Xiaomi it seems is testing the US waters right now, as it has just announced its foray into the country’s market. The catch to this announcement is that only some of its accessories will be released into the nation, and its main attractions, the affordable smartphones will be left out of the party.
The rapidly growing Chinese startup revealed its plans for the US via a gathering in San Francisco that was addressed by its global VP, Hugo Barra. According to GigaOm, he conveyed that Xiaomi will begin its journey in the country by selling its ultra-affordable Mi Band fitness accessory and other offerings like power banks, headphones and such.
Sales will be opened up later this year through the Mi.com commerce site. However, Barra has also said that there are currently no plans of bringing the company’s phones or tablets into the US. Perhaps Xiaomi wishes to take it one step at time owing to the fact that the country’s market is quite an unpredictable one.
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The Mi Band fitness accessory from the Chinese manufacturer is highlighted by the fact that it costs just CNY 79 which translates into about $13 or Rs 800. This water and dust resistant product is capable of tracking your movements as well as sleeping patterns.
Moreover, it wakes up its users with a vibrating pattern, and claims to possess 30-day standby time. It does not bear a display on it, but does kick in a set of LED indicators.
The entry of Xiaomi into the US speaks a lot about its future plans, but as expected, the company doesn’t want to rush into things from the onset.