Xiaomi continues quest for quality

Smartphone giant Xiaomi continues to distance itself from the lower end of the market, as Chinese buyers shift their attention mainly to device upgrades.

Xiaomi international VP Hugo Barra says the company continues to direct its efforts at becoming a premium brand, reports the South China Morning Post.

“Our customers are demanding premium products from us, so we are delivering higher quality with more premium components.”

Research company IDC has forecast just 2 per cent growth this year for smartphone sales as more users chose to upgrade their handsets.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi may expand its Mi Home experience centre across Hong Kong. Opened a year ago so customers can try out different products, it has been a successful retail experiment, says Barra.

“Part of the strategy here is to think about how we can reinvent the retail experience to make it much more experience-focused … which helps the online business as well.”

Xiaomi has just launched its latest 6.44in. Mi Max phablet and the Mi Air Purifier 2. The phablet, which will cost from HK$1799 (US$230), is considered one of the largest smartphones on the market.

IDC estimates 20 per cent of smartphone sales last year were phablets, and by 2020 they are expected to account for 32 per cent of the market.