Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is preparing to enter the US market "in the near future", company vice president Hugo Barra said in an interview with Bloomberg. Barra said the company will use social media channels to build a relationship with younger consumers in the US, the same as its strategy in other markets.
Xiaomi already sells products such as earbuds and fitness bands to Americans online, but there is no fixed schedule for bringing its smartphones to the US. Barra also said the online market in India, which has been Xiaomi’s primary focus as of late, is growing "very very well".
The executive also dismissed suggestions that Xiaomi's home market was slowing. IDC estimated that Xiaomi shipped only 10.5 million smartphones in China in the second quarter, a fall of 38 percent from a year earlier. Barra said the figure was "not accurate", and the company shipped just under 7 million units in June alone, he said.
