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China's Xiaomi Confirms It Will Enter US Smartphone Market By the End of This Year or Early Next Year (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the further-expansion dept.

Sensing an opening, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi says it plans to enter the U.S. smartphone market in late 2018 or 2019. From a report: The news comes just several weeks after rival Huawei, which appeared to have a head start, had its hopes dashed when a partnership with AT&T was scuttled. While both companies said the parting was mutual, the decision came after intense political blowback from U.S. politicians who worried that Huawei's technology poses security risks for U.S. businesses and customers. Today, the Wall Street Journal reported that Xiaomi chair Lei Jun told one of its reporters: "We've always been considering entering the U.S. market. We plan to start entering the market by end 2018, or by early 2019." In general, while Chinese tech companies have become massive primarily by succeeding on their home turf, they are facing challenges in exporting that success to Western markets.

61 comments

  1. The more competition, the better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anything that will help knock Samsung and Apple down a peg (or three) is good in my book.

    1. Re:The more competition, the better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am not interested in yet another device that potentially is a security issue. Huawei devices already had issues with "accidental" back doors. I don't care for another device that is made by a foreign entity that there is no independant vetting on their security.

      I'll keep with HTC or Samsung. At least they don't roll over for the Chinese government as easily.

    2. Re:The more competition, the better by BlueStrat · · Score: 2

      Anything that will help knock Samsung and Apple down a peg (or three) is good in my book.

      Not only that, but also a more-secure (from the POV of a US citozen) alternative to security-weakened Western phone models. Sure, Chinese phones may have Chinese backdoors, but the Chinese aren't going to invade the US to come get you or I of we were to insult their new "leader for life" whereas the US government has already been caught "weaponizing" Federal departments and agencies as domestic political tools of control.

      As a US citizen, or nearly anyone else in the West, you have much more to fear personally from US/Five-Eyes spying than from Chinese spying.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    3. Re:The more competition, the better by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      The more competition isn't always the better.
      Sometimes this will make the lesser phone makers play a race to the bottom game. So while Apple and Samsung keep with their "Premium" line up. The other guys are fighting with themselves to make a cheaper phone then their competitors, with each generation getting crappier then before, and each product they sell has less profit margin to them, so they don't make money to invest back into the company, leading to a crappier next version.

      While Apple and Samsung keep their place on their respective pegs, while any other rivals, are in the mist of destroying themselves.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re:The more competition, the better by nashv · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Chinese phones may have Chinese backdoors, but the Chinese aren't going to invade the US to come get you or I of we were to insult their new "leader for life" whereas the US government has already been caught "weaponizing" Federal departments and agencies as domestic political tools of control.

      But they can sell your data to the US government. The Chinese are smart. They know the agencies want your data. This is a lucrative opportunity for them. And the agencies can protect themselves from backlash by simply saying 'its the Chinese who steal data'. And the military gets its Chinese boogeyman. It's a win-win for everyone. Except you.

      --
      Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem.
    5. Re:The more competition, the better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd say that isn't a wise assumption to take. Xi is turning into an emperor, China is spending trillions on their military, including the often mentioned islands, and is rattling sabers with other countries. In 24 hours, they could overrun Taiwan, "pacify" Japan (EMP blast, perhaps), and get smaller nations like Korea and Singapore under their boot. The US doesn't have the stomach for a nuclear war, so China could do a blitzkrieg and either own, or have under its command the entire Pacific Rim, in less than a week. From there, old scores and racial superiority likely will create something that might make the purges of Stalin and Pol Pot's genocides look small in comparison.

      To put it simply: The NSA isn't training men to kill me and my family. China is.

    6. Re:The more competition, the better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No point, Facebook, Google and a few others have already sold it them.

    7. Re:The more competition, the better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      whereas the US government has already been caught "weaponizing" Federal departments and agencies as domestic political tools of control.

      In the US they already send armed paramilitary forces to assault your home and sometimes accidentally shoot your family. Often for simple civil infractions like suspected copyright violation.

