Xiaomi phones are unheard of in other parts of the globe. But in China, it now leads the pack by pushing South Korean giant Samsung off the top spot.
Xiaomi is now the leading cell phone vendor in China. As reported by Canalys, Xiaomi sold 15M phones, almost 2M more than Samsung's 13.2M. But the biggest feat for the mobile phone company is its 240% growth from selling just 4.4M units in the 3rd quarter of 2013.
According to Venture Beat, "Xiaomi now holds 14% of the Chinese cell phone market and ranks as one of the top five cell phone makers in the world."
What is behind the Chinese brand's success? Simple. Making phones that look like Apple iPhones. The iPhone clones cost relatively cheaper at $200-$300.
Xiaomi phones also have a unique operating system. Called the "Miui," Xiaomi's OS is essentially Android based but is tweaked to solely cater to Xiaomi users only.
"User feedback fuels weekly updates to the OS, helping to attract a cult following - a very Apple approach to enticing consumers. Fitting, considering the company's CEO Lei Jun, has more than once been compared to Apple's legendary leader, Steve Jobs," Venture Beat said.
"The company mostly makes money off the sale of games, apps, and Internet services."
"For now Samsung is still a major player globally, but Xiaomi is expanding. And a new cell phone market is emerging where cheap beautiful phones reign supreme. If Samsung is going to compete, it's going to have to offer more dynamic products on the cheap."
What can you say about Xiaomi phones? Would you say that they are better than Samsung smartphones? Leave a comment below!
Stay tuned for more Xiaomi phones news here!
