How mobile phones have evolved to create a complete personal ecosystem

We are in a process of change in the global economy and geopolitics. China wants to move from the status of a world factory to that of the world's leading potential, and for this, it needs be present in many markets in sectors in which it was not until now a leading player. The automotive industry is one of the most important, with the shift from combustion engine cars to electric vehicles in much of the world, and at a time when Europe can be the gateway to Europe for Chinese automobile companies.

Over the past two decades, this Asian country has been able to give birth technology companies that started in consumer electronics and are gradually moving into other sectors. Xiaomi is a company that demonstrates this perfectly with its new product category, electric cars, the best example of change for the entire Chinese industry.

It seems like a lie This business will start with a software productMIUI, an interface for Android mobiles. Telephones were the origin of its hardware production, but less than two decades later They are competitive in a much more innovative sector such as electric cars.with a proposal that was a complete success. Cars are the most spectacular and striking product, but in their ecosystem there are hundreds of proposals.

China has made it clear for decades what it wants to be its role in global technological development (not just consumer electronics) and it seems that he will do whatever it takes to achieve it. To do this, he created very competitive companies and encouraged many new companies to take the step towards creating electric vehicles. In addition to these new brands, others that have been on the market for some time have taken advantage of the situation to enter this sector.

The best example of the good work of this strategy and the create a globally competitive product ecosystem It is undoubtedly Xiaomi. The company founded by Lei Jun is, by far, the Chinese firm which has the best brand image in the Westand also the one who has best developed a catalog of electronic devices ranging from personal devices, such as cell phones, to domestic devices, such as televisions, finishing the triangle with its electric cars.

2024, the year of the Xiaomi car

At the end of 2023, the company announced the Xiaomi SU7, a sedan-bodied vehicle that attracted attention for its design, similar to that of much more expensive proposals like those from Porsche or McLaren. He also stood out for its price, closer to that of entry-level vehicles from brands like Tesla.

This, combined with the good work of the brand in its country of origin, with a great reputation, has made it demand for the car was much higher than expected. Sales figures skyrocketed and buyers began having to wait for the company to produce the cars.

Even The manufacturing method was based on the most innovative technologies, such as gigapresseshuge machines capable of creating metal parts of enormous dimensions. Here the company has also brought new features, such as dividing this single part into several so that in the event of a collision, repairing the car is more economical. This, which is one of the things most attributed to brands like Tesla, would not constitute a serious problem in the case of Xiaomi.

The car as a definitive anchor point

Xiaomi is not the only Chinese company to have developed an electric vehicle and integrated it into its ecosystem. Huawei itself has partnerships with several manufacturers to develop entertainment hardware and software for its cars, and other automakers have partnered with development companies to strengthen its launches in the automotive sector.

But Xiaomi is the one that did the best, and also the one that took the least time. In less than three years, he developed and began marketing a car which was a real commercial success in his country, with more than 100,000 units sold in less than a year. These are incredible figures for a new brand, which would be signed by others present on the market for much longer.

In addition, having a car from a specific company serves as an anchor when changing other devices that stay with us less time, such as smart watches, cell phones or tablets. a car It changes every 10 years, or more, and maintains a link with a brand during this period This is something that few companies can boast about.

Human x Car x House

The development of the car has been one of the most complex for Xiaomi, but in itself constitutes one of the three peaks of its Human x Car x Home strategy, which creates three sub-ecosystems within a larger one. In this way, they try to ensure that all their needs are covered not only on the go, but also at home or with their personal devices.

As he told us Nelly De Navia, marketing manager of Xiaomi Iberia“Projects like Casa Xiaomi have been a tangible demonstration of this vision, allowing users to see and experience how Xiaomi products connect with each other to improve daily life. The outcome has been very positive, as we have taken a firm step in our mission to democratize technology, facilitating access to advanced, intuitive and affordable solutions that simplify daily life.

The link between all these devices allows the user to control the house from the car, the car from the clock and the vacuum cleaner from their television, to give three examples. We have not seen this commitment from Xiaomi, with this intensity, in any other manufacturerwhether Western or Eastern. A combination of Samsung and Tesla could be something similar, but separately only Xiaomi has managed to create a strategy that also works for it.

This is what the company itself has demonstrated at numerous fairs, such as MWC, where it usually announces not only new cell phones and watches, but also all types of connected devices, such as coffee machines. washing, vacuum cleaners, lamps… The number of presentations and advertisements of the brand throughout the year is also another of its characteristics, because Although in Europe it does not have as many products as in its country of origin, its catalog is enormous.

In fact, Navia told us that “in Europe the goal is to continue expanding our AIoT platform and facilitate the adoption of connected technologies.” When we were asked if we would see new product categories in our countrythe response was positive, stating that “in the coming months, new advanced product categories will be introduced, which will become an integral part of our ecosystem.”

The power of HyperOS

The key to all this integration lies in a new operating system created for use on devices of all types, HyperOS. MIUI, Xiaomi's interface for its watches or cell phones, was a system designed for a time when the products launched by the company were more similar. HyperOS was born with the intention of adapting to all types of devices.

