Xiaomi reopens over 1,800 retail stores after China records zero domestic new coronavirus cases

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has reopened over 1,800 retail stores in China and more than 80 per cent of its suppliers have resumed operations on Thursday, after the country recorded zero domestic new coronavirus cases for the first time since the outbreak began.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi’s budget brand Redmi will launch another 5G model, the K30 Pro, next Tuesday as part of the company’s plan to release at least 10 5G mobile phones in 2020, said company president Wang Xiang in a media conference call on Thursday.

Wang said that while Xiaomi will maintain a stable products release pace, the company will also work with upstream and downstream companies along the supply chain to stabilise production amid the pandemic.

Xiaomi and its main Android handset rivals, including market leader Huawei Technologies, Oppo and Vivo, had been hoping to boost sales this year with the release of more 5G smartphones, compatible with the next-generation mobile network infrastructure being rolled out by the country’s three telecommunications carriers.

However, the coronavirus outbreak has forced the temporary closure of smartphone factories across China, as authorities locked down a number of communities and imposed restrictions on large groups of people gathering in one place.

As a result, research firms have slashed their forecasts for China’s smartphone sales in 2020. Canalys and Strategy Analytics both expect shipments to drop 50 per cent in the first quarter from a year ago, while IDC sees a 30 per cent slide.