After taking the Indian smartphone market by storm, Xiaomi is all set to enter Japan in 2020. That’s according to a new report from the Nikkei Asian Review, which says the confirmation came straight from Wang Xiang, head of Xiaomi’s international operations. As per the report, the Chinese tech giant will offer a fairly robust portfolio in the country, including multiple smartphone models, as well as connected wearable devices.
There’s no ETA for the launch just yet, but Wang said it should happen sometime next year. According to him, “We should be able to (enter Japan) in 2020. The sooner the better”. He, however, refused to provide details about sales targets and specific products, saying instead that the company is looking to offer devices that consumers would like to use on a daily basis. “We want to bring products to Japan that Japanese consumers will enjoy”, he said.
Wang also reportedly said that the company is looking to tie-up with wireless carriers in the country, although he did not mention any specific names. Much like the US, telecom operators are the biggest distributors of smartphones in Japan, which means companies that do not have tie-ups with service providers typically struggle to gain traction in the country.
Interacting with the Japanese media on Monday, Wang also tried to downplay data-privacy concerns surrounding Chinese companies, referring to its record in Europe since its entry in the continent earlier this decade. “We cooperate with … Google. We have a track record of respecting personal data protection rules in Europe, and we’ll do the same in Japan”, he said.
