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Roadstar

macrumors 68000
Sep 24, 2006
1,718
2,186
Vantaa, Finland
They do indeed make interesting hardware. Unfortunately there’s also the wrong kind of innovation going on in the software side of things, so at least I have a hard time trusting my data to their firmware and I’m nowadays too lazy to run custom ROMs. Out of the brands mentioned Huawei is the one that I could maybe try to trust if necessary, but OnePlus has lost my trust and my data isn’t going anywhere near a Vivo or a Xiaomi et al.
 
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akash.nu

macrumors G4
May 26, 2016
10,824
16,931
Making something random and making something for mass consumers are not the same.
 

tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,346
4,869
Not surprising. Lots of hardware OEMs having to really work to compete for a cut of their home market. Problem is all of their software is garbage. And presence in the US is next to nil so we here in the States won’t see most of it anytime soon.
 

ramram55

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2012
825
183
There is such time as BYOD. As things stand. GSM phones working with ATT and Tmobile. By next year, Xiaomi might be in the US to compete.
 

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
There is such time as BYOD. As things stand. GSM phones working with ATT and Tmobile. By next year, Xiaomi might be in the US to compete.
Xiaomi likely won't be in the US anytime soon, regardless of what they say. The big 4 telecoms run everything in the US and Xiaomi has no experience dealing with telecoms. Nor do they have the engineers to do what is required to get their phones working with any carrier at this time. Xiaomi only has 14,000 employees globally, most of which is retail in China and India.
Then we get into the IP issue. Xiaomi is the largest copycat of Samsung and Apple hardware and software. And while they have spent a lot of money on patents from Microsoft and Nokia, it's not nearly enough to take on companies like Apple and Samsung that will be waiting to slap Xiaomi with a billion dollar lawsuit the second they step foot in IP friendly countries.
Lastly, we are right on the cusp of bringing 5G into the US. This is going to require new hardware on all new phones, not to mention the testing by the carriers and OEM's to get everything working properly to utilize 5G. It makes no sense to break into a market with phones that will be DOA the second they begin selling.
I'm not saying it is impossible, I just doubt we will see Xiaomi in the US prior to 2021.
 
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jamezr

macrumors P6
Original poster
Aug 7, 2011
15,849
18,423
US
Then we get into the IP issue. Xiaomi is the largest copycat of Samsung and Apple hardware and software. And while they have spent a lot of money on patents from Microsoft and Nokia, it's not nearly enough to take on companies like Apple and Samsung that will be waiting to slap Xiaomi with a billion dollar lawsuit the second they step foot in IP friendly countries.[/QUOTE]
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^^^^ This is very true^^^^^ Xiaomi has blatantly copied so many phones from Samsung and Apple they will be sued out of existence if they come to the US
 

akash.nu

macrumors G4
May 26, 2016
10,824
16,931
^^^^ This is very true^^^^^ Xiaomi has blatantly copied so many phones from Samsung and Apple they will be sued out of existence if they come to the US

Xiaomi is the only Chinese company fully backed by the government. If they plan to get into the western market then they must’ve got a solid plan for it.
 

ramram55

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2012
825
183
Xiaomi is a strictly private entity. With major components from US. Already number 1 seller in India. Making major inroad around the world except N America. IPO for stock in the work.
 

akash.nu

macrumors G4
May 26, 2016
10,824
16,931
But do they really plan to get into the western market?

I think they do. They’ve recently changed their strategy from providing cheap products to more expensive ones. They’re definitely looking into expanding into western market.
 

FFR

Suspended
Nov 4, 2007
4,507
2,374
London
I think they do. They’ve recently changed their strategy from providing cheap products to more expensive ones. They’re definitely looking into expanding into western market.

So did Meizu at one point. Not going to happen unless they drop the ip theft.
 

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
Well they’ve just opened a store in Paris so I would say yes.
Opening a store and physically selling a phone that is violation of IP are two very different things. Xiaomi sells lots of stuff that isn't even phone related, so having a store in Paris doesn't mean much. They can open a store in the U.S. too. Just don't expect Xiaomi to sell phones that look like iPhones or Galaxy phones in them.
 
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MarkX

macrumors 65816
Sep 10, 2015
1,132
1,359
Fochabers, Scotland
Opening a store and physically selling a phone that is violation of IP are two very different things. Xiaomi sells lots of stuff that isn't even phone related, so having a store in Paris doesn't mean much. They can open a store in the U.S. too. Just don't expect Xiaomi to sell phones that look like iPhones or Galaxy phones in them.

Prior to the store opening in Paris the VP of Xiaomi made a statement within which he stated he had been around phones stores in Europe and had seen medium spec phones at high prices, he said there is an opening for us.

I think that proves there intent.
 

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
Prior to the store opening in Paris the VP of Xiaomi made a statement within which he stated he had been around phones stores in Europe and had seen medium spec phones at high prices, he said there is an opening for us.

I think that proves there intent.
Intent yes. Ability to do so, without getting hammered by lawsuits is another story. I'm sure Xiaomi have phones that aren't clones and they will undoubtedly sell those (assuming they aren't using patents without paying that is.) Still, margins are so small on those cheap phones and the logistics/tariffs/VAT so costly to transport to EU, I'm not sure it is worth it for them? Unless they sell at a loss to establish a name brand? Not the best business sense IMO, but its a Chinese company, so who knows.
 
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