Xiaomi is not exactly a famous company worldwide. At least, if you asked the average user, they probably would not have heard of the company. As a result, it was (and still is) surprising to some people to hear that the little-known Chinese Startup has risen to become the third largest smartphone manufacturer. This is an incredible achievement for a company that is only a few years old and yet to make a ‘real’ impact on the global market. Since then, they have received numerous praise for what they have achieved. It now looks though like that praise might finally be going to the company’s head, as they are starting to make some seriously bold claims.
Lei Jun (who is somewhat known in China as the Chinese ‘Steve Jobs’) is the CEO of Xiaomi and has taken to the stage at an internet conference in China. During his presentation Jun advised of the many successes the company has had recently. Most recently, the reporting of their massive ‘Singles Day’ sales in China. This is like Black Friday in China and Xiaomi earned 1.56 billion Yuan (basically $254 million) in those 24 hours. Not bad figures at all. To add to the claims of success, Jun also commented on how they currently have in excess of 70 million active users. Adding to this, Jun advises that Xiaomi expects this number to be around the 200 million marker by next year. Effectively tripling in the next 12 months. Jun used this basis to make the very bold claim that in as little as the next 5-10 years, Xiaomi could rise to become the biggest smartphone maker in the world.
Whether or not this sort of status can be reached by Xiaomi is unclear. There is little point arguing with how well the company has done until now. Not forgetting Xiaomi has recently entered six new markets including India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. Growth in these territories will certainly help to increase the already rising Xiaomi presence. However, now that Xiaomi are known to be a real contender with real future potential, all eyes will be on them. Success so far is great and making claims is fine. The test will be maintaining its presence and success. This will ultimately define its smartphone maker position.