Those of you who have been waiting for Xiaomi to come to America can celebrate a half victory. Today the Chinese company announced that it will be launching its online store in the US, as well as some other markets this year, but that it won’t be selling any smartphones just yet. Instead, the company will be selling pretty much everything else, particularity smarthome gadgets.
Xiaomi is holding a press conference in San Francisco today as a way to tell its story to the US press — and while the company said it isn’t bringing its phones to the US just yet, it did announce its first foray into selling some of its products here. Global VP Hugo Barra (pictured above) just announced that the company intends to launch its Mi.com online marketplace in the US and potentially some other markets this year. It won’t sell any phones when it launches, but the company makes a pretty wide variety of other accessories and smart home items. Specifically, Barra cited products like the company’s Mi Band wearable, its Power Bank battery backup solution, its headphones, and other accessories.
