Xiaomi vs Realme: Shots fired as Redmi executive accuses Realme of being copycats

Realme may not have the same global clout as either Xiaomi or Redmi yet but there is no denying the former OPPO sub-brand is growing at a rapid pace. Xiaomi is still enjoying unprecedented popularity in numerous spheres, but Realme is the company that took just 37 months to sell 100 million phones. In 2020, Realme enjoyed 65% growth in smartphone shipments and there is no sign of that slowing down. Clearly the heat from this growth is being felt by Xiaomi, as a Redmi executive has called out Realme for being copycats.

Unsurprisingly, the Xiaomi (Redmi) vs. Realme battle is often fought over the vital Indian market, although both brands have been making serious inroads in the lucrative European market too. Redmi India’s brand director, Sneha Tainwala, seems to have got a bit fed up of with Realme’s strategy, which on the surface looks like simply copying whatever Xiaomi does. First it’s “copy” Xiaomi’s entrepreneurship program swiftly followed by apparently aping the Mi Fan Festival with the Realme Fan Festival. Tainwala has even asked Realme CEO Madhav Sheth how much he will copy, and including a laughing emoji in her post doesn’t hide the fact that these are shots fired.

Realme has done well by at least emulating Xiaomi, and specifically Redmi, with both its product lineup and pricing strategy. Realme already offers smartphones, smart TVs, activity trackers, and smartwatches, and there is a new Realme Book Slim laptop and Realme Pad coming to the market to rival anything Xiaomi or Redmi can come up with. Additionally, for many it will seem a bit rich for anyone from Xiaomi to accuse another company of being copycats, regardless of whether it concerns a physical product or intangible initiative, considering how often Mi products look like clones of Apple's hardware. There will likely be a few wry smiles over at Apple Park in Cupertino upon hearing this news.

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