Xiaomi is currently holding a press conference in San Francisco to tell the US press that the brand is finally landing on it’s shores, but strangely isn’t bringing any of it’s phones to the US.
While they will be selling some of their products there, Global VP Huga Barra said that they intend to launch their Mi.com online marketplace in the US and potentially other markets this year, signalling that the company is more than ready to expand it’s reach. It’s confirmed that it won’t sell any phones at launch but other accessories and smart home items will be available; like the Mi Band, headphones and their ever popular Power Bank batteries to name a few.
Granted it seems counter productive to not have phones available for purchase right at launch, Barra said problems like hardware certification, software testing, infrastructure and other similar logistical barriers are the main reasons why they cannot bring in their tablets and smartphones just yet. Therefore they will just be bringing in their simpler products to help expand awareness for the Chinese brand; though Barra explicitly stated that a US phone launch is not in their plans at the moment.
[SOURCE]
