Xiaomi CEO challenges Apple

Lei Jun asserted that competing with Apple is a long and arduous journey, and called on users to experience Xiaomi's new high-end products.

Lei Jun shared about Xiaomi's journey after launching a new line of high-end smartphones. Photo: Bloomberg .

Last week, after the press conference to launch new products, CEO Lei Jun had a long conversation with the media. He looked back on the past 5 years and shared his goal of making Xiaomi a direct competitor to Apple.

Lei Jun admitted that competing with Apple is not easy. He repeatedly mentioned his admiration for the American technology giant, calling Apple “a great company that everyone should learn from”, after the press conference on September 26.

However, according to him, it is the difference that creates the opportunity. This message is aimed at both Xiaomi users and the entire iPhone user community. “You have used many generations of iPhone, try Xiaomi once and feel our unique appeal,” Lei Jun said.

To fuel that ambition, Xiaomi is pouring huge resources into research and development (R&D). Over the past five years, the company has spent more than 100 billion yuan ( $14 billion ), even exceeding its target. In the next phase, Lei Jun said that number will double to 200 billion yuan ( $28 billion ).

This year alone, Xiaomi's R&D spending has exceeded 30 billion yuan ( $4.2 billion ), an investment the company's CEO has said is necessary to build a comprehensive product ecosystem.

The result of that persistent process is the birth of Xiaomi 17, a smartphone model positioned to compete directly with the iPhone. The name change from Xiaomi 16 to 17 is a strong communication strategy, while still expressing the desire to break the long-standing prejudice of a "cheap" brand.

The product went on sale on the morning of September 27. According to information posted on Weibo, within just 5 minutes, the Xiaomi 17 series set a new sales record in the history of the company's high-end phone lines. Although specific figures have not been announced, the Chinese technology giant asserted that this achievement surpassed all previous generations, showing the strong appeal of the 3 flagships.

Looking back five years ago, Lei Jun did not hesitate to mention the difficult times, when both external pressure and internal confusion forced the company to reposition itself. Revenue fell 15% in 2022 and continued to decline slightly in 2023. However, it was these fluctuations that made Xiaomi more steadfast in its premium strategy, seeing it as the only way to escape the shadow of a “cheap brand” and reach international level.

Source: https://znews.vn/chia-se-bat-ngo-cua-ceo-xiaomi-post1589171.html