A Detailed History of Xiaomi Brand

The Xiaomi brand is among the most popular in the global electronics market. Our site is completely dedicated to devices from this company: we regularly release useful materials on the setup and proper use of smartphones. But it’s time to talk in detail about the brand itself, its creation, the first steps in the world of technology, and its tremendous success. The article will provide a detailed history of Xiaomi, beginning in 2010 and ending today.

A detailed description of the Xiaomi company

By the characteristics, it is clear that Xiaomi is a world-renowned company with many brands. The equipment produced by this company is very popular not only in Asia but also in European countries, the East, Latin America, and Australia. The bright orange logo catches the eye and is immediately remembered, and the cute hare in a fur cap attracts new fans.

Brand timeline

To start with a brief look at the history of Xiaomi in chronological order. We have highlighted the most significant events.

• April 6, 2010. – Brand foundation.
• August 16, 2010. – MIUI UI release.
• August 18, 2011. – Announcement of the first smartphone – Mi
• August 16, 2012. – presentation of Mi 2.
• 5 September 2013. – presentation of Mi 3.
• September 2013. – Company representatives announced 10 million smartphones sold.
• October 2013. – Xiaomi ranked 5th on the list of mobile brands in China.
• April 2014. – Xiaomi smartphones entered the international market.
• May 15, 2014. – Mi Pad tablet was presented.
• July 2014. – Release of Mi Band 1 and 1S Pulse fitness bracelets.
• 2015. – Release the first smartphones from the Redmi Note line, an action camera, and a wireless speaker.
• March 2016. – Announcement of QiCycle R1 smart bike.
• July 27, 2016. – Presentation of the first laptop.
• October 2016. – A brand store opened in Moscow.
• September 5, 2017. – Announcement of the first smartphone from Xiaomi running on “pure” Android – Mi A1.
• October 2017. – The company opened a store in Minsk.
• April 2018. – Presentation of the first gaming smartphone Black Shark.
• August 22, 2018. – Release of the “people’s flagship” Pocophone F1.
• October 25, 2018. – Release of smartphone slider – Mi Mix
• January 2019. – Redmi line became a separate brand (under Xiaomi headquarters).
• September 24, 2019. – announcement of MIUI 11 firmware.
• April 27, 2020. – MIUI 12 firmware presentation.
• September 7, 2020. – Announcement of Poco X3 NFC phone, which will be an absolute hit in the future.
• October 13, 2020. – Release of the global version of the branded Mi Watch smartwatch.
• March 2021. – release of the current Mi Band 6 fitness tracker.
• April 16, 2021. – announcement of the foldable flagship Mi Mix Fold.
• May 6, 2021. – release of the global MIUI5 shell.
• August 10, 2021. – Announcement of MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition.
• August 16, 2021. – release of Xiaomi smartphone with a sub-screen front camera – Mi Mix
• August 24, 2021. – the company abandoned the prefix “Mi” in the name of its products.

As we can see, the chronology turned out to be quite extensive, as the company does not stop developing and releasing more and more interesting products.

How the history of Xiaomi began

The history of the brand begins on April 6, 2010. Eight partners, led by Lei Jun, founded the company on that day. The team consisted of former professionals working for major brands such as Motorola and Google. Lei Jun managed to raise several million dollars for his startup. At that time, no one dared to suppose that in 11 years, a very young company would achieve such stunning success and become a full-fledged competitor to Samsung and Apple.

Development of proprietary firmware

Immediately after the company’s opening, all the team’s forces were thrown into creating mobile software based on Android. At that time, the developers had not yet thought about the release of smartphones. The main goal was to release high-quality software, which had to diversify the single-type user interface called Android. The main wishes about the new shell were as follows – ease of use and many customizable features.

Already August 16, 2010, was held a presentation of the firmware MIUI 0.8.16 based on Android 2.2. The software came out as an open beta test. The first phone you could install MIUI 0.8 was the Nexus One from Google. The shell only supported the Chinese language, but within a few months, programmers from other countries began to translate the software. Custom versions appeared on the XDA forum.

The first firmware had many flaws, but the company constantly communicated with users, fixed bugs, and released more optimized and improved builds.

About a year later was the release of an updated shell with the name MIUI V2. It was based on the then-new Android 2.3. Users liked the interface and simplicity of the shell, but also many useful features. Thanks to MIUI V2, the number of fans reached over 500 thousand in a very short time, but the company was not going to stop there.

Release of the first smartphones

In August 2011, the fateful decision was made – to develop and release their smartphone. The first Xiaomi phone was Mi 1 (Mi One). on August 18 of the same year, a small press conference was attended by people who already loved the company for its proprietary firmware. The phone received excellent specifications for 2011.

