors to game controllers – and that’s just in the past few weeks! But according to a Tencent Tech report, the company is also expanding into the world of GPS and mapping via a planned investment in Careland.

Careland recently announced that it will sell 7 million shares of its stock at the price of RMB 12 (US$1.96) per share. Xiaomi plans to purchase all of those shares via two subsidiary companies, for a total investment of RMB 84 million, or about US$13.7 million. One company, Tianjin Jinxing Investment Limited, will buy 4,666,667 shares while the other, Tianjin Shunmi Investment Limited, will buy the remaining 2,333,333 shares.

It’s not hard to see why Xiaomi would want a piece of Careland. The company is one of a small group of companies with a license to do GPS mapping in China, and it posted more than RMB 25 million (US$4 million) in profits and strong growth during the first half of 2014. But whether Xiaomi is simply bolstering its investment portfolio or whether it hopes to integrate Careland’s products into its own software remains unclear.

(Source: Tencent Tech via Techweb)

 

[cirr]

Xiaomi signs former Google exec as India lead products manager

Mon Oct 13, 2014 2:05pm IST


REUTERS - Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi has named a new lead products manager for its India unit as the company ramps up its team in the world's third biggest smartphone market.

Xiaomi has recruited former Google executive Jai Mani to be in charge of products, Hugo Barra, Xiaomi's vice president of international operations, said in his Facebook and Google Plus posts.

"Android fans: you'll remember Jai from his memorable on-stage demo performances at Google I/O and Nexus launches," Barra, himself an ex-Google employee, wrote. Mani has moved to Bangalore from San Francisco, he said.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mani had been a Google Play Strategy and Analytics associate before be co-founded a startup.

Xiaomi, which sells its phones exclusively through e-commerce website Flipkart.com in India, is looking to find a foothold in a market that has at least 80 different phone companies fighting it out for market share.

Barra told Reuters in July that the company is looking to invest heavily in India, including building a team that can cater to localisation needs.


(Reporting by Nivedita Bhattacharjee in Mumbai; Editing by Sunil Nair)

Xiaomi hires another ex-Googler in push for India

The Beijing-based smartphone maker wants to expand into India and Southeast Asia, looking to keep up its rapid growth.

By Ben Fox Rubin

October 13, 2014 6:31 AM PDT

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi hired a former Google executive to help manage its products team in India, as the 4-year-old company continues its ambitious plans to expand in Asia.

The Beijing-based company named Jai Mani as a product manager. The hire was announced by Xiaomi's global vice president, Hugo Barra -- another former Google executive -- on his Facebook and Google+ accounts on Sunday. Mani has already relocated from San Francisco to Bangalore, India, Barra said.

"You can think of it as the beginning of our R&D center development in India," Barra told The Wall Street Journal when asked about Mani's hiring.

A Xiaomi representative couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Mani is most recently the co-founder and product manager of a startup, and he previously worked on strategy and analytics for the Google Play app store, according to his LinkedIn page. He worked at Google from 2009 to 2013.

Xiaomi has quickly become the leading smartphone vendor in China, the world's largest market, and has ambitions to grow in India and Southeast Asia. The Chinese smartphone maker has seen high demand so far in India, instantly selling out its devices at its online flash sales.

The company, which has grown in popularity by offering high-end but lower-priced Android-powered smartphones, captured 14 percent of the Chinese market in the second quarter, overtaking Samsung, according to research firm Canalys. However, the company, now the fifth-largest smartphone maker in the world, still has little name recognition outside of China, but it's working on making itself a bigger name in Asia and Europe.

While Samsung and Apple have maintained their spots as the top two smartphone vendors worldwide, Xiaomi has increased the competition against them, surging to capture 5.1 percent of the smartphone market in the second quarter of this year, up from just 1.8 percent a year earlier, according to Strategy Analytics.

 

[hans]

But the quality really rely on the price...
Nowadays the technical and part supply to make products are open in the market.
You can choose from good & expensive ones to low cost ones.
The problem is whether you can produce it with a competitive price that people will buy it..
India lack the capacity to make it cheap and good..

I never said you can't. Infact, I know that goods sold to western countries are superior compared to those that come to India. I am not blaming Chinese manufacturing, but the demand and supply game.

 

[zeronet]

I never said you can't. Infact, I know that goods sold to western countries are superior compared to those that come to India. I am not blaming Chinese manufacturing, but the demand and supply game.

you pay for what you get. As you can see most of the complaints on quality issues coming from low income countries, while most western importers are not extremely sensitive on price, they usually get a best balance point between quality and price. For Indian importers, on the other hand, you see them bargain on price all the way to the last minute. Sorry, you can only get this quality with this price.

 

[takeiteasy]

India is nowhere in electronics manufacturing. with the arrival of Cheena maal , the remaining small scale electronics industry died out.

 

[kankan326]

Nopes its not like that. The chinese products have a very bad image in generic for not being durable in generic. And that impacts even the good products.

The thing is china does not have a brand value in india. It is more like dilli marka (made in delhi) kinda products of 90s

I'm an export salesman. I often receive inquiries from India and other third world countries. Most of them are price sensitive. Price is the first thing they consider. And quality is usually behind the price. Some of Chinese factories produce goods according to customers' requests. So you should blame your middle men for the poor quality.

By the way, as a salesman, I personally like to sell high quality goods, which means higher profit for me.

 

[cnleio]

Good Quality + Competitive Price = Success, we also must consider cost down to make it welcomed by low-income & middle-income customers, coz their numbers much more than rich-class. 2nd cost down can decrease produce risk too.

I'm an export salesman. I often receive inquiries from India and other third world countries. Most of them are price sensitive. Price is the first thing they consider. And quality is usually behind the price. Some of Chinese factories produce goods according to customers' requests. So you should blame your middle men for the poor quality.

By the way, as a salesman, I personally like to sell high quality goods, which means higher profit for me.

I absolutely agree with u.

 

[Kloitra]

I'm an export salesman. I often receive inquiries from India and other third world countries. Most of them are price sensitive. Price is the first thing they consider. And quality is usually behind the price. Some of Chinese factories produce goods according to customers' requests. So you should blame your middle men for the poor quality.

By the way, as a salesman, I personally like to sell high quality goods, which means higher profit for me.

While it is true that the middle man is to blame, but this has built a image for the Chinese products. This is not the kind of branding you would like anywhere in the world. Considering the size and the future of Indian market, Chinese companies could have done better.