Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi isn’t long on the scene, setting up in 2010 to little fanfare. How, then, has it emerged as one of the leading players in a marketplace occupied by giants of old?
Samsung and Apple are caught in a consistent, never-ending battle to dominate the smartphone market. The South Korean company shifts far more units, while its American counterpart bags increasingly larger profits.
But below this tier there are a whole range of interesting players:
- You have OnePlus, the elusive, sleek, premium player
- Huawei, the behemoth reawakening after a few years of slumber
- Sony, a maker of fine devices that, for any number of reasons, just haven’t quite taken hold
- Microsoft, continually trying, and failing, to crack the Samsung, Apple duopoly.
But lurking throughout this esteemed group is Xiaomi, which has, in its short existence on this Earth, risen to take a place firmly among the top 5 in the world in terms of sales.
Originally operating solely in China, success has poured in. This has seen Xiaomi expand into new markets – in both geographic and product terms – with its embracing of flash sales a genuine eyecatcher.
Its sales are rocketing, though perhaps slower than originally – and optimistically – suggested. But all in all it’s firmly on the up.
This infographic from TechInAsia explains the company’s timeline very well.
Main image, via Shutterstock