The cost of the mobile device was about $300. Given the characteristics, it was the optimal price. But Xiaomi did not immediately launch the product for free sale but opened pre-orders. Small deliveries of Mi 1 began only in October.

A year later, the Mi 2 was introduced, which brought the company enormous fame. The smartphone cost $300, just like its predecessor. The display’s diagonal was 4.3″, 720×1280 pixels, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, and a 2000 mAh battery. In just three minutes, the first batch of 50 thousand copies was sold out.

In 2013, Xiaomi’s success further solidified. In April, the line of phones was expanded with models such as Mi 2S (improved version) and Mi 2A (simplified version).

Entering the global market

In January 2013, the company began shipping phones outside of China for the first time. The first countries for export were Great Britain and Australia. In the middle of 2013, Hugo Barra, who previously worked at Google, became the vice president of Xiaomi. The brand began to develop steadily in the international market with Hugo’s arrival.

In 2014, the first physical store was opened outside of China, in Singapore, and Xiaomi smartphones were officially sold in 10 countries.

The philosophy of Xiaomi

Now that you know the history of the appearance of Xiaomi phones, let’s talk a little about the concept and philosophy of the brand. The main idea adheres to the company – constant innovation, growth, and improvement. This idea is easy to trace in the branded firmware. Fresh versions of MIUI always contain a lot of new features. The company is not afraid to experiment and is constantly improving its products.

What does the brand name stand for?

Xiao in Chinese means “tiny grain of rice“. The name of the brand carries a philosophical thought based on a Buddhist sutra, namely: “the power of a single grain of rice is like the power of a mountain, and it can stop a raging river in an instant.” The prefix “Mi” stands for Mobile Internet or Mission Impossible. Thus, the company declares its endurance and steadfastness in facing difficulties.

Company logo

Xiaomi’s logo looks very simple, but it is very memorable. A bright orange background depicts two large white letters MI. Until 2021, the logo was presented as a square, but this year the shape has been changed to a squirrel (the middle between a square and a circle). The logo will likely suffer changes shortly, as the brand has abandoned the separate prefix Mi. But we will talk about this in detail at another point.

The company’s symbol is a well-known hare in a hat with earflaps and a pioneer tie. The rabbit can be found on product packaging and in the form of plush toys, figurines, and other accessories.

Specialists working in the company

Now let’s talk a little bit about the employees working at Xiaomi. Thanks to these talented, hardworking, and courageous people, the brand is constantly developing and attracting new fans.

Special attention, of course, deserves Lei Jun – the founder and CEO of Xiaomi. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and worked for several years at Kingsoft, a software development company. A little later, he became the CEO of Kingsoft. At the same time, Jun created Joyo.com, which was later sold to Amazon. Lei Jun’s most successful startup is the founding of Xiaomi Inc. Now, Lei Jun is a billionaire and continues to improve his brand, reaching ever-new global heights tirelessly.

• Until 2019, Lin Bin was the president of the firm. Previously, he was involved in developing major software projects such as Windows Vista and Internet Explorer.
• Manu Kumar Jain is vice president and head of the company’s Indian division.
• Zhou Guangping is the chief financial officer.
• Li Wangqiang is the senior vice president and head of Mi.com.
• Hong Feng is responsible for MIUI firmware.
• Liu De heads the Xiaomi ecosystem department.
• Wong Jianji is responsible for Mi Wi-Fi and Mi Cloud.

What kind of technology does Xiaomi produce?

The company’s range is huge. Xiaomi produces almost all kinds of electronics, from phones to smart bulbs. There is a whole ecosystem with many different smart devices.

Smartphones and tablets

The most extensive industry is smartphones. There are both ultra-budget models and top devices with support for innovative technologies. Every year Xiaomi releases at least ten new phones. The lineup is constantly being updated with fresh models. Users with any budget and with any requirements can easily find the perfect device for themselves.

At the end of the third quarter of 2021, the brand released such interesting new products: Mi Mix 4 – the flagship with a sub-screen camera; Redmi 10 – an affordable smartphone with an ideal price-quality ratio; Poco X3 GT – a great phone that deserves the title of “junior flagship”.

The tablet market, of course, is less in demand, so there have been no new devices since 2018. The last model at the time was the Mi Pad 4 Plus. And only in August of this year was it decided to continue the line: now users can buy Xiaomi Pad 5 and 5 Plus.

Pad 5 has a screen diagonal of 11 inches with a resolution of 1600×2560 pixels, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 processor, and a battery capacity of 8720 mAh. The price is about $300. The older model (Pad 5 Plus) got a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G processor, while the battery capacity was reduced to 8600 mAh. For the Plus version, you have to pay already $390.

Laptops

Xiaomi is one of the few companies that produce affordable but very high-quality and powerful laptops for different purposes. There are both inexpensive options for work and study and gamer devices with top hardware.

