A technological tsunami. That is the best way to describe what Xiaomi has achieved in its barely 12 years of existence (four since it entered Spain). In this time, the brand has managed to rise to the top of the world ranking (in our country they are number one in 'smartphones'), but not only in mobile telephony, but also in smart watches and bracelets, electric skates, televisions (number three in Spain) and an endless list of hundreds of products ranging from pet waterers to tablets, tire pumps, cooking robots, vacuum cleaners... the complete list would take up several pages. A policy of 'honest prices', obtained by voluntarily cutting their profit margin, is one of the keys to their success. Now, with the launch of its new high-performance terminals, the firm is taking positions in the last 'territory' of mobile telephony that remains to be conquered, that of the premium range. We talked about all this with Borja Gómez-Carrillo, Country manager of Xiaomi Spain. – Less than a year ago, with the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro, the firm had focused on the input and medium ranges. And now the 12 T and 12T Pro arrive. How is your experience in the premium range? Are expectations met? It has been a great step for us as a brand, since we have managed to launch a device like Xiaomi 12 Pro at a national level, even from the hand of the operators, and that shows that our partners bet and trust our Premium range. It is not easy to sell in the segment of more than €1.000, but we have already put our heads… – Could you decide that the arrival of the new Xiaomi 12 T and 12 T Pro supposes the consolidation of Xiaomi in the highest range of the mobile phone? Indeed, Xiaomi's strategy is to consolidate the game step by step. And we have achieved it in the last two launches of the Redmi Note family, which already exceeds the sales of our Redmi. His are the intermediate steps that later allow us to consolidate further up. As such, it is about justifying it with innovation and offering what the customer demands, or offering what the customer does not demand, and even creating a need for them. Powerful loads, Megapixels... Why not be able to take a photo at 200MP? Then the user will decide whether to use it or not... but having the option, of course, is greater than not having it. – What do these two new terminals contribute? What is the message to the competition? They provide innovation, value and consolidation of Xiaomi in the highest ranges. We have been demonstrating the capabilities we have as a company for a few years now, with a perfect conjunction between the ecosystem and smartphones that is unique in the world. More than a message, it is a demonstration of innovation, of commitment to value (proof of this is that for us, Leica will be vital in the next series) and, of course, of our desire to continue growing in the family of Fans and listening to everything we can improve as a company to continue leading this market. – If you find that you are alone with a feature of the new 12 T Pro, will it be there? The latest in photography. 200 megapixels. – Xiaomi has always had more affordable prices than its competition, but that seems to have broken with these new premium terminals, which reach and even exceed 1.000 euros. What happened to your 'Honest Pricing' strategy? Aren't they afraid of a negative reaction from consumers? In this case we have not exceeded 1.000 euros. Even so, in case of doing so, there will always be a justification behind it that will require it. That is, if we have the most advanced cameras, the fastest loads and the best in processors and other technologies, it will be justified that the device has a higher price. The previous Xiaomi 12 series will be launched for 899 euros and 1.099 euros, and yet this T-Series will be positioned more inclusively, with prices of 649 euros and 849 euros respectively, with all the technology included. Let's look around, compare technologies, and try to ensure that our products always have a balanced price. – With a 30% share, Xiaomi is, today, the preferred brand in Spain. Is that true also in the premium range or is it still early to tell? It is still early for us, keep in mind that we are maturing as a brand in all aspects. We are still very young. The fact of being leaders in Spain in less than 3 years since we entered... is something worthy of study, something that no one had obtained before in the last decade. Our still has a long way to go in the premium range, but that is something positive. We are going step by step, even learning from others and consolidating ranges. Probably after 3 years nobody would have imagined that Xiaomi could launch the most beastly camera, together with Leica, (in the case of our 12S Ultra with 1-inch sensor). In the same way, no one would have thought that Xiaomi would launch the most complete foldable as in the case of the Mix Fold 2... nor would anyone have thought that Xiaomi would launch electric vehicles. I believe that this is our DNA, innovation, and step by step we are making history. – The latest models of its subsidiary brand Poco have also been surprising… And I think that some, like the next X5 5G, are