Xiaomi: Redmi Launch in Singapore, First Store at Central

Singapore, 19 Feb 2014 – Today, Xiaomi launches its smartphone
Redmi in Singapore. The Redmi is the first of its kind in the region and marks
the first step of Xiaomi’s venture into the Southeast Asia market. In addition,
Co-founder Lin Bin and Vice-President Hugo Barra announced the first walk-in
store in Singapore.

The new phone is equipped with MediaTek Quad-core 1.5 GHz
processor, 1 GB RAM, 2000 mAh lithium ion battery, 4.7″ 1280 x 720
resolution display, 8 MP main camera and dual SIM slots.

The smartphone currently supports 2G/ 3G. Co-founder Lin Bin expressed that the 4G
LTE function would be available in the future.

According to Lin, the first walk-in store will be set up at Central shopping mall for repairs. The company will be looking into setting up their
regional headquarters office and retail stores in the future.

According to Fast Company magazine, Xiaomi is ranked the third most innovative companies in the world in 2014, just behind Google and Bloomberg Philanthropies. In 2013, Xiaomi has sold over 18.7 million handsets and experienced 160% in growth. Xiaomi boasts of its sales outside China, with Redmi sold in Hong Kong in just 36 seconds. Based in Beijing, Xiaomi focuses in hardware, software and service (‘Triathlon concept’, according to Lin) , and has launched various smartphones such as Mi 3, which is claimed to be the world’s fastest smartphone. Other products include Mi Box, Mi WiFi Router and Mi TV.

Lin said, in response to why Xiaomi comes to Singapore, ‘We have worked with the government institution and have friends and partners here. This is a small and sophisticated market. We can get feedback quickly.’

‘We are targeting the bigger markets in the region, such
as Malaysia, but we are trying to make sense and correct along the way.’

Barra added, ‘People are hungry for tech and gadgets here. We can get phenomenal feedback.’

When asked if Mi Box and Mi TV will be
made available in Singapore, Lin said that the company is currently considering
the option and will expand their market reach soon. Xiaomi is currently
expanding to Southeast Asia and is starting with Singapore as their regional
headquarters.

One of the strongest systems Xiaomi has in
their development is the feedback. With over 130 million web postings, Lin
said, Xiaomi obtains feedback from users and fans. In response, they have added
new features into their MiUI (Mi User Interface) and their hardware to improve the user
experience.

Founded in 2010, Xiaomi is a mobile
Internet company dedicated to creating the ultimate user experience through its
portfolio of hardware, software and services. Xiaomi offers a series of high­ performance
smartphones and TV products; MIUI, a highly customisable operating system based
on Android; and Internet apps and services such as Mi Cloud, MiTalk and the
MIUI Themes store. The company is headquartered in Beijing, China, and has over
4,000 employees worldwide. Read more details about Xiaomi’s products in
Singapore at www.xiaomi.com/sg/.