From the latest new products, we would like to mention business models 2021 – Xiaomi Mi NoteBook Ultra and Mi NoteBook Pro. The first model has a 15.6-inch screen with a resolution of 3200×2000 pixels, an 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake H processor (i5-11300H or i7-11370H to choose from), 8/16GB of RAM and 512GB of ROM. The Pro version has the same processor but a 14-inch screen with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels.

The Redmi sub-brand also produces laptops. Most often, these are budget models with good characteristics, which are suitable for most everyday tasks.

Televisions

Xiaomi is a leader in the TV market. Especially TVs from this manufacturer are popular in India. All models are based on the Android TV operating system. They also support an interesting proprietary feature such as PatchWall – personalized selection and search for content.

The range includes flagship devices with OLED screens, 4K resolution, and a diagonal of 75 inches. Of course, there are inexpensive options. One of the most budget smart TVs is Mi TV 4A 32″. The model is perfect for a small room or kitchen.

Smartwatches and fitness bracelets

Xiaomi has also made great strides in this industry. The company’s sub-brand, Huami, produces the Amazfit smartwatch and Mi Band fitness bracelets. The Amazfit GTS 2e and GTR 2e were added to the smartwatch lineup in late 2020, and the sixth Mi Band was announced in early spring.

The Mi Watch (Chinese and global versions differ significantly), Mi Watch Revolve, Mi Watch Color Sports, and Mi Watch Lite came out under Xiaomi’s logo. The Redmi brand has unveiled its Redmi Watch smartwatch, which is almost an exact copy of the Mi Watch Lite.

Small electronics and the smart home

In addition to large devices, the company is constantly releasing small gadgets:

• headphones;
• Bluetooth speakers;
• power banks;
• soundbars;
• electric shavers;
• routers;
• floor scales;
• TV set-top boxes;
• robot vacuum cleaners;
• action-cameras;
• lamps;
• tonometers, etc.

A complete Xiaomi smart home includes various sensors, gateways, outlets, light bulbs, video cameras, electric kettles, air purifiers, and humidifiers.

All of the aforementioned appliances come out under the Xiaomi logo. But do not forget that many sub-brands also develop very high-quality products.

Vehicles

Want to buy a sports vehicle – pay attention to the Xiaomi range. The firm produces excellent electric scooters, gyroscooters, bicycles, and electric skateboards. The most popular products are Ninebot gyro scooters and MiJia electric scooters.

All Xiaomi phones lineup for 2023

The following is a detailed look at the smartphone lines released by Xiaomi and its major sub-brands. Let’s look at the current and obsolete series.

Mi (Xiaomi)

The largest and most easily recognizable lineup. It’s where the history of Xiaomi phones began. This line includes flagship devices that boast a set of excellent features. Almost every Mi smartphone becomes a bestseller, and a sales hit. This series is the hallmark of Xiaomi, so it is constantly updated with new models.

For example, the current flagship Mi 11, announced on December 28, 2020, has already received several different versions. Mi 11 Lite is positioned as a mid-budget device with good features. The top-of-the-line Mi 11 Pro and Mi 11 Ultra are the most expensive models in Xiaomi’s range (not counting the Mi Mix Fold). Mi 11i, Mi 11X, and Mi 11X Pro confidently occupy the “junior flagships” position.

We will pay special attention to the name of the lineup. At the end of this year’s summer, the company decided to remove the prefix “Mi” and leave only the brand’s name. That is, instead of Xiaomi Mi 12 will be simply Xiaomi 12. This will help avoid tautology and simplify the name of the models.

Redmi

A budget line is available to every user. It includes inexpensive entry-level and mid-range smartphones. There are both ultra-budget phones, such as the Redmi 9A, and improved models, such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro. At the moment, the Redmi 10 line is actively expanding. Most recently, the Redmi Note 10T 5G, Redmi 10, and Redmi 10 Prime were introduced. The best-selling 2018 Redmi Note 8 received an updated version, 2021, which costs only $140.

The Redmi K20, K30, and K40 series stand out a little, as they cost significantly more and offer more advanced features. Important point: the above series is focused only on the Chinese market. In the international market, they are called Mi 9T, Mi 10T, etc.

Poco

This is Xiaomi’s Indian sub-brand, founded in 2018. In a few years, the firm has gained many fans. The brand produces affordable smartphones with powerful hardware. The approximate price range of Poco smartphones is $200-300. For this money, you get a very high-quality device with advanced parameters.

Let’s highlight the most popular Poco models from 2018. These are the Pocophone F1 – the first device of the young sub-brand, Poco F2 Pro – a phone with a retractable front camera. Poco X3NFC – a budget device with the Snapdragon 732G processor, and Poco X3 GT – a recent novelty with cool features and a nice price.

