Xiaomi has the potential to succeed in the UK smartphone market and break into the top 10 of manufacturers.
That is the opinion of analysts as Xiaomi eyes up the UK market with a partnership already in place with network provider Three. Despite a crowded and “premium” smartphone market in the UK, analysts believe a strong portfolio can contribute towards the Chinese brand making an impact.
Speaking to Mobile News Three CEO Dave Dyson said: “Xiaomi has got some amazing products at a good price, which is its philosophy, to not compromise quality. From our perspective, I’m just as excited about the non-handset portfolio as I am about the handsets.”
IDC senior research analyst Marta Pinto agrees: “It has a huge portfolio of products from what was on display at in Barcelona manages to bring this ecosystem it might attract more customers in the UK.”
In terms of market position, Pinto pointed towards the top 10 as being an achievable target for Xiaomi “It will never be in the top two – this is dominated by Apple and
Samsung – but Xiaomi can easily break into the top 10.”
Agreeing with Xiaomi’s chances, GfK director of technology Imran Choudhary said: “Xiaomi has every chance of succeeding and with challenger brands on the rise, this could be an early indicator of where the mass market might go in the years to come. More competition means more excitement for consumers because it means they can get better spec for less and Xiaomi can deliver on this.”
However Gartner research director Roberta Cozza is more cautious about Xiaomi’s chances.
Cozza said: “Xiaomi seems ambitious in its aim and having Three is impressive, but it’s not going to be easy in such a crowded market.”
