Xiaomi News 2015: Chinese Manufacturer Ships 35 Million Units in First Half, Could Break Records

[TaiShang]

Xiaomi Boosts Xunlei Ties, Buyout Offer Coming?
Forbes

• Bottom line: Xunlei’s growing ties with Xiaomi could presage a buyout bid for the former by the latter, as Xiaomi seeks partners and acquisitions to help it realize its goal of building an ecosystem of Internet services and related devices.
  
  A year-old alliance between smartphone sensation Xiaomi and online video operator Xunlei has entered a new phase, with news that the pair have formed a content distribution service. That plan, which will see the pair launch a new brand called Xingyu, is part of Xiaomi’s efforts to create an ecosystem of Internet-based services like online video for its smartphones and other devices like smart TVs and set-top boxes.
  
  This latest move isn’t a big surprise, and comes after Xiaomi purchased 30 percent of Xunlei almost exactly a year ago at the time of Xunlei’s New York IPO that met with a cool reception. Xunlei’s shares have been quite volatile since then, losing almost half their value before rebounding over the last few months to return to their IPO level. But a recent wave of buy-out offers for many US-listed Chinese companies, combined with this growing alliance, is raising the interesting possibility that Xiaomi might soon lead a bid to privatize Xunlei or perhaps buy the company outright.
  
  Let’s begin with news of the creation of the Xingu brand, which will focus on the delivery of gaming and video products over the Internet, with a focus on hardware that can provide a good experience even over weak broadband connections.
• 
  
  The alliance is centered on a Xunlei product that helps to boost Internet speeds even when connections are poor, and not surprisingly that product is currently available on Xiaomi smartphones.
  
  This new alliance looks rather ho-hum, but what’s more interesting is the growing ties that it represents between Xiaomi and Xunlei. China’s online video market has undergone rapid changes over the last 2 years, resulting in nearly all video sharing companies either being acquired outright or selling major stakes to larger companies.
  
  Former industry leader Youku Tudou previously sold a major stake in itself to leading e-commerce company Alibaba, and leading search engine Baidu also made a major acquisition with its purchase of a service called PPS in 2013. Xunlei was quickly becoming the only major video provider without a wealthy partner when Xiaomi stepped in last year to purchase its 30 percent stake in the company.
  
  Buyout in the Offing?
  That brings us to what the future might hold for Xunlei in terms of its New York-listed shares. Followers of US-listed Chinese Internet companies will know that many have launched privatization plans over the last 3 months, after their shares failed to find an audience in New York and China’s own stock markets boomed. That wave of buyout bids may be at least partly behind a recent rally in Xunlei’s own shares, which have roughly doubled over the last 3 months.
  
  Even after the rally, Xunlei still has a relatively modest market value of about $800 million. If we assume that roughly half of its shares are held by Xiaomi and company insiders, that means a buyout of its shares listed in the US and held by other investors would probably cost about $400-$500 million based on Xunlei’s current price.
  
  

 

[Georgeclark]

@AndrewJin bro, here in India Mi and Honor sell the most phones. If you open India's E Commerce Giant Flipkart, you will see Mi and Honor phones have sold a record high. Mi now also has its official India concentrated Site. It is giving a good edge to even Indian Phone Companies such as MicroMax. Maybe this is because of its Cheap reliable products. MI ALSO SAID ITS PHONE MI3 WENT OUT OF STOCK IN INDIA AFTER JUST 5 SECONDS OF ITS LAUNCH.

Also , due to so much demand, now flipkart sells it only if you have an Invite code and you have to apply for it and has a wait for around 2-3 days.

 

[AndrewJin]

@AndrewJin bro, here in India Mi and Honor sell the most phones. If you open India's E Commerce Giant Flipkart, you will see Mi and Honor phones have sold a record high. Mi now also has its official India concentrated Site. It is giving a good edge to even Indian Phone Companies such as MicroMax. Maybe this is because of its Cheap reliable products. MI ALSO SAID ITS PHONE MI3 WENT OUT OF STOCK IN INDIA AFTER JUST 5 SECONDS OF ITS LAUNCH.

Also , due to so much demand, now flipkart sells it only if you have an Invite code and you have to apply for it and has a wait for around 2-3 days.