Xiaomi HyperMind presentation video

Adrien Raya

We've seen it in watches, in cell phones, but also in televisions and now in cars. All The Xiaomi SU7 multimedia and connectivity system is controlled by HyperOSallowing devices from other brands to link to it. In fact, it is possible to change the temperature of the house from the car or vice versa. Or project your mobile screen onto the car screen and control your smartphone without taking it out of your pocket.

HyperOS is at the heart of this rapprochementas well as the union of the three peaks of the Human x Car x Home ecosystem. This new operating system is developed in China, where it still gets the new functions, but Nelly De Navia made it clear to us that its goal “is to bring the full HyperOS experience to the West, adapting it to local regulations and the needs of each region We are committed to working so that our users in Europe and Europe benefit from all the advantages that HyperOS offers in the near future.

Uno de los aspectos más curiosos de HyperOS es que en Xiaomi han sabido aprovechar la decisión de Apple de no entrar en el sector de la automoción y quieren que todos los dueños de iPhone vean el coche de Xiaomi como el vehículo más adecuado para ellos. Por eso han hecho compatibles su vehículo no sólo con el móvil de Apple, sino también con sus tablets.

Por ejemplo, además de las Xiaomi Pad, los iPad son las únicas tablets que se pueden integrar en los reposacabezas de los asientos delanteros del Xiaomi SU7, para servir no sólo como pantalla de entretenimiento de las plazas traseras, sino también como sistema de control del coche o de la casa. Esta estrategia haría que los usuarios de Apple vieran como una opción muchos otros productos de Xiaomi, en gran parte porque Apple no da alternativas propias.

Más coches en el horizonte

El éxito del Xiaomi SU7, al que nos pudimos subir en un viaje a China este mismo año, ha sido tan rotundo que la empresa no ha querido esperar a 2025 para presentar su nuevo coche, el Xiaomi YU7. Es un modelo similar pero con carrocería SUV, que es lo que demandan la mayoría de usuarios a nivel mundial.

Es cierto que en China esta fiebre no es tan acusada y allí las berlinas se siguen considerando una opción más que interesante, pero en Estados Unidos o Europa los SUV son, con mucho, el tipo de coche que más se vende. Ahora Xiaomi tiene una baza para entrar en esos mercados.

Por ahora, la empresa no ha confirmado que vayan a empezar el proceso de expasión global de su marca en lo que a coches se refiere, pero sí que comienzan a verse movimientos que apuntan en esa dirección, aunque puedan tardar aún uno o dos años en verse ejecutados. De hecho, hay rumores de que Xiaomi podría buscar traer sus coches al mercado europeo en 2027, pero las decisiones políticas, como la introducción de aranceles, podrían modificar los plazos.

Según la marketing manager de Xiaomi España en nuestro país “la respuesta al primer vehículo eléctrico de la compañía ha sido muy positiva, destacando la curiosidad del público español por la convergencia entre tecnología, conectividad y sostenibilidad. Esto confirma nuestra creencia de que existe un gran potencial para la movilidad eléctrica en España dentro del ecosistema Xiaomi”. De hecho, pese a que reconoce que “en movilidad eléctrica, estamos en las primeras etapas”, deja claro que su estrategia a largo plazo “incluiría inversiones locales y la expansión del ecosistema de movilidad”.

Según indicó Jia Wei, head of Marketing Xiaomi Western Europe en el foro de Wake Up! de EL ESPAÑOL, “España será de los primeros países en recibir el coche”. Esta decisión tendría sentido en tanto que la imagen de marca de la compañía es muy buena en nuestro país y aún no hay desarrollado un gran parqué de coche eléctricos, por lo que el potencial de ventas es alto.

De Navia indicaba a este respecto que “actualmente, se estarían evaluando factores como regulaciones e impuestos para determinar la mejor manera de introducir el Xiaomi SU7 en Europa”. Con todo, “una vez que se decidiera ingresar al mercado español, nuestro compromiso pasaría por establecer un sistema completo de ventas, entrega y servicio para garantizar una experiencia excepcional para los usuarios.”

Una empresa en expansión

Todo esto posiciona a Xiaomi como una empresa de grandes expectativas de crecimiento, dado que ninguno de sus rivales directos tiene un ecosistema como el suyo, pero, sobre todo, porque no cuentan con un producto tan icónico como un coche eléctrico que se vende a un ritmo mayor del que son capaces de fabricar. Su fábrica en China deberá expandirse, y quizás incluso crear alguna más si quieren internacionalizar su mercado.

Ese factor diferencial ha hecho de la empresa una rara avis, por ser conocida como una marca de móviles pero con opciones de convertirse no ya en una marca del nuevo sector de la automoción chino, sino como una empresa tecnológica que sabe diversificar y entrar en nuevos mercados, algo que no es precisamente sencillo. Su estreno en bolsa en 2018 fue tibio, pero desde entonces las cosas han cambiado (y mucho) para mejor.