Xiaomi revealed its flagship smartphone globally on Sunday in a bid to sustain its ongoing recovery momentum, concurrently marking its inaugural foray into the European electric vehicle market. The Chinese tech behemoth introduced the Xiaomi 14 to global audiences at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, following its initial launch in China earlier this week.
Xiaomi initially thrived since its establishment in 2010, capitalizing on the sale of high-spec, competitively priced smartphones. However, with intensifying competition in this segment, Xiaomi has sought to penetrate the higher echelons of the market, notably where industry leaders such as Apple and Samsung reign supreme, yet growth persists despite industry-wide challenges.
This launch coincides with Xiaomi’s resurgence in its core smartphone business, which constitutes nearly two-thirds of its total revenue. Despite being the world’s third-largest smartphone player, Xiaomi witnessed a mere 4.7% year-on-year decline in shipments in 2023, a notably slower descent compared to 2022. In the third quarter, Xiaomi even experienced a modest revenue uptick, halting a six-quarter-long decline streak.
Nevertheless, Xiaomi faces fierce competition in the high-end segment from established giants like Apple and Samsung, as well as emerging Chinese contenders such as Honor, a subsidiary of Huawei. In January, Samsung debuted its flagship S24 series of phones.
However, Xiaomi has been striving to diversify its business beyond smartphones. Last year, the company ventured into the electric vehicle market with its inaugural offering, the SU7, thereby venturing into a new product category. Xiaomi unveiled its electric car at the Mobile World Congress, marking its debut in Europe.
Moreover, the company introduced the Smart Band 8 Pro, Xiaomi Watch S3, and Xiaomi Watch 2, comprising a smart fitness band and two smartwatches.
Xiaomi aims to establish itself as a provider of various consumer devices interconnected via its proprietary operating system, HyperOS, launched last year. This strategy closely mirrors the approach adopted by industry stalwarts such as Samsung and Apple.
Xiaomi 14
The Xiaomi 14 is available in two variants: the standard Xiaomi 14 and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. For the pricier Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the company highlighted its “quad” camera system, incorporating lenses from the renowned German firm Leica.
Xiaomi underscored the professional-grade photography and videography capabilities, including a “movie mode” facilitating an authentic cinematic experience with motion blur, as stated in a Xiaomi press release.