      The real crime is we are using force against people who have no prior history of violence. Civilization has turned to shit. The people we have placed into power wipe their ass with the Social contract.

    8. Re:The more competition, the better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      China isn't bothering anyone. You're involved in multiple wars and destabilising various countries and regions around the world. I'd prefer to work with China.

    9. Re:The more competition, the better by ctilsie242 · · Score: 1

      Some companies make a phone as good as the flagship players. HTC, LG, and Moto, have some good devices. Companies like Vivo have under-glass fingerprint scanners which are seeming to be doing well. As an added bonus, most of these devices have an official way to unlock the bootloader, so you can run LineageOS or a custom ROM.

      Even lower-end phones like the LG Stylo 3+ are not bad.

      I'd say they are worth looking at, oftentimes one can get away with a decent phone without having to shell out the big bucks for a flagship device that you can't root or customize anyway.

    10. Re:The more competition, the better by larryjoe · · Score: 1

      Some people are more or less concerned about privacy attacks from the US government, companies, and malicious strangers or acquaintances. Personally I don't care much about US government spying on me. I can't think of much in terms of personal data or opinions that I wouldn't openly tell them if they asked. I'm more concerned about companies and malicious individuals. I'm not saying that others are unreasonable in their fear, distrust, or skepticism of the the US government. Rather I'm just saying that that's not where my concerns lie.

      Instead, I'm more concerned about the Chinese (and other foreign) government. If I say something on the forbidden words list, will that impact a future visa application to China? Would proprietary work email potentially make its way to competing Chinese companies? Will my passwords and other files remain private (yes, those files are encypted, but that doesn't mean much to professional e-thieves)? Would holes in my phone's privacy compromise friends and coworkers?

    11. Re: The more competition, the better by Ecuador · · Score: 1

      I don't particularly mind that a Chinese company has my data, instead of a Korean or American. They all share and/or sell it to various actors/agencies etc, plus certain agencies have direct access to it so that is my starting assumption and just look at the device.
      And in that respect after paying top dollar for the flagship Samsung, going to a Xiaomi is a revelation, with excellent build quality, years of updates at a fraction of the price. My current Mi Mix 2 is a bit more expensive than other top Xiaomi but it is much nicer (for me) than the more expensive Galaxies, Pixels etc.
      And Xiaomi has more devices usually at amazing price/performance. My $10 VR headset is the best built (with nice touch button) of the inexpensive cardboard compatibles, my $20 mi band 2 has most features of much more expensive smart wristbands and it is not garbage like the rest at this price range... There is even an interesting robotic vacuum I am looking at.

      --
      Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
    12. Re:The more competition, the better by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Taiwan has biological weapons. China isn't invading, they plan on taking it over politically.

      When China's banking system falls over and they need an external 'boogeyman', then watchout. But who knows when that will happen. The Chinese banking system has been broken for decades, but nobody cares.

      The next Chinese revolution will be 'interesting'.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    13. Re:The more competition, the better by dirtyid · · Score: 1

      Someone is inevitably getting our data at this point. At least the Chinese has the courtesy of subsidizing hardware costs. I'm also a little bemused at the idea that your proposed arrangement would foster cooperation between competing intelligence agencies.

    14. Re: The more competition, the better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Off the top of my head China has territorial claims against:

      India
      Vietnam
      Philippines
      Indonesia
      Malaysia
      Brunei

      Possibly Mongolia, Siberia, and various *stans.

      And let's not forget about Tibet.

    15. Re: The more competition, the better by houghi · · Score: 1

      So the alternative is what? The only option you have is, well, none. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    16. Re:The more competition, the better by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Xiaomi ought to be smart enough to circumvent any accusations of backdoors by only exporting Android One models, where requested by security agencies. i.e. Stock AOSP vetted by Google, using the same of the shelf parts (e.g. Qualcomm) as the mainstream Korean or Taiwanese brands.