I'm waiting for Xiami5.
Xiaomi 4i(i=india) won't be sold in the mainland of China.

 

[Georgeclark]

I'm waiting for Xiami5.
Xiaomi 4i(i=india) won't be sold in the mainland of China.

Damn, that phone is quite amazing wait Let me show you its features (Though my love for apple can never go :3 ) They are selling both mi 4i and mi 4 here. Hopefully you can open this site : Mi 4i Price in India - Buy Mi 4i Grey 16 Online - Mi : Flipkart.com

Mi Phones Online - Buy Mi Phones Online in India - Flipkart.com

 

[AndrewJin]

Damn, that phone is quite amazing wait Let me show you its features (Though my love for apple can never go :3 ) They are selling both mi 4i and mi 4 here. Hopefully you can open this site : Mi 4i Price in India - Buy Mi 4i Grey 16 Online - Mi : Flipkart.com

Mi Phones Online - Buy Mi Phones Online in India - Flipkart.com

I thought it could be sold in China. But now Xiaomi is transforming, not satisfied about selling smart phone less than 2000yuan. The mean price of smart phone sold in mainland of China of Q1 is $263, still lower than world level at $297. I hope the new Mi5, probably more than $330-350, can lead Chinese market in Q4 and 2016. And Xiaomi will further extend overseas market, like its first India-market-dedicated low-end product Mi4i.

And like some members above have commented, Xiaomi is more software-oriented, not hardware. What Xiaomi wants to create is a pattern of Xiaomi way of life. Do you know Xiaomi in China also sells TV, air purifier, bedside lamp, sphygmomanometer, etc?

1Tb router, 699yuan（Rs7000)
@TaiShang Bro, this one much better than the one in your photo, hope it can be sold in Taiwan soon

Smart beside lamp, 249yuan(Rs2500)

Smart socket, 79yuan(Rs810)

55 inches 4k TV, 4999yuan(Rs51290)

All in all, Xiaomi wants to create a whole Xiaomi style of life centred around smart phone.
Hope more Xiaomi products will be sold overseas besides Mi phone and smart phone accessories.

 

[TaiShang]

 

[cirr]

Xiaomi take first big step outside China with Brazil smartphone

Brad Haynes

6 Hours Ago Reuters

SAO PAULO, June 30 (Reuters) - Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has started making devices in Brazil for sale locally, promising to dramatically undercut rivals on price in the first big step beyond Asia for the world's most valuable technology start-up.

Xiaomi's global vice-president, Hugo Barra, said at a launch event on Tuesday that the entry-level Redmi 2 smartphone would go on sale in Brazil next week for 499 reais ($160).

Without traditional advertising or stores, China's top-selling smartphone company is betting that a tempting price tag will capture the attention of Brazilians who have become increasingly cost sensitive as their economy sours.

"We thought long and hard about which model to launch with," Barra told journalists at the event. "We wanted to focus on our philosophy of accessibility - reaching as many people as we can."

The phones are already rolling off an assembly line outside of Sao Paulo run by Foxconn Technology Group, the same contract manufacturer making Apple's iPhone in the country since 2011.

An unlocked Brazilian iPhone can retail for more than $1,000 - one of the highest prices in the world and well above what they sell for in the United States. Even more affordable options in the country remain out of the reach of ordinary Brazilians.

Just three years after selling its first mobile phone, Beijing-based Xiaomi, dubbed 'China's Apple', is worth $45 billion, making it the most valuable start-up in the technology sector.

By choosing Brazil as its first smartphone market outside of Asia, Xiaomi keeps its focus on emerging consumer markets, working in from the edges of a global market dominated by giants such as Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co.

Last month, Xiaomi began selling small accessories such as headphones and fitness bands in Europe and the United States.

Brazil's smartphone market is also at a tipping point, with users swapping simpler feature phones for smartphones to keep up their avid social-media habits. Smartphone sales in the country jumped 55 percent to 54.5 million units last year despite stagnant economic growth, according to market research firm IDC.

Xiaomi, which is the fifth-highest selling smartphone brand in the world, aims to break into the Brazilian market with its novel business model, Barra said. Low profit margins on handsets are meant to win user loyalty for the company's software and an array of more profitable home electronics and accessories.