Black Shark

Black Shark is also a separate brand powered by Xiaomi. Only gaming phones with high-quality screens, the most powerful processors, and active cooling are released in this line. The design of mobile devices is specific and made in a gamer style, so it may not appeal to all users.

It is also worth noting that the Black Shark is less popular than the flagships from the Xiaomi branded line or mid-tier Poco. We recommend buying these phones only if you need a gamer’s option. For everyday use, it is better to pick up another device.

Mi Mix

Another flagship series from Xiaomi focused on smartphones with innovative technologies. The line includes frameless devices with large displays and powerful “stuffing”. The most deserving of attention are these smartphones:

• Mi Mix 3, introduced in October 2018, got a retractable front panel due to no notches on the screen.
• New for 2019, the Mi Mix Alpha boasts a girdling screen. The side edges and the back of the smartphone are touch-sensitive. Unfortunately, the model only shipped in small batches and was not available for free sale.
• A folding phone is also in Xiaomi’s range. This is the Mi Mix Fold, released in spring 2021. The device can be used as a small tablet. The Mi Mix Fold can be found on the global market, but it will cost at least $1,500.
• More recently, on August 16, the firm released a more affordable and familiar smartphone – Mi Mix 4. Its main feature – is an invisible front camera, completely hidden under the screen. But users constantly complain about the low quality of photos and videos taken on the front camera. This is the fault of underdeveloped technology.

We can not recommend smartphones from the Mi Mix line for purchase. Mi Mix 3 is already outdated in terms of software, processor, and cameras, Alpha and Fold are very expensive and unlikely to like in everyday use, and the new Mi Mix 4 has many significant drawbacks, such as a bad front camera, a screen of average quality and a processor with a very strong heat.

Mi Max

Already irrelevant line, the last smartphone from which was introduced back in 2018. The series was supposed to include “tabletop-hones” – smartphones with 6.5-7-inch screens. At that time, such displays were considered huge, so the company allocated a separate line. But after a few years in the technology market and so began to appear mobile devices with large screens with an average diagonal of 6 inches, it was soon decided to close the line completely. The last model was the 6.9-inch Mi Max 3.

Android One (Mi A)

Also, an irrelevant series whose range has not been replenished since 2019. The peculiarity of the series is the absence of branded firmware. The phones run “pure” Android. This cooperation program between Google and companies is called Android One, hence the name of the entire line. The last smartphone, the Mi A3, gained popularity among users.

The unpleasant point is related to updates: due to poor optimization, most OTA updates brought crashes and serious problems to the devices. After the update, the smartphone could not turn on at all.

Xiaomi competitors

Xiaomi smartphones are most popular in China and India. Accordingly, the company competes primarily with Chinese firms. A direct competitor is the young brand Realme, which belonged to Oppo. This manufacturer produces affordable smartphones with excellent features and branded Realme UI skin. In this material, we compared the firmware of Realme and MI UI.

Also, rivals of Xiaomi can be called Huawei and Honor, but due to the lack of Google services, phones from these companies have ceased to be very popular in Europe. And, of course, Xiaomi competes with giants such as Apple and Samsung. The advantage is on Xiaomi’s side since Apple does not produce phones in the low- and mid-price segment and Samsung loses out on features of available phones.

More details about MIUI

We have learned a brief history of MIUI, and we know that it was with the development of its firmware that Xiaomi began its journey. For 11 years, the company has not given up its position and has been actively improving its proprietary shell. All Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones (except Mi A) are based on MIUI. A separate user interface has been created for the Poco and Black Shark, also based on MIUI.

Currently (third quarter of 2021), the most current version is MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition. MIUI 13 is expected to be announced in winter or early spring.

Advantages and disadvantages

Generally speaking, the main advantage and feature of MIUI is the variety of all sorts of functions. Xiaomi phones have many options that are absent in “pure” Android or shells from other manufacturers. The most interesting features include the following:

• A double notification curtain, divided into the Control Center (quick access buttons) and the notifications themselves directly.
• A second space that allows you to create a separate workspace.
• Dynamic “live” wallpaper, whose animation changes from the Always on Display screen to the desktop.
• MIUI+ tool, which facilitates the interaction between the smartphone and the computer.
• General information about the phone is presented in the form of handy charts.

But not all users like such a load of firmware because there are useless functions, and entry-level phones can freeze. The next serious drawback is the unfinished updates. After installing a new build, the mobile device may freeze or reboot. Also, sometimes after the update, important applications stop working correctly. But all these are isolated cases. In general, MIUI works great and is liked by most users.

Now you know everything about Xiaomi, from the history of its founding to the types of products it produces. We hope that this article was useful and informative.