    17. Re: The more competition, the better by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      China isn't bothering anyone

      I guess Bhutan and India don't count. How about Tibet? I don't care how long it's been; they don't belong.And rounding-up Uyghurs (and likely others) so you can harvest their organs? I don't even have words for that one... at least they're not eating 'em (I probably shouldn't give them any ideas; we've already got to watch our dogs).

      Oh, and they're enthusiastically gearing-up to greatly increase their nation-bothering ability.

      Let's face it: western interests sold out Taiwan in '79 (in return for equipping China to start fucking us) and they've gotten the wrong idea in their heads.

    18. Re:The more competition, the better by Excelcia · · Score: 1

      Let's assume that 100% of all phones track you for one government for another. All other things being equal, I'd rather have Huawei or Xiaomi than Apple or Samsung. At least they don't roll over for the NSA as easily.

      The Chinese aren't going to give a wet snap what I'm doing on a daily basis. And I don't particularly care if they know.

    19. Re: The more competition, the better by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

      I agree completely with your sentiment, however I doubt the Xiaomi is actually more secure. It still runs Android, therefore Google/fedgov still have root access to everything. There's no such thing as a secure consumer smartphone.

      That said, I'm typing this on a Xiaomi Mi A1. It's a nicely made phone, good performance & battery life, runs stock Android with no hideous bloatware, and cost me half the price of a Samsung with the same specs.

  2. Glib by Horatio_Hellpop · · Score: 0

    Glob

    --
    Frammin' on the jim-jam, frippin' at the krotz!
  3. WRONG! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. Unter

    2. Gleeben

    3. Glauben

    4. Globen

    1. Re:WRONG! by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      You got somethin to say?

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    2. Re:WRONG! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fake news. Needs to end. This Rusher thing. It's fake news. It's made up. Everybody is saying this. I know you agree.

  4. How terrible by fubarrr · · Score: 1

    How terrible, Chinese are invading Americans, so bad

    1. Re:How terrible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The US won't stand for it. How dare the Chinese move into US markets and encroach on our backdooring of every device in America with their own backdoors? That's unfair competition!

  5. 3..2..1.. by fubarrr · · Score: 0

    Time till Apple gets steamrolled 3..2..1..

    1. Re:3..2..1.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yup, just like with Pixel, Essential, Windows Phone, Palm, Blackberry...

    2. Re:3..2..1.. by nashv · · Score: 0

      It will take about 50 years for Apple to be steam-rolled. That's given the rate of IQ increase in the human population. In about 50 years, a large part of the distribution's tail will have risen to a high enough point.

      --
      Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem.
  6. About time... by Fuzi719 · · Score: 1

    Xiaomi seems to have a good working relationship with Google, and their current handsets are well-made and on par with the best from other companies. I have a couple of their MiBox Android TV units that are exceptionally well-made and supported. So, hopefully, we'll get some carriers like T-Mobile offering the phones here. I refuse to use a Samsung or Apple product.

    1. Re:About time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Xiaomi seems to have a good working relationship with Google, and their current handsets are well-made and on par with the best from other companies. I have a couple of their MiBox Android TV units that are exceptionally well-made and supported. So, hopefully, we'll get some carriers like T-Mobile offering the phones here. I refuse to use a Samsung or Apple product.

      Mibox is 'well supported'!?!?!?!?!?!?! Are you fucking kidding? The thing has received maybe 5 security-only updates in the last 18mo and is still on Marshmallow. There's a neverending closed beta for Nougat which was supposed to come out officially 11mo ago now, but which every release has a slew of issues for those brave enough to flash it. Xiaomi are absolutely incompetent when it comes to their AndroidTV device.

    2. Re:About time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I get WEEKLY rom updates on the Redmi 4x that I got last year. Good luck getting that on a Samsung or Apple phone. It is with the official beta rom. If I was worried about stability I'd go for the normal rom. They are very user focused.