($1 = 3.11 Brazilian reais)

(Reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alan Crosby)

UPDATE 1-Xiaomi take first big step outside China with Brazil smartphone

 

[AndrewJin]

@TaiShang Bro, buy this smart camera in mainland, cheaper and more functions
129yuan normal version
149yuan infrared night vision

sphygmomanometer, 199yuan

16 million pixels sport camera

smart weighting scale

16G USB flash disc(compatible with smart phone), 49.9yuan

Mi Note, 2999yuan($483）

FREE bamboo cover at Mi home @TaiShang

 

[cirr]

China's Xiaomi breaks out of Asia with Brazilian beachhead

When it comes to smartphones, Xiaomi will stick to emerging markets where price-sensitive customers respond to its devices, says the company's head of international business.

by Roger Cheng

June 30, 2015 4:41 PM PDT

Fans of Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi are nothing if not devoted.

It didn't take long for Xiaomi to fill a 1,000-person capacity theater in Sao Paolo for its Brazilian market launch event. Enough people showed up that Xiaomi held another session, essentially launching the brand in the country a second time for the hundreds of people stuck outside of the theater during the first session. All of this interest -- and Xiaomi has never sold a product in this country.

"It's one of the craziest days of my life," Hugo Barra, head of Xiaomi's international business, said in an interview.

It's that rabid interest from consumers -- people who have grown savvy thanks to the rapid transmission of buzz from social media -- that is why Xiaomi is the world's most valuable startup, and one of the world's largest smartphone vendors despite having been founded just five years ago. Its endgame, according to Barra: to be the No. 1 brand in the smartphone business.

The launch in Brazil represents a significant step in that direction, marking the first time Xiaomi will sell a smartphone outside of Asia. The company, already the top smartphone vendor in China , has ambitions to go global. Supporting this mission are a legion of savvy customers who gravitate toward its quality products, sold at prices so cutthroat, Xiaomi admits it doesn't make much money off of them. It's used that goodwill to generate excitement whenever it launches in a new country.

"It speaks to the value proposition and business model of Xiaomi," Barra said.

One couple drove 16 hours to get to the event, he said. Lines outside of theater snaked throughout the local Sao Paolo mall, disrupting foot traffic for a bulk of the day, he added.

Xiaomi said on Tuesday that it would enter the Brazilian market with the Redmi 2, which will sell online on July 7 (registration for the site opens today). It will retail for 499 Brazilian Real, or $160.40.

Xiaomi has been nabbing market share from every major player in the smartphone business, including fellow Chinese vendor Huawei, which also has a lineup of quality smartphones at affordable prices. Xiaomi sold 61 million smartphones in 2014.

The competition among Chinese players is rough. Huawei, among the top five smartphone vendors in the world and another major Chinese player, on Tuesdayunveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Honor 7, which will sell for 1999 Chinese Yuan, or roughly $323. The company, speaking at its own event in Beijing, said it expects to sell 40 million units in the Honor family of smartphones, or twice as many as a year ago.

Xiaomi, however, doesn't just sell smartphones. It partners with smaller manufacturers and offers a host of other accessories -- often at extremely competitive prices. In addition to the Redmi 2, Xiaomi will sell some accessories in Brazil like the Mi Band fitness tracker and the portable Mi Power Bank, which is a heavy duty 10,400 mAh external battery.

Where to next?
The company is in no rush to expand in Latin America beyond Brazil, Barra said, noting that there were only 15 people managing operations for Xiaomi in the region. But eventually, he sees the team expanding to other nearby countries.

"We'll take our time and make sure we do it right," he said. "We're not really in a rush."

Xiaomi will likely stick to more emerging markets like Brazil, where consumers are price sensitive and the kind of deals the company offers really resonates. Back in Asia, Barra talked about getting into Vietnam and Thailand, but gave no details.

Xiaomi has also dipped its toes into the western markets. It opened up its online shop in the US in May, although it only sold accessories such as a pair of headphones, fitness tracker and a pair of battery packs.

The accessories have sold well, with some of the products selling out, Barra said, adding that he was pleased with the critical reviews. "We've managed to make some huge wins in markets where the evaluation criteria is much higher," he said.