almost bordering on the premium range. Don't you think that, in a way, at least in the mid-high range, are they competing with themselves? Let's keep in mind that POCO is a strategically online brand, with which we address a specific audience with different needs. The POCO client is very clear about what they are looking for, it is a "tracker" of specifications and price. Know that looks for the best at the best price, and very specific technologies, because it is a more specific public, perhaps more focused on the game, perhaps more accustomed to immediacy, always "AlwaysOn" with new technological trends. Here, in the Internet war, is where our "Honest Pricing" plays a fundamental role. For us, everything adds up, and each POCO device that is sold is a terminal that is not sold by other brands. Experience also tells us that the "POCO Lover" is always repeated. – How exactly is POCO different from Xiaomi? POCO is a purely online brand, focused on customers with very specific needs, highly understood and used to tracking and comparing online. Xiaomi, for its part, is our aspirational brand, present throughout the territory and all official channels with a range of products focused on sophisticated designers, innovation and photography as a cornerstone. Our latest global agreement with Leica will mark a before and after when it comes to brand recognition and will make the public hear that the best smartphone photography is not that of a Xiaomi, who would have thought only 3 years ago? – In addition to mobile phones, Xiaomi is characterized by having a series of references in the most disparate products, from tire inflators to rice cookers… The truth is that it is difficult to keep up with the news, because it is produced continuously . Can you explain to me what this strategy consists of? Our brand DNA is not comparable to that of other companies in the industry, and this has a lot to do with our ecosystem. Our strategy is to continuously analyze the market and its needs to improve the moment and work on products that are well received. The best example has been the air fryer or the pet food and water bowls, which have had a spectacular pull at the right time. Who would have thought that telephone operators could sell a deep fryer or water bowls for pets? Well, we have made it possible, it is something epic. – The last big news has been the arrival of Xiaomi brand televisions. What has been the response from consumers? Can you give any numbers? They have had a great reception, similar to what happened with the 'smartphones'. In just over 1 year we have managed to be the third brand by number of sales in Spain, and this is something incredible, which has never been achieved before in such a short period of time. – What can the brand contribute to a market, that of TV, which is clearly dominated by very few players? What is your strategy in this regard? The idea is to offer what the customer asks for, and we have the potential for good specifications with attractive prices. We also have Android TV, which is very familiar to the consumer, and the difference is being able to use voice commands with our TVs to control all the Xiaomi devices that you have in your smart home. We are going step by step, as we have done with smartphones, whose market was also dominated by other players. But that didn't prevent us from being No. 1 in less than 3 years and, for now, it's working perfectly for us. The strength that we have as a brand is something that our partners take advantage of, and they make room for us on their shelves because they know that we are a guarantee of sales. We are a humble company and the only thing we do is learn day by day how to improve, since we still have a long way to go. – The entry into the television market is somewhat reminiscent of what Xiaomi did at the beginning in mobile telephony: Good specifications, although without going overboard, and groundbreaking prices. Do you think the strategy will work again? The really curious thing is that, with only about a year marketing televisions in Spain, we have managed to position ourselves as the third sales brand, and that being present in only approximately 60% of distribution. At the moment, our strategy is working perfectly, and we take advantage of the strength that we have as a brand. Even so, there are aspects to improve, just like in smartphones, and we will continue working on it day by day to consolidate ourselves. -They already have many models and prices, but to continue with the comparison of mobiles… When will the first really top-of-the-range televisions be? We already have Qled and Oled technologies (even so, we must bear in mind that in China we have the most powerful technologies, such as our transparent television), but as we grow and consolidate ranges, we will expand our catalogue. MORE INFORMATION news No Google Pixel 7: these are the new search engine phones news No Xiaomi 12T Pro, a 'smartphone' with a 200-megapixel camera First, step by step, just as we did with smartphones, the idea is to create growth healthy and also turn on other brands that already have a long history in this market. – Ultimately, is Xiaomi ready to enter the market?
