Chinese tech brand Xiaomi - the company behind the Mi Mix 2 bezeless phone and many more devices - is now officially selling its products in Europe for the first time, but there’s currently no word on a UK or US expansion.
Xiaomi has chosen Spain as its first European country to stock its full range of products including the newly launched Mi Mix 2 and Mi A1 phones as well as connected home gadgets, in new retail stores and its own online store.
The company has yet to officially comment on when it plans to stock its products in other markets, but moving into Spain may bode well for fans in the UK or US.
Senior Vice Preisdent of Xiaomi, Wang Xiang, said, “We picked Spain as our first entry into Western Europe”, which suggests the company plans to expand to further markets in the future.
Which country is next?
Wang wasn’t able to comment on the next countries Xiaomi will be targeting, but he did mention France and Italy as being potential goals. Wang believes the launch in Spain will help the country learn about Europe and help it push into other territories.
He said, “It’s still early to say what’s next, but I think the EU has a lot of commonalities.
"We will learn about the taste of European consumers and also at the same time we’ll build our resources such as technical support and supply capabilities. Then we can go aggressively with a few other countries.”
The brand is already large in China and India as well as having products available in Australia.
Perhaps the best news about the launch in Spain is the company has managed to keep its prices low despite entering the new market. The flagship Mi Mix 2 is priced at 499 euros (about $580, £440, AU$750).
Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2 features an almost bezel-less design with a 5.99-inch, 18:9 aspect ratio, 1080 x 2160 resolution display. It’s also powered by the top of the range Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and features a 12MP rear camera.
Exactly how long it will take to the phones to arrive in more European countries remains to be seen, but with low prices and a launch in Spain fans of Xiaomi may be in for some good news in the future.
