Who invented the Xiaomi phone: the history of the brand and its founders

From Idea to Global Brand: How Xiaomi Came to Be

When it comes to Xiaomi smartphones, many people think of affordable yet powerful devices with MIUI firmware. But few people know that the company has a unique history, from a humble start-up to one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world. The question of who invented the Xiaomi phone is not a clear answer, because it is the result of a team. But the key figure here is Lei Jun, the founder and current CEO of the company.

Lei Jun didn't just "invent" Xiaomi, he created a brand philosophy based on three principles: innovation, quality and accessibility. IT-As co-founder of Kingsoft (China’s equivalent of Microsoft Office), and invested in dozens of startups, his vision of “technology for all” became the company’s driving force. Xiaomi’s first Mi 1, released in 2011, was not just a gadget, but a manifesto: top characteristics at a price 2-3 times lower than competitors.

Lei Jun: Architect of Xiaomi’s Success

Lei Jun is often called "China's Steve Jobs" -- and not coincidentally. Like Jobs, he combines technical vision, marketing genius and the ability to inspire a team. Born in 1969 in Hubei province, Lei began his career as an engineer but quickly switched to entrepreneurship. By the time Xiaomi was founded in 2010, he was already a millionaire and one of the most respected. IT-Chinese.

Fun fact: Lei Jun personally tested prototypes of Xiaomi’s first smartphones. Legend has it that he demanded that the devices be “perfect” — without the slightest gap, with instant screen response and a battery that lasted even a day. His motto is “Make a product that even the most demanding user will like.” That’s why the first Mi models were assembled at Foxconn’s factory (the same one that makes the iPhone) with strict quality control.

• 📱 2010 – Xiaomi was founded as a startup with 8 employees.
• 💡 2011 – release of the first smartphone Xiaomi Mi 1 (Qualcomm Snapdragon processor) S3, 1 GB of RAM).
• 🌍 2014 – Entering the global market (India, Indonesia, Russia).
• 🏆 2021 – Xiaomi becomes the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world (after Samsung).

Dream team: who else stood at the origins of Xiaomi

Although Lei Jun is the face of the company, behind Xiaomi’s success is a team of eight co-founders, each of whom was an expert in their field.

Especially worth highlighting Li Wangqiang - he was responsible for the creation of the MIUI, Before joining the company, Lee worked at Google and knew all the weaknesses of stock Android. His team redesigned the interface to suit the needs of Chinese users (for example, adding simultaneous support for two different types of Android devices). SIM-maps and advanced battery settings, which were later appreciated outside China.

⚠️ Attention: Many people mistakenly think that Xiaomi is “Apple’s Chinese clone,” and that the company was actually focusing on open technology (Android) and modularity (the ability to change firmware easily), and Lei Jun even jokingly said, “If we copy, it’s only ourselves».

Xiaomi’s first smartphone: how to create Mi 1

The project of the first Xiaomi Mi 1 phone started in 2010 under the code name "M1". Lei Jun set the task: to create a smartphone that will be better than the iPhone 4 in characteristics, but cheaper by 2 times.

• 🔧 Used the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor S3 (1.5 GHz - top at the time.
• 🖥️ Screen. 4" TFT permittingly 854×480 (standardly 2011 year, very good).
• 🔋 The battery of 1930 mAh (comparable with the flagships of that time).
• 💰 Price: ~$310 (in 2-3 times cheaper than the iPhone 4 with similar characteristics).

The main innovation was the MIUI firmware, which offered:

• 🎨 Complete customization of the interface (themes, icons, fonts).
• 🔄 Optimization for weak hardware (worked smoothly even on budget models).
• 🔒 Built-in security tools (antivirus, call blocker).

Interestingly, the Mi 1 was sold exclusively online through Xiaomi's official website, which reduced logistics and store costs, further reducing the price, and sold 300,000 units in the first 34 hours, a record for the Chinese market.

The evolution of Xiaomi phones: from Mi 1 to modern flagships

Following the success of the Mi 1, Xiaomi released a series of devices that set the market trends.

A special place in history is the Redmi series, which appeared as a response to the market demand for even more affordable devices. For example, the Redmi Note 4X (2017) became one of the best-selling smartphones in the world thanks to the combination of the Snapdragon 625 processor, 4100 mAh battery and a price of ~$150.

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If you’re looking for Xiaomi’s first smartphone for the collection, look out for the Mi 1 in black – it’s the rarest version (only 10,000 units have been released).

Myths and Reality: Dispelling Misconceptions About Xiaomi

With the popularity of the brand, many myths have appeared, and let's take a look at the most common ones:

1. "Xiaomi copies Apple" -- actually the design of the first Mis was closer to Google's Nexus. Lei Jun even admitted that he was inspired by the Nexus One, not the iPhone.
2. “Xiaomi are cheap phones” – today, the company is releasing flagships (such as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra with a price of ~$1,500) that compete with Samsung and Apple.
3. “MIUI firmware spying on users” – in 2020, Xiaomi officially denied this, providing the source code of the firmware for verification by independent experts.

Another misconception is that Xiaomi only invented smartphones, in fact, since 2014, the company has been actively developing the ecosystem of smart homes (robot vacuum cleaners, lamps, routers) and even produces electric cars under the Xiaomi EV brand.

⚠️ Note: When buying older Xiaomi models (until 2018) check for support 4G-Some devices released for China don't work with European frequencies. LTE Band 20 (800 MHz).

How Xiaomi changed the smartphone market: 5 key contributions

Xiaomi’s impact on the industry is hard to overstate, with five innovations that have turned the market around:

• 💰 Price revolution – proved that flagship characteristics can be offered for half the price of competitors.
• 📦 Online direct sales – abandoned intermediaries, which reduced the cost of devices.
• 🔄 Weekly updates MIUI — Users get new features faster than owners of other Android smartphones.
• 📱 Frameless design – Mi Mix (2016) became the prototype for all modern smartphones with minimal frames.
• 🌐 Globalization of budget smartphones – thanks to Xiaomi, Asian and Eastern European countries have access to high-quality technology.

Today, Xiaomi is not only smartphones, but also an ecosystem of more than one smartphone. 200 Product categories. The company is in the top-3 Smartphone manufacturers worldwide (according to Counterpoint Research, 2023 year) and continues to expand its range, including laptops, electric cars and even robots.

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The key to Xiaomi’s success is the combination of innovation and affordability, as Lei Jun put it: “We don’t sell hardware, we sell expertise.”

FAQ: answers to popular questions about the creators of Xiaomi