Xiaomi to enter US by end of 2018, according to CEO Lei Jun

A lot of Chinese smartphone makers are craving the US market. But it can be hard to achieve.

Right before the Consumer Electronic Show in February, Huawei was hit by AT&T with a last-minute betrayal. Now right after the Mobile World Congress, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun claimed his company will sell smartphones in the US.

Lei made the remarks on the sidelines of China's Two Sessions political gathering.

Lei Jun talks to reporters in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The geeky Android customizer is famous for its active user community. The developers update the customized system MIUI weekly according to users' feedback since 2010.

The target is clear: Smartphone software enthusiasts, the guru people who love to tweak with their phones.

The system has more than 300 million users worldwide in late 2017, according to Lei Jun's speech at the World Internet Conference in eastern China's Wuzhen.

How is Xiaomi different?

MIUI's reputation of good user-developer interaction spread from China to other countries, as the system can also be installed in non-Xiaomi phones such as Samsung S/Note series and many Sony, HTC, OnePlus smartphones.

The MIUI forum in English.

In addition to software, Xiaomi's hardware also have some unique characteristics, especially when the price tag is concerned.

Xiaomi rose to be a big smartphone maker in China by selling high-end spec phones at a middle-range price.

With this strategy, the company enlarged its fanbase in China, India and many other developing countries.

But penetrating into a developed market like the US requires a more innovative model.

That's one of the reasons why Xiaomi is actively promoting its new Mix series.

The first Mix phone, released a day before Apple's iPhone X, features all-screen design one step ahead of its competitors.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2.

The non-mainstream design became a topic in the industry, which also brought Mix's price 30 to 50 percent higher than the company's previous flagships.

Reception

US netizens responded to the news in a mixed tone.

Some said US smartphone market needs more competition. "It's time for some fresh blood here," said "meh..." on tech news site BGR. "I hope that they're not just blowing smoke like they have for the past two years."

Some expressed concern that the US is actively trying to stop its people buying Chinese smartphones.

"If Huawei couldn't crack the US market, I doubt Xiaomi will fare much better," said SquareMelon on tech blog TheVerge.

(CGTN)