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Xiaomi bets on PCs amid falling smartphone sales

CCTV.com

07-28-2016 01:08 BJT

Chinese smart phone maker Xiaomi has entered the PC market by launching its new laptop Xiao Mi air. The tech firm has also unveiled a new line of smartphones, the Redmi Pro.

Xiaomi's expansion into the PC world has sparked questions concerning the future of the company's core smart-phone business after lackluster sales in the first half of this year. That, and Apple's fall in iPhone sales the past two quarters begs the question, has growth in the Chinese smart-phone market peaked?

Smart-phone maker Xiaomi is adding one more gadget to its already swelling family line. This time, it's a laptop as the company aims to integrate the information stored in all of its gadgets ranging from smart phones to bracelets.

"The world needs Xiaomi...now your photos in your smart phones can be synchronised to a Xiaomi laptop. It supports the Xiaomi bracelet too," said Lei Jun, founder & CEO of Xiaomi.

Xiaomi also released a new line of mobile phones, whose sales tallied above 100 million units in the past three years.

However, in less than 15 months Xiaomi has fallen from being the top seller in China last year to fifth place in the first quarter this year. That came thanks to increasing competition among local smart-phone brands. Analysts say the key to success in the Chinese market is to grasp the fast-changing consumer trends.

"Xiaomi dropped from number one in 2015 to Number five in the first quarter this year. It now ranks behind Chinese brands Vivo and Oppo, and Apple. This is due to strong competition from local brands," said Kitty Fok, Managing Director of IDC China.

Now that we've seen a slowdown in sales from such giants as Xiaomi and Apple, does that mean the Chinese market is slowing?

"I think it reaches a saturation, if the growth rate reaches 2 percent it's already good. The Chinese market changes so fast that it's almost unimaginable to us...and Apple is doing quite well in China, given that the local competition is so strong," Kitty Fok said.

Huawei has replaced Xiaomi as the biggest player in the Chinese market. Fok said self-developed technologies, and engagement with the fast-changing consumer preferences has been essential to Huawei's success.

Xiaomi's Redmi Pro does exactly that by using two lenses to form an SLR camera effect. That's while its rival Apple, is perhaps already a few steps ahead by quietly studying Chinese consumer behaviour through its 1-billion-dollar-investment in taxi hailing app - Didi Dache.

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