Xiaomi's just getting started in the UAE

Dubai - Chinese brand opens first Authorized Mi store in the region; two new smartphones launched

Xiaomi is already making waves in the smartphone world. So why not establish some firm footing in a top smartphone market?
The Chinese electronics company on Thursday opened the region's first Authorized Mi store in Dubai.
And the outlet, humble as it may be in terms of space, showcased some of the company's best offerings. But it does send out a message: Xiaomi is just getting started in the UAE and the region.
"This is definitely not the full product range. We have a wide range of smartphones and over 300 SKUs [stock keeping units] in terms of smartphone products," Donovan Sung, director of product management and marketing at Xiaomi Global, told Khaleej Times at the event.
"This is a very, very small selection of the product line we have... but we're pretty confident [because we] follow our philosophy: innovation for everyone, selling the world's best technology at the world's best prices."
Sung was referring to Xiaomi's other products; aside from its flagship smartphones, the store also featured laptops, drones, scooters, wearables, audio systems, car air purifiers, smart home kits, a robot and accessories - even dolls. These are but part of the company's wider range of offerings - mostly in China - which include air-conditioners, appliances and a whole lot more.
At the opening, Beijing-headquartered Xiaomi also introduced its two newest smartphones, the 5.15-inch Mi 6 and the 6.44-inch Mi Max 2, both of which are packed with features that would appeal to those on a budget; the mobiles are priced at Dh1,499 and Dh969, respectively.
Xiaomi is making a serious surge in the smartphone race. As of the second quarter of 2017, it's now fifth on the list of vendors that shipped the most units worldwide, trailing fellow Chinese peers Oppo and Huawei, and industry titans Apple and Samsung.
And to back up its rise, Xiaomi was the best performer during the three-month period, posting a shipment growth of 52 per cent.
While the Authorized Mi store in Dubai's BurJuman mall is the first in the UAE and the region, Xiaomi has been in the nation for some time now: in partnership with Dubai-based firm Task, Xiaomi smartphones have been sold in the UAE since February 2017, and are also available through UAE telecom firm etisalat and retail giant Carrefour.
The company's devices were brought to the UAE early last year, also via Task and etisalat.
A while it took a while, Sung says the opening of the first Authorized Mi store "is really good timing for us in the Middle East".
"We realise that Dubai is a very key hub for the Middle East," he said, adding that a "couple more" stores in Egypt and across the Middle East are being planned, part of Xiaomi's overall strategy of opening 1,000 Authorized Mi stores globally. Xiaomi is presently in over 40 countries, including India and the Philippines.Key features of Xiaomi's splash-resistant Mi 6 include the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 CPU, a dual-lens camera with 12MP wide-angle and 12MP telephoto lenses, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a USB Type-C port. The Mi Max 2, meanwhile, has a Snapdragon 825 CPU, up to 128GB expandable storage, 4GB of RAM and a Sony-powered 12MP main camera. Both have fingerprint scanners.- alvin@khaleejtimes.com