  7. Mi MAX 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have a mi max 2, it is amazing, battery lasts 2-3 days, sd card slot or dual sim (whichever you choose), it charges rapidly and works very well (range on the bluetooth and wifi are much greater than my prior phones and the price (save a fortune), look out other manufacturers

    1. Re: Mi MAX 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here here. It's hard for me to hide my disdainful grin when looking at the apple sheeple and their pathetically expensive walled devices with a broken screen.

  8. Sad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't buy ching chong

    1. Re:Sad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too late, most electronics you use are already "ching chong".

  9. China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But China already makes all the smartphones, laptops, etc; every one of these devices already listens in on what you say and do.

  10. Re:The more competition, the boner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They all have "security issues." Now do you want one that was directly installed by the NSA, or do you want one installed by the Chinese and another one indirectly installed by the NSA through "bugs" in the Android source code?

  11. Hopefully, Default Mode ( Score: +5, PatRIOTic) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    will have a Tweeter-In-Chief filter to prevent users from having to listen and/or view anything being emitted by this sorry excuse for human protoplasm.

    Have a day !

    Yours In Peace,
    Kilgore Trout

  12. Great News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As the owner of a Redmi 4x I am very happy about this. Now I won't have to wait as long to get my phones. Xiaomi make some really nice, well priced phones.

  13. Good luck... You will need it. by bobbied · · Score: 2

    Or... Maybe the government of China will subsidize this enough they can be successful?

    Seriously, bring on the clones. Let's have some competition. I'm pretty tired of dropping almost $1k on a smart phone. Crazy price if you ask me. Maybe a bit of competition will bring phone prices down some and drive innovation...

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  14. I don't care about hardware by DogDude · · Score: 2

    I couldn't care less about my phone hardware. They're all roughly the same. I have an "Alcatel", which I've never heard of before, outside of really old VOIP stuff from a few decades ago. As long as it runs the software I like (I like Windows Phone), I don't care who makes it.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:I don't care about hardware by DougDot · · Score: 1

      (I like Windows Phone) [...]

      Oops. You just disqualified yourself from being a meaningful Slashdot contributor.

  15. I think they should be welcome by kaatochacha · · Score: 1

    Assuming that they're forced to partner with an American company and not own more than 49% of the entity.

    1. Re:I think they should be welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What rock have you been living under?

  16. Has little to do with security by jerwest · · Score: 1

    ...has everything to do with incumbents (apple, Cisco, Dell, HPE) lobbying our friends in Congress to keep low cost competition out of the market. It will be very interesting to see how hard China will push back to have these products enter the US market. East Asia's large appetite for US debt essentially finances this party we call the American economy. They've avoided poking the bear in the past because their party to some extent relies on the US party rolling on. We may find out if China may want to partially disentangle the economic relationship, at least to a degree.

  17. whoopee! More spying!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In addition to U.S. government spying we can have the communist Chinese government join in on the fun.

  18. Perpare for incoming. by Qbertino · · Score: 1

    Xiaomis price/performance ratio is nigh unmatched. They are basically the poor mans Apple with very neat design and quality. My daughter just had her phone stolen in Ecuador and had to get a new one. They don't have Motorola there (my first choice for price/quality/relyability) so after foraging for a day with my chat-support from around the planet we settled for a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. The specs are through the roof vis-a-vis her stolen Moto and the price is seriously competitive and it's a very well put-together device with a large 4000+mAmp battery.

    Bottom line: The chinese are coming and Xiaomi is a good indicator of what they are capable of.

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
    1. Re: Perpare for incoming. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They are the real rich man's apple because those who foolishly spend 5x for less are bleeding cash.

