This week Xiaomi celebrated moving ahead of Apple in global smartphone shipments with a 17% share of the market. According to the analysts Canalys, that’s an 83% growth on last year for the Beijing-based technology company. So, how long before it takes the number one slot?
Samsung, who remain the number one (for now) has seen its share reduce from 22% in Q1 to 19% in Q2. With just two points in it, they must be worried, and the difference could be the US market.
Xiaomi was removed from the US blacklist for investors in May of this year and while you can buy Xiaomi smartphones from the likes of Walmart in the States, you won’t find the phones in any of the main networks or even Best Buy. As with Huawei, Western audiences are still apprehensive of Xiaomi in terms of security. But this is changing, and partly thanks to its excellent products.
- Ford F-150 Lightning, Kia EV6 and other EVs debut at the Chicago Auto Show
- Nintendo Switch OLED warning issued by screen specialist
- Apple thinks the iPhone 13 will sell more than the iPhone 12 – and I totally agree
When I moved to Beijing in 2012 I’d barely heard of the Xiaomi brand but I soon discovered it to be one of the better local phone options available. Of course, Xiaomi is about more than just phones. Its line-up of TVs offered impressive specs for a fraction of the price of Sony or LG models.
In fact, there’s very few electronic products that Xiaomi doesn’t cover. While most of these are only for the local Chinese market, a look on its website reveals everything from laptops, wireless routers and smart speakers to robo vacs, refrigerators, washing machines and pressure cookers.
The Mi home store in Shenzhen is Xiaomi’s flagship and looks much like an Apple store, with large glass windows and clean interiors. The difference is that inside you’ll also find TVs, electric scooters and more. It’s as much a universal brand as Samsung or Sony in China.
What we’ve seen over recent years though is the growth of Xiaomi overseas. While we have seen electric scooters, smart watches and TVs starting to appear, it’s the smartphone market that has been leading the charge. The main reason being that the Xiaomi smartphones are really good.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
The Mi 11 is a big screen device to rival any other flagship, while the Mi 11 Ultra offers some incredible features for a smartphone – especially its camera. It also offers some solid performers at the lower end of the market with models such as the Poco and Redmi Note models.
It’s also leading the way with charging speeds, showcasing its HyperCharge technology that can take a phone battery from empty to fully charged in just eight minutes. While this was just a demo, I expect this to appear on Xiaomi’s next flagship models towards the end of the year.
I can’t wait to see more Xiaomi products available globally, especially here in the US. And if that means they get to number one for smartphone shipments, then they will have deserved it.
As T3's Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher has his finger on the pulse for the latest advances in technology. He has written about technology since 2003 and after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago is now based in the UK. He’s a true lover of gadgets, but especially anything that involves cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical instruments or travel.
-
One kettlebell, four exercises and 20 minutes to build strength all over
A kettlebell is all you need for a great full-body workout
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
You could win an Xbox Series X in gold, but Microsoft will make you work for it
The exclusive Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Xbox could be yours
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Highly-attractive Samsung Flip 6 rival could also be kinder on your wallet, according to global price leak
The Xiaomi Mix Flip could undercut Samsung and offer distinct advantages
By Chris Hall Published
-
There's a flip phone coming that could smash Samsung's Z Flip 6 out of the park
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 hasn't even hit shelves yet and it's already in a fight
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
The most powerful Android phone of 2024 could come from an unexpected source
It's time to start thinking about the next-gen as Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 approaches
By Chris Hall Published
-
Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: the photographers' choice
Xiaomi's expensive and impressive Leica-toting 14 Ultra brings bleeding-edge camera hardware to the West for the first time
By Basil Kronfli Published
-
Top Android phones are getting a neat file storage boost right now
OnePlus, Oppo and Xiaomi handsets are said to get this boost with Android 14
By Sam Cross Published
-
Best of MWC 2024 Awards: T3's picks of the most exciting tech at the show
Mobile World Congress has delivered a host of new devices and these are the best of the best
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Xiaomi 14 Ultra arrives to give the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra a run for its money
Could the Xiaomi 14 Ultra be the camera phone of the year?
By Chris Hall Published
-
Samsung Galaxy S24 launch date revealed by renowned Samsung tipster
Online expert leaks Samsung's next Unpacked event
By Rik Henderson Published