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https://www.techinasia.com/xiaomi-launch-pakistan
Lei Jun launched Xiaomi’s first phone in 2011. Photo credit: Xiaomi.
Chinese gadget manufacturer Xiaomi announced today it’s launching in Pakistan – the world’s sixth-most populous country – after months of speculation and official denials.
Xiaomi has expanded slowly since its 2011 debut in China, focusing mainly on Southeast Asia, India, parts of the Middle East, and Brazil. Its Pakistan entry is the largest since it ventured into Brazil mid-2015.
Xiaomi’s coming to Pakistan through a distribution partnership – as it did in Brazil – with Rocket Internet’s ecommerce marketplace, Daraz, which is present in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
Jack Yung, Xiaomi’s sales director for South Asia, said three models will be available initially – the Mi Max, plus the budget Redmi Note 4 and Redmi 4A. There are also plans to sell the Mi Band 2, but the company is tight-lipped whether the full range of Xiaomi’s products will eventually reach the country.
Pakistan saw 13 million smartphone shipments in 2016, according to IDC, as the overall mobile market gradually tilts towards smartphones. The ratio of flip phone to smartphone shipments is now at 60:40.
See: Xiaomi soars as India’s smartphone boom reaches record high
Late to the party?
Chinese smartphone brands like Huawei and Oppo have had an official presence in Pakistan for several years. They’ve roped in celebrities and sport personalities to push their products relentlessly – including billboards and primetime spots on national television.
Xiaomi’s presence will be met with a wave of publicity and fanfare but it could be tough to carve out a space, especially if it sticks to selling exclusively online. Most shopping in the country is offline – estimates of the ecommerce sector vary between US$40 million and $50 million – so unless Xiaomi puts its phones and gadgets in retail stores, it might prove hard to make an impact.
Pakistan is adding one million 3G and 4G connections each month as people switch to smartphones. Yet large swaths of the population are still offline. So there’s plenty of pent-up demand for cheap, sturdy smartphones.
(Update three hours after publishing: Added 2016 data from IDC. Removed 2015 data about smartphone imports)
ABOUT XIAOMI (小米科技)
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Lei Jun launched Xiaomi’s first phone in 2011. Photo credit: Xiaomi.
Chinese gadget manufacturer Xiaomi announced today it’s launching in Pakistan – the world’s sixth-most populous country – after months of speculation and official denials.
Xiaomi has expanded slowly since its 2011 debut in China, focusing mainly on Southeast Asia, India, parts of the Middle East, and Brazil. Its Pakistan entry is the largest since it ventured into Brazil mid-2015.
Xiaomi’s coming to Pakistan through a distribution partnership – as it did in Brazil – with Rocket Internet’s ecommerce marketplace, Daraz, which is present in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
Jack Yung, Xiaomi’s sales director for South Asia, said three models will be available initially – the Mi Max, plus the budget Redmi Note 4 and Redmi 4A. There are also plans to sell the Mi Band 2, but the company is tight-lipped whether the full range of Xiaomi’s products will eventually reach the country.
Pakistan saw 13 million smartphone shipments in 2016, according to IDC, as the overall mobile market gradually tilts towards smartphones. The ratio of flip phone to smartphone shipments is now at 60:40.
See: Xiaomi soars as India’s smartphone boom reaches record high
Late to the party?
Chinese smartphone brands like Huawei and Oppo have had an official presence in Pakistan for several years. They’ve roped in celebrities and sport personalities to push their products relentlessly – including billboards and primetime spots on national television.
Xiaomi’s presence will be met with a wave of publicity and fanfare but it could be tough to carve out a space, especially if it sticks to selling exclusively online. Most shopping in the country is offline – estimates of the ecommerce sector vary between US$40 million and $50 million – so unless Xiaomi puts its phones and gadgets in retail stores, it might prove hard to make an impact.
Pakistan is adding one million 3G and 4G connections each month as people switch to smartphones. Yet large swaths of the population are still offline. So there’s plenty of pent-up demand for cheap, sturdy smartphones.
(Update three hours after publishing: Added 2016 data from IDC. Removed 2015 data about smartphone imports)
ABOUT XIAOMI (小米科技)
PREVIOUS·NEXT
