Tuesday 19 May 2015

Xiaomi launches online store in U.S. and Europe, but it’s sparsely stocked




Xiaomi announced earlier this year that it was knocking together an online store for the U.S. and several European markets. Well, the work’s all done, with the Chinese company set to flick the switch this week.

You can already check out the store’s offerings, though you’ll have to wait till 7pm PT Monday for the ‘buy’ button to show up. Products will be shipped throughout the U.S., as well as to addresses in the UK, France, and Germany.

At launch, however, only a selection of the company’s accessories will be available, with its smartphones and tablets possibly finding their way into the store at a later date. Its Mi headphones, for example, are going for $80, while the Mi fitness band is available for $15. Mobile battery packs are also on sale for between $10 and $14.

Speaking earlier this year, company co-founder Bin Lin cited product certification challenges as the reason for excluding its mobile devices from its new e-commerce store. However, if the operation proves a success, we can expect to see its range of mobile products hitting the site somewhere down the line.

Hugo Barra, Xiaomi’s international chief, has already hinted at the possibility of the store’s future expansion, saying, “The amount of effort required to bring those products to the market is an incredible amount of work. We’re accelerating our entry by bringing simpler products


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