  19. Re:The more competition, the boner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ""bugs" in the Android source code"
    I'm sorry but isn't the Android source code open source? If you know where these bugs are located shouldn't you spread the word to the open source "community" so the bugs can be documented and addressed? And if given the choice between the NSA and the Chinese I will have to go with the NSA. As a matter of fact I hope all the US intelligence and counter intelligence agencies do everything in their power to keep a close eye on every US international adversary and US "allies" who spy on the US every chance they get. The US is the most spied upon country on the planet. China finds it easier and cheaper to just steal US military technology than spend money on any actual R&D. It's a smart move on their part when you compare the costs. China's entire consumer electronic and computing infrastructure was built by pilfering technology from Google, Apple, MS, and all the other major US technology firms. China doesn't even allow any western company to enter their domestic market without first divulging any IP contained in the product to be sold domestically. Apple has not only given up the IP in it's phones but they have also given China the means to remove any encryption or other security sub systems in their products. There is no right to privacy in China and Apple is making sure it stays that way so they can sell a few phones in a over saturated market.

    And what makes this company think they will be allowed to sell their phones in the US when their competitor was denied access? I don't know why people continue to admire China when they are still a totalitarian state with no personal freedoms and the "Party" is made up of some of the wealthiest people on the planet. You can put lipstick on a pig but at the end of the day it is still a pig.

  20. Xiaomi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    IMO, the key to Xiaomi is not their phones, but the wide variety of connected appliances and products. Their vacuum robot is about a fourth of the price of a top of the line Roomba. They sell a lot of quite nice kit, including rice cookers, toy robots, wifi lighbulbs. I can't think of any other companies targeting the "cheap but good" level (not "crazy cheap and crap" like the Chinese stereotype), over a wide range of integrated products like that.

  21. Re:Good luck... You will need it. by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    Chances are though your cheaper 'competitive' Chinese phone will have all manner of spyware and backdoors baked right into the firmware (or maybe even the hardware) right from the factory -- even more so than the Chinese-made phones you're all using right now.

  22. Re:Good luck... You will need it. by dabadab · · Score: 1

    Actually I have a Xiaomi Redmi 4x.
    It costs about $140, has a 4100 mAh battery so it doesn't run flat in a day, IR so I can use it as a remote for my TV and set-top box, has a microSD slot and even a - hear that, Sony? - 3.5 jack, 3G RAM and 32 GB flash - so it's totally adequate for everyday use.

    --
    Real life is overrated.
  23. Re:Good luck... You will need it. by bobbied · · Score: 1

    Have you SEEN the latest carrier loads for say the I-Phone? Can you say carrier bloat ware is everywhere? And that doesn't even go into what software Apple shoves on their devices. Don't get me started on Android devices....

    You think the Chi-coms would be some how worse than a for profit company like Apple or AT&T? I'm not so sure.

    It may be MY handset, but I'd be a fool to believe that anything I put on it or access though it is secure from my Carrier or Apple's prying eyes.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  24. Re:Good luck... You will need it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm pretty tired of dropping almost $1k on a smart phone

    You have had cheaper options for years - don't be obtuse.

  25. Re:Good luck... You will need it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why're you spending ~$1k on a smart phone?

    My old LG G3 recently died, so I bought a new unlocked LG G4 for $170 (1440p, 3GB RAM, removable 3000 mAh battery).

    Everyone has different needs, but what does yours do that warrants a ~5x price?

  26. Re:Good luck... You will need it. by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    Yet you still use them, even knowing all this.

  27. Re:Good luck... You will need it. by bobbied · · Score: 1

    Carefully, I use them carefully...

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  28. Project Treble by sonicmerlin · · Score: 1

    I'm actually looking forward to cheaper Chinese phones with Project Treble. Hopefully they can be continually updated for many years.

  29. Re:Good luck... You will need it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please tell me what carrier bloatware you have seen on an Apple phone? I am not an Apple fan, so I am asking genuinely. My wife uses an Apple phone and it does have anything other than a default apps like News, App Store, TV

  30. I wonder what are the chances this will work... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Xiaomi's customer service is essentially non-existent, so much so that a friend's phone was "repaired" 4 times and still doesn't work properly.

    Americans love their customer service, what will Xiaomi do?...