Xiaomi to launch online store in the US this year, though it won't sell phones (yet)

Xiaomi's Hugo Barra today confirmed that the company is planning to launch an online shop in the US this year, via its Mi.com website. While this will be a bold move from Xiaomi - which is hugely popular in China and Southeast Asia, but not in other parts of the world - it's important to note from the beginning that, right now, Xiaomi doesn't plan to sell smartphones in the US. Instead, the company wants to commercialize its affordable Mi Band, Power Bank chargers, and other accessories.

According to The Verge, Hugo Barra said that issues like hardware certification, infrastructure, and software testing are making it hard for Xiaomi to launch smartphones and tablets in the US - that's why this isn't in its current roadmap. Thus, if you're planning to buy, say, a Xiaomi Mi Note or Mi Note Pro this year, you'll have to place your order via third-party resellers.

In 2014, Xiaomi sold more than 61 million smartphones (mainly in Asia), as well as over 1 million Mi Bands. The company is now one of the world's top five smartphone vendors - an impressive achievement, considering the fact that it started selling handsets less than 4 years ago.

source: The Verge