5 Fun Facts You Did Not Know About Xiaomi

Xiaomi is a young brand that appeared as a startup only in 2010. In such a short time of existence, the company was able to become one of the most popular electronics manufacturers. Of course, the company is better known and widespread in its homeland (China). Without a huge advertising campaign, Xiaomi has managed to gain a positive reputation. However, the fame outside the Celestial Empire also cannot be disputed.

Until now, many facts about the actively developing brand have been known only in a narrow circle. Let’s try to shed more light on Xiaomi.

Difficulties in translating a name

Why are Chinese companies obliged to use a Chinese name? The term “Xiaomi” is the transposition of hieroglyphs into the Western alphabet. In other words, the Europeans interpreted the hieroglyphs in an understandable form, according to their sound. It goes without saying that such a distortion is misleading. At our request, a member of staff familiar with Chinese translated the two characters 小米 (Xiao and Mi). Literally translated, it means “little millet” or “little rice”.

The Xiaomi brand logo contains symbols that resemble the Western letters “MI”. From the explanation of the translator, Xiaomi tried to translate the hieroglyphs into Latin letters. The original symbols mean “heart”. The word “Mi” is the identifier used by the manufacturer to label its smartphones. However, for Western buyers, it loses its positive meaning.

The start of the business was phenomenal

In Europe and Russia, speaking of startups, they represent small enterprises that employ no more than a couple of dozen people. Attempts to make a name for yourself are usually limited to small areas. Xiaomi has always been one step ahead. The company has become the most expensive startup in the world, surpassing even Uber. The turnover in 2015 amounted to more than $ 20 billion.

Now the firm that was under TikTok’s patronage, Bytedance, has bypassed them. Xiaomi is still actively growing with over 16,000 employees. That’s a huge number, but nothing compared to Huawei. The nearest competitor employs 190,000 people in factories and offices.

The business of the company is still on the rise, but the market is actively developing and has not stood still for a long time. You cannot stop at current achievements, otherwise rapid growth may be replaced by a decline. Most likely, Xiaomi will continue to go to the front and offer high-tech gadgets.

Xiaomi’s business is extremely diverse

It is not remarkable that giants like Sony, Huawei or Samsung are expanding their businesses in different sectors. It is noteworthy that a young startup is also following this path. Xiaomi is well aware that the key to success lies in the diversification of modern technologies. Smartphones now account for most of the revenue, which is sold at the lowest possible cost, taking into account the cost of production. All this with the aim of attracting customers.

Additionally, Xiaomi specializes in most other electronic devices: smartwatches, tablets, Smart TVs. The largest number of names is found in accessories. The range includes almost everything from headphones to smart boots. A surprise for many will be the fact that Xiaomi is developing good routers, gamepads, and drones.

Xiaomi attracts experienced professionals

Xiaomi is a company that did not start developing everything from scratch. She needed the right contacts to run the business. As a newcomer to the electronics market, Xiaomi has tried to find people who can give good advice. In 2013, the firm poached Hugo Barra, formerly a Google manager and one of the leading Android developers. Then he was offered a tidbit in the form of the vice president’s chair.

A year later, Xiaomi brought in one of Apple’s 3 pioneers, Steve Wozniak. From his own words, Xiaomi makes “great products” that are “so good that they can change the US market.” A startling statement for small businesses. Moreover, the creator of Xiaomi is called “Chinese Steve Jobs” in his homeland. In short – the startup has got excellent staff who know how and where it leads the company.

Having useful contacts is useful for any business, regardless of level, size and scope.

Is Xiaomi engaged in espionage?

One of the arguments against buying all Chinese smartphones is accusations of tracking users. Is this a stereotypical opinion or reality? Indeed, in 2014, tracking software was revealed on Redmi Note and Redmi 1S. It was active on models sold in the Asian market. The media played a role in drawing attention to the company from the Taiwanese commission and others. As a result, all spyware was removed.

Despite this trick, Xiaomi has managed to gain a positive reputation. True, the German company G Data also announced in 2015 that spyware is often found on Chinese smartphones.

Were the listed facts interesting to you? Leave your thoughts and wishes in the comments.

Earn points and exchange them for valuable prizes – details

Leave a Comment