Xiaomi set to enter the US by 2019

Xiaomi’s success story over the past two years has been the stuff of fables. The company, after a massive lull in sales in 2016, came back in spectacular fashion, with the Beijing-based corporation currently ranked as the fourth-largest company in the world. That was, in no small part, due to the company making major moves in developing its brand name in Europe over the course of 2017. It would seem now, however, that Lei Jun’s brainchild is finally set to make its way into the US.

According to company Vice President Wang Xiang, Xiaomi is targeting a 2019 incursion into the US. “Next year we hope we can do something there,” the executive said in an interview this week. “...We don't see any reason for us to get into that political problem."

Fellow Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE have seen massive battles with the US government this year, with the former in particular having all hopes of selling its devices under the banner of a US carrier dashed in spectacular fashion. LeEco's US story is also well-known. Xiaomi, however, will be expecting a smoother run of affairs, due to its positive relationships with American companies like Alphabet and Qualcomm. Also, the company, unlike ZTE and Huawei, has no major ties with the Chinese government.

A successful entrance into the US market by Xiaomi is one that could very well lead to a paradigm shift in the global smartphone market—at least in terms of prices. Xiaomi is well-known for producing high-value devices and, with smartphone prices seeing a steady rise, it’s about time we got a dampener.

Of course, all of this may as well be cheap talk. We’ll have to wait till next year to see what Xiaomi has lined up for the US. 

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