Xiaomi is phasing out its Mi brand

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi recently overtook Apple to become the world’s second-largest phone maker. It now relies on the fact that its products are recognizable enough that they do not need additional branding. As first reported by XDA Developers, the company will phase out its “Mi” brand over the next few months, with new products set to carry the Xiaomi name instead.

“From the third quarter of 2021, Xiaomi’s ‘Mi’ product series will be renamed to ‘Xiaomi’,” a company spokesperson told Engadget. “This change will unify our brand’s presence in the world and close the perception gap between the brand and its products. The Mi brand is not going to go away completely. The company’s Mi Home stores will continue to carry the name. Xiaomi will also continue to sell Redmi devices, aimed at consumers who want to save money on their next phone purchase.

In fact, it looks like we’ll see the Redmi brand appear on more devices for too long. “The naming convention of the product series – Xiaomi and Redmi – will also be applied to our ecosystem and IoT products over time,” the spokesperson said. The possibility that Xiaomi might consider removing the Mi name emerged earlier this month when the company’s new Mix 4 phone did not feature the mark.