Xiaomi is a company that is gaining a lot of momentum, and what makes them more impressive is the fact that as it stands, the company’s core products, which are their smartphones, are still largely unavailable in western markets like the US and Europe. Now the question is when will that happen?
Previously we heard that it won’t be soon, and recently in an interview with Bloomberg, Xiaomi’s VP of Global Operations Hugo Barra went into details as to why they are taking so long to break into the US market. When asked when the company would launch in the US, Barra could not give a specific date. Instead he offered that it would be at least a year plus before that happens.
Barra goes on to state that the reason why is because there is a lot involved in setting up operations in another country, which would involve a huge team for all aspects of the company like marketing, operations, branding, localization, and more. He also acknowledges that intellectual property is another reason as to why Xiaomi hasn’t broken into the US market.
Since patents registered in one country is not applicable in another, Barra claims that they are slowly building up as many patents as they can in the US market, likening it to a war chest which would also serve to protect them in the event a lawsuit occurs. It’s unfortunate that it is taking so long as Xiaomi has some pretty impressive devices under their belt, but we suppose better to have a smooth launch than a rushed one, right?
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