As for launching a smartphone in the US, Barra said that the process is complicated by longer evaluation periods for smartphones, the different spectrum bands used in the country (which requires a redesign of products), the size of the country and the need to set up a significant customer-support infrastructure ahead of the launch.

"Entering the US, it's an astronomically monstrous challenge," he said.

China's Xiaomi breaks out of Asia with Brazilian beachhead - CNET

 

[TaiShang]

China's Xiaomi breaks out of Asia with Brazilian beachhead

When it comes to smartphones, Xiaomi will stick to emerging markets where price-sensitive customers respond to its devices, says the company's head of international business.

by Roger Cheng

June 30, 2015 4:41 PM PDT

Fans of Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi are nothing if not devoted.

It didn't take long for Xiaomi to fill a 1,000-person capacity theater in Sao Paolo for its Brazilian market launch event. Enough people showed up that Xiaomi held another session, essentially launching the brand in the country a second time for the hundreds of people stuck outside of the theater during the first session. All of this interest -- and Xiaomi has never sold a product in this country.

"It's one of the craziest days of my life," Hugo Barra, head of Xiaomi's international business, said in an interview.

It's that rabid interest from consumers -- people who have grown savvy thanks to the rapid transmission of buzz from social media -- that is why Xiaomi is the world's most valuable startup, and one of the world's largest smartphone vendors despite having been founded just five years ago. Its endgame, according to Barra: to be the No. 1 brand in the smartphone business.

The launch in Brazil represents a significant step in that direction, marking the first time Xiaomi will sell a smartphone outside of Asia. The company, already the top smartphone vendor in China , has ambitions to go global. Supporting this mission are a legion of savvy customers who gravitate toward its quality products, sold at prices so cutthroat, Xiaomi admits it doesn't make much money off of them. It's used that goodwill to generate excitement whenever it launches in a new country.

"It speaks to the value proposition and business model of Xiaomi," Barra said.

One couple drove 16 hours to get to the event, he said. Lines outside of theater snaked throughout the local Sao Paolo mall, disrupting foot traffic for a bulk of the day, he added.

Xiaomi said on Tuesday that it would enter the Brazilian market with the Redmi 2, which will sell online on July 7 (registration for the site opens today). It will retail for 499 Brazilian Real, or $160.40.

Xiaomi has been nabbing market share from every major player in the smartphone business, including fellow Chinese vendor Huawei, which also has a lineup of quality smartphones at affordable prices. Xiaomi sold 61 million smartphones in 2014.

The competition among Chinese players is rough. Huawei, among the top five smartphone vendors in the world and another major Chinese player, on Tuesdayunveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Honor 7, which will sell for 1999 Chinese Yuan, or roughly $323. The company, speaking at its own event in Beijing, said it expects to sell 40 million units in the Honor family of smartphones, or twice as many as a year ago.

Xiaomi, however, doesn't just sell smartphones. It partners with smaller manufacturers and offers a host of other accessories -- often at extremely competitive prices. In addition to the Redmi 2, Xiaomi will sell some accessories in Brazil like the Mi Band fitness tracker and the portable Mi Power Bank, which is a heavy duty 10,400 mAh external battery.

Where to next?
The company is in no rush to expand in Latin America beyond Brazil, Barra said, noting that there were only 15 people managing operations for Xiaomi in the region. But eventually, he sees the team expanding to other nearby countries.

"We'll take our time and make sure we do it right," he said. "We're not really in a rush."

Xiaomi will likely stick to more emerging markets like Brazil, where consumers are price sensitive and the kind of deals the company offers really resonates. Back in Asia, Barra talked about getting into Vietnam and Thailand, but gave no details.

Xiaomi has also dipped its toes into the western markets. It opened up its online shop in the US in May, although it only sold accessories such as a pair of headphones, fitness tracker and a pair of battery packs.

The accessories have sold well, with some of the products selling out, Barra said, adding that he was pleased with the critical reviews. "We've managed to make some huge wins in markets where the evaluation criteria is much higher," he said.

As for launching a smartphone in the US, Barra said that the process is complicated by longer evaluation periods for smartphones, the different spectrum bands used in the country (which requires a redesign of products), the size of the country and the need to set up a significant customer-support infrastructure ahead of the launch.

