Xiaomi’s chairman is reported to have said that hitting its smartphone sales forecast isn’t a top priority, sparking speculation that the company’s fast growth may have lost momentum.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Lei Jun made the comments after analysts began questioning whether its 80 million target was achievable – a discussion which is not new. “What we care about most is the rate of customer satisfaction,” the chief said.
The shipment forecast was made because the chairman was “constantly pushed by everyone”, he said.
While Xiaomi has seen strong growth in recent years, it has built this largely in its home market. And with China’s smartphone sector seeing slowed growth as penetration increases, with rivals such as Huawei and Lenovo upping their game, this has meant there are fewer easy gains to be made.
Xiaomi has been working to address this through growth beyond China, most notably in India, where it is building handsets locally. But India is also already a competitive market.
The Chinese company has also been increasing its focus on products beyond the smartphone, achieving a strong position in the wearables market with its low-cost products.
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