Xiaomi has big plans in place to conquer the US market after making its mark in India and Western Europe. This has actually been rumored for years, but its CEO Lei Jun recently confirmed the news to the Wall Street Journal.
Jun says that Xiaomi has always been considering entering the US market. It’s now looking to arrive in the country by the end of 2018 or early 2019. To be clear, the brand already sells quite a few products in the nation like an Android set-top box, headphones, a 360-degree camera, and a battery pack.
Most of these are accessories though. Xiaomi rose to fame on the back of its smartphone range which generally offers top-notch specs at an affordable price tag. Handsets are more complicated than other gadgets to sell, however, as the US market is heavily carrier-based.
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Xiaomi will have to find a carrier partner or even multiple ones if it wants to succeed in the US. This is easier said than done as Chinese phone makers have been at end of some close scrutiny by US intelligence officials in recent times. The FBI, NSA, and CIA went as far as to warn citizens that they shouldn’t use Huawei and ZTE products.
Huawei has been fighting back against allegations of ties to the Chinese government and spying, but it’s having a difficult time of it. AT&T canceled its contract with the firm just before the Mate 10 Pro was about to be launched in the US. Xiaomi will have to be careful not to repeat a similar scenario.