"Entering the US, it's an astronomically monstrous challenge," he said.

China's Xiaomi breaks out of Asia with Brazilian beachhead - CNET

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi launches online shop in Brazil
Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-7-2 10:42:24

Xiaomi International Vice President Hugo Barra shows "Redmi 2" after the launch ceremony of Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi's operation in Brazil, in Sao Paulo June 30, 2015. Photo: Xinhua


Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has launched an online shop in Brazil, announced a corporate executive here.Clients can now place orders with the site -- br.mi.com -- to purchase Xiaomi's products ranging from "Redmi 2," the smartphone, "Mi Band," the activity monitor, "Mi Power Bank," the portable charger, as well as other accessories. The commodities they have ordered will be delivered starting Tuesday, said Hugo Barra, vice president of Xiaomi international, in Sao Paulo, the most populous city in Brazil.

Through the latest strategy in Brazil, Xiaomi is hoping to open the first factory for its products outside of Asia, according to Barra.

"One of the differentials allowing (Xiaomi) to offer high technology products at highly competitive prices is the direct sale to the consumer through the website and (spreading) publicity only through social networks in a viral way and without investments in other media," said Barra.

Xiaomi, created in 2010, is currently the fifth major smartphone maker in the world. Its MIUI operational system has 100 million subscribers.

The company has a market value of around 45 billion US dollars. It sold 61 million mobile devices last year.

 

[TaiShang]

Xiaomi reports sales jump in first half
By Zhang Ye Source:Global Times Published: 2015-7-3 0:18:01

Analysts say fierce competition may hamper future growth

China's smartphone upstart Xiaomi Inc on Thursday reported a 33 percent jump in smartphone sales in the first half of the year, but analysts were skeptical if it will meet its full-year sales target for 2015 due to fierce competition and a market slowdown.

The company's CEO Lei Jun said in his Weibo post that Xiaomi sold 34.7 million handsets during the first six months, up 33 percent year-on-year, raising doubts among analysts over realization of its full-year sales goal.

In March, Xiaomi set a sales target ranging from 80 million to 100 million for 2015, while the company had sold 61.12 million units in the previous year.

"Xiaomi may be able to sell nearly 80 million units this year in part due to the upcoming high sales season during the summer holidays, but it is hard for it to surpass the minimum goal," Wang Yanhui, head of Shanghai-based Mobile China Alliances, told the Global Times Thursday.

The first-half sales figures could have been higher if there was no cut-throat competition from domestic traditional smartphone makers such as Huawei Technologies as well as aggressive rising stars like Meizu and Letv, said Wang.

Adopting the online marketing and distribution model introduced by Xiaomi, Huawei's smartphone sub-brand Honor, launched in October 2014, already sold 20 million units in the first half, according to a Weibo post by the brand on Tuesday. The latest version of the next generation Honor, released on Tuesday, is widely regarded as a promising flagship phone by analysts.

In the first quarter of the year, Xiaomi was ranked by US-based market consultancy IDC as China's second largest smartphone vendor by shipments with 13.7 percent share of the market, closely followed by Huawei with 11.4 percent.

Another arch rival of Xiaomi, Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp, commonly known as Letv, said at a press conference on Wednesday that it has sold 500,000 self-branded smartphones that were released in April.

In addition to fierce competition, slowing smartphone sales in China are also dampening the prospects of domestic phone brands, Zhang Yi, CEO of Guangzhou-based market research firm iiMedia Research, told the Global Times Thursday.

In the next two to three years, almost every Chinese adult will own at least one smartphone, said Zhang.

A report by IDC in May said that China's first-quarter smartphone shipments dropped 4 percent year-on-year, the first decline in six years.

Against this backdrop, Xiaomi is diversifying its businesses and pumping up efforts in overseas expansion.

In December 2014, Xiaomi inked a partnership with China's leading home appliances maker Midea Group Co to jointly explore opportunities in smart-home sector.

The two partners on Tuesday together released a Wi-Fi-enabled air conditioner, which can be controlled by Xiaomi smart devices.

Xiaomi also has an ambitious plan to expand into the global market.

On Wednesday, Xiaomi announced the introduction of its products into Brazil, after the brand gained some popularity in the Indian market. In less than five months since its entry into India in July 2014, more than 1 million Xiaomi handsets were sold in the market.

