Top Xiaomi executive shakes off ‘copycat’ label amid rapid global expansion

Smartphone company Xiaomi is shaking off the “copycat” stigma that has long plagued Chinese brands, as positive reviews internationally have allowed the firm to shed that negative label, according to a Xiaomi top executive.

Hugo Barra, vice-president of Xiaomi Global, pinpointed the launch of the Mi Note in January this year as the time when the narrative – of Chinese brands only producing copies – changed.

“Walt Mossberg just did a two-week review of a product that’s never going to be launched in the US, he actually went that far,” Barra told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview.

“He himself and many others that have looked at the device have said this is such a unique statement from Xiaomi,” Barra said. “And that single-handedly quieted down that whole narrative of copycat, because people are finally looking at our products closely enough.”

Barra sees the upcoming launch of its online marketplace in the United States, offering accessories from battery packs to headphones, as a way to build brand awareness in the US.