Xiaomi denies claims that it copies Apple products

Facing claims that the company lifts too much from Apple, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi defended its design philosophy and said the whole industry is constantly innovating on the ideas of the competition. “Our designers, our engineers, are inspired by great products and by great design out there. And frankly who in today’s world isn’t?” Xiaomi vice president Hugo Barra said on Tuesday.

Chinese mobile devices maker Xiaomi is many things, says former Google executive Hugo Barra who this month celebrates his first anniversary as vice president of the Beijing-based company. But it’s no copycat. Xiaomi is young, at four years old, and still working to expand beyond China into new markets such as India and Brazil, where its low-priced smartphones and tablets are intended to appeal to budget-conscious buyers. It’s also trying to capitalize on a business model that revolves around selling more than 1,000 products at or near cost — everything from mobile phones to accessories to television sets to stuffed animals — in its quest to “make small amounts of money” on everything it offers.