But both Zhang and Wang think Xiaomi faces an uphill battle in overseas expansion.

Lack of a rich patent portfolio will hamper Xiaomi's globalization strategy to a certain extent, said Zhang.

"And even if it got into India and Brazil successfully, Xiaomi will need a rather long time to popularize its products compared to companies like Huawei, as the latter, also a telecommunications equipment supplier, has a sound tie-up with local telecom carriers, a key distribution channel for phone makers," Zhang noted.

Wang added that the online sales model is unlikely to be effective in countries like India where logistics and delivery system is immature.

 

[AndrewJin]

Xiaomi reports sales jump in first half
By Zhang Ye Source:Global Times Published: 2015-7-3 0:18:01

Analysts say fierce competition may hamper future growth

China's smartphone upstart Xiaomi Inc on Thursday reported a 33 percent jump in smartphone sales in the first half of the year, but analysts were skeptical if it will meet its full-year sales target for 2015 due to fierce competition and a market slowdown.

The company's CEO Lei Jun said in his Weibo post that Xiaomi sold 34.7 million handsets during the first six months, up 33 percent year-on-year, raising doubts among analysts over realization of its full-year sales goal.

In March, Xiaomi set a sales target ranging from 80 million to 100 million for 2015, while the company had sold 61.12 million units in the previous year.

"Xiaomi may be able to sell nearly 80 million units this year in part due to the upcoming high sales season during the summer holidays, but it is hard for it to surpass the minimum goal," Wang Yanhui, head of Shanghai-based Mobile China Alliances, told the Global Times Thursday.

The first-half sales figures could have been higher if there was no cut-throat competition from domestic traditional smartphone makers such as Huawei Technologies as well as aggressive rising stars like Meizu and Letv, said Wang.

Adopting the online marketing and distribution model introduced by Xiaomi, Huawei's smartphone sub-brand Honor, launched in October 2014, already sold 20 million units in the first half, according to a Weibo post by the brand on Tuesday. The latest version of the next generation Honor, released on Tuesday, is widely regarded as a promising flagship phone by analysts.

In the first quarter of the year, Xiaomi was ranked by US-based market consultancy IDC as China's second largest smartphone vendor by shipments with 13.7 percent share of the market, closely followed by Huawei with 11.4 percent.

Another arch rival of Xiaomi, Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp, commonly known as Letv, said at a press conference on Wednesday that it has sold 500,000 self-branded smartphones that were released in April.

In addition to fierce competition, slowing smartphone sales in China are also dampening the prospects of domestic phone brands, Zhang Yi, CEO of Guangzhou-based market research firm iiMedia Research, told the Global Times Thursday.

In the next two to three years, almost every Chinese adult will own at least one smartphone, said Zhang.

A report by IDC in May said that China's first-quarter smartphone shipments dropped 4 percent year-on-year, the first decline in six years.

Against this backdrop, Xiaomi is diversifying its businesses and pumping up efforts in overseas expansion.

In December 2014, Xiaomi inked a partnership with China's leading home appliances maker Midea Group Co to jointly explore opportunities in smart-home sector.

The two partners on Tuesday together released a Wi-Fi-enabled air conditioner, which can be controlled by Xiaomi smart devices.

Xiaomi also has an ambitious plan to expand into the global market.

On Wednesday, Xiaomi announced the introduction of its products into Brazil, after the brand gained some popularity in the Indian market. In less than five months since its entry into India in July 2014, more than 1 million Xiaomi handsets were sold in the market.

But both Zhang and Wang think Xiaomi faces an uphill battle in overseas expansion.

Lack of a rich patent portfolio will hamper Xiaomi's globalization strategy to a certain extent, said Zhang.

"And even if it got into India and Brazil successfully, Xiaomi will need a rather long time to popularize its products compared to companies like Huawei, as the latter, also a telecommunications equipment supplier, has a sound tie-up with local telecom carriers, a key distribution channel for phone makers," Zhang noted.

Wang added that the online sales model is unlikely to be effective in countries like India where logistics and delivery system is immature.

Best wishes for Xiaomi, waiting for Mi5 launched in China.