Chinese Xiaomi targets his most expensive phone at Huawei and Apple

Xiaomi unveiled the MIX 3 , the fourth generation of a series introduced in 2016. (Image: Bloomberg)

Xiaomi Corp really wants to get rid of its brand image. The number two Chinese smartphone has the most expensive device to date to face Huawei Technologies Co and Apple Inc. at home, while imposing more widely in Europe.

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer unveiled the MIX 3, the fourth generation of a series introduced in 2016. Xiaomi's latest efforts to acquire a high-quality gloss include a 6.4-inch screen without bezel, Qualcomm processors Inc and a smooth ceramic body. It now sports front-facing cameras on a sliding structure tucked behind the screen, thus removing the notch popularized by the iPhone.

The device will go on sale from November from 3,299 yuan ($ 475) and this until the end. to 4,999 yuan for a special edition of "Forbidden City". This is the mark of President Lei Jun's efforts to further progress on a more profitable premium market, dominated by Apple, Samsung Electronics Co and – to a growing extent – by his Chinese rival Huawei. That's why Xiaomi sees the future of her business as a way to pay a lot more expensive services such as music and games.

Xiaomi, headquartered in Beijing, is trying to take market share in Huawei, the leader in China, including 3,000 yuan. -More market thanks to his gadgets of the series P and Mate. It also wants to strengthen its presence in Europe, a stepping stone to the United States. Both are essential to maintain its rate of revenue growth. Xiaomi revealed Thursday that phone shipments for the year had exceeded 100 million units – exceeding the total for 2017 – but much of that would come from cheaper models in India and elsewhere.

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"We focused on our internal capabilities this year to compete future, "Lei told reporters and industry leaders gathered in the Forbidden City, a centuries-old imperial palace in the heart of Beijing. "The biggest brands are investing heavily in cameras and AI. These are the areas that will decide the top sellers and smaller players. "

The MIX 3 will display the usual features of artificial intelligence, such as automatic blur in the background for selfies. Xiaomi's branded device also features an AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 845 chipset and a 24-megapixel dual front camera. But it is possible that the latest models of Apple and Huawei are attracting interest – Lei Thursday has mainly opposed the MIX 3 to the old iPhone X and Huawei's P20.

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Whatever it is, Xiaomi needs the MIX 3 to be a success. The smartphone provider closed an initial public offering of $ 5.4 billion in July, but found itself under fire from investors for valuations comparable to those of giants in the US. high-growth internet such as Facebook Inc. Further boosted by the uncertainty surrounding US-China tensions, Xiaomi has lost about $ 13 billion, about a quarter of its market value since its inception.

"It's worth looking for, even though the MIX lineup will not generate significant revenue for a long time," said Nicole Peng, senior research director at Cbadys. "It's to show how Xiaomi has research and development capabilities."

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