Xiaomi defends itself by saying it has been copied too

Jan 16, 2015 13:31 GMT  ·  By

For a company that was founded in 2010, Xiaomi’s evolution can be considered spectacular and it's no wonder that the company has been called the Apple of the East many times.

In its brief five-year history, Xiaomi has managed to climb up the top three smartphone manufacturers in the world and it’s not even out of China just yet.

The device maker has built a reputation of offering devices with advanced specs which are sold for competitive price tags.

But it hasn’t been all rainbows and happiness for Xiaomi. The company has been accused of copying Apple’s iconic designs, which isn’t a farfetched comment.

It’s obvious that Xiaomi’s design language has its roots in the ascetic beauty Cupertino is known for, but the company’s officials aren’t about to just come out and say it, right?

To be fair, Xiaomi has brought a lot to the table on its own and this is exactly the point Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra makes in a recent interview conducted by BBC.

Xiaomi considers itself a highly innovative company

When asked to comment on the accusations stating that Xiaomi is taking a few too many hints form Apple, Barra retaliates by saying that Xiaomi is truly an innovative company.

“We’ve done a lot of interesting, original things. We’ve been copied almost more than any other Chinese company, particularly given the model that we use to sell, the social media approach, the e-commerce and so on.”

This might as well be true, but Barra is silent about the issue at heart here – design. He also approaches the matter in a pretty strange move trying to defend Xiaomi from an accusation, by extending it beyond itself and onto others. Well, we guess it's a way of going about things.

Anyway, for those wondering when you’re going to be able to see Xiaomi products in European or US retail locations, Barra said that it would take a few years for that to happen. These markets are considered to be “extremely competitive” and the Chinese company doesn't feel it is ready to make a successful entry yet.