The question of who created Redmi Xiaomi is often confusing to unsophisticated users, as many perceive it as a single name rather than a complex corporate structure.In fact, Redmi is a sub-brand created by Xiaomi Corporation, which in turn was founded by Lei Jun in 2010. It was this entrepreneur who laid the foundation for the “flagships for all” philosophy that later allowed Redmi to become one of the best-selling smartphone manufacturers in the world.
The brand’s origins are inextricably linked to the Chinese giant’s desire to capture the budget market without diluting the premium status of the Mi core line (now Xiaomi).The creation of a separate brand allowed engineers to experiment with pricing and components, leaving flagship technologies for more expensive devices. In this article, we will examine in detail the path from the first prototype to global dominance, and find out what key figures were at the helm of this project.
Understanding the brand’s history helps us better navigate the current model range and predict the development of the smart home ecosystem. Lei Jun, often referred to as “China’s Steve Jobs,” did not initially plan to create a separate brand, but market conditions dictated its own rules, and segmentation was a response to aggressive competition from Huawei and Samsung, which demanded a more flexible marketing strategy.
Company founder and brand ideologist
The central figure in Redmi’s history is certainly Lei Jun, who founded Xiaomi on April 6, 2010, with a team of former executives from giants like Google, Motorola, and Kingsoft. It was Lei Jun who formulated the concept of the “iron triangle,” where hardware, software (MIUI) and Internet services work as a single organism, a philosophy that has underpinned all of the company’s products, including the future sub-brand.
But the immediate “father” of Redmi’s lineup is often called Liu Jiwei, who has long led the division, and under his leadership, the brand has gone from making cheap phones with a button keyboard to market leader in budget smartphones with advanced specs. Liu Jiwei has played a key role in positioning the brand as a “flagship killer,” offering top-tier specs at two to three times below market prices.
Importantly, the brand’s success was made possible by the synergy of the founder’s ideas and the management team. Lei Jun set the direction for development, while middle managers implemented technical tasks. In 2019, when Redmi officially spun off as an independent brand, Liu Jiwei was appointed its general manager, which highlighted his contribution to the development of the direction.
⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse founder Lei Jun with the heads of individual divisions.Although the strategy is common, the operational management of the Xiaomi and Redmi brands is often carried out by different management teams.
Chronology: from button phones to smartphones
The Redmi story began long before the era of high-resolution touchscreens: the first product under that name was released in July 2013, and was a budget smartphone with a 4.7-inch screen and a MediaTek processor.The device cost just 699 yuan (about $110), which came as a shock to the market and forced competitors to urgently review their pricing policies.
The lineup evolved at a rapid pace, and while the early Redmi Notes offered only basic functionality, within a couple of years the Note series became synonymous with an affordable multimedia center. The introduction of phablets allowed the brand to capture an audience that was important for the big screen and long battery life. The key was the introduction of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors into the budget segment, which was previously considered impossible.
Below is a table showing the evolution of key characteristics of the first generation of devices:
| Model | Year of release | Processor | Key feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi 1 | 2013 | MediaTek MT6589 | Price 699 yuan |
| Redmi Note | 2014 | MediaTek MT6592 | Phablet format |
| Redmi Note 2 | 2015 | MediaTek Helio X10 | Transition to Full HD |
| Redmi Note 4 | 2016 | Snapdragon 625 | Legendary autonomy |
The period 2013 to 2018 was an era of expansion, when the brand aggressively took over markets in India, Southeast Asia and Europe, with its online sales strategy minimizing the markup of intermediaries by making the devices as accessible as possible, and it was during this period that the recognizable design and logo that billions of users around the world are familiar with emerged.
2019: Brand Separation and a New Strategy
January 2019 marked a turning point in the company’s history: Lei Jun officially announced the separation of Xiaomi and Redmi brands. From now on, Redmi became an independent brand with its own identity, logo and development strategy. The main message was to position Redmi as a brand focused on (maximum value for money) and online sales channels.
Xiaomi’s core brand (formerly Mi) was tasked with exploring the (top) market segment, experimenting with new technologies such as foldable screens and ceramic cases, and competing directly with Apple and Samsung. At the same time, Redmi was supposed to “clean” the market from competitors in the budget and mid-range segments, poaching users from Realme, Honor and Samsung’s A-series.
Why did Redmi’s logo turn red?
Separation has avoided cannibalization of sales.The new Mi used to kill off sales of the previous generation, which sold at a reduced price.Now Redmi has taken this niche, allowing the main brand to maintain high margins.The official announcement of the independence of the Redmi brand took place on January 3, 2019 at a special presentation in Beijing.
As part of the new strategy, Redmi has launched devices in different price categories, but with a clear separation:
- 📱 Note series – balance of price and performance, popular cameras.
- 🚀 K Series (in China) / X (globally) – flagship processors at an affordable price.
- 💰 Basic series (digital) – entry ticket to the world of smartphones.
- 🎮 Series Turbo/Gaming — emphasis on play characteristics.
Key figures in governance and development
After being spun off as a separate brand, Redmi was led by Liu Jiwei, who joined Lenovo, where he ran the mobile division, as a strategic move by Lei Jun, brought with him experience in large-scale production and an understanding of global markets, and under his leadership, the brand expanded beyond China, capturing markets in Europe and Latin America.
The MIUI development team also played a major role. The shell has always been a strong part of the ecosystem, and engineers working on Redmi software had to optimize the system to run on less powerful hardware than flagships, requiring deep knowledge and constant code improvement.
Designers have made a lot of contributions. Budget phones have long looked cheap, but with the arrival of new talent, Redmi has begun offering glass cases, gradient colors and slim bezels. The brand's design code has matured, allowing it to attract a more mature and solvent audience that previously shunned "state-owned" users.
☑️ What to look for when buying Redmi
Technological contribution and innovation in the mass market
It is a mistake to think that Redmi is just copying technology; on the contrary, the brand has often innovated in the mass segment before others, such as Redmi being one of the first to install 108MP cameras in mid-range phones, which has forced the entire industry to rethink the standards of mobile photography.
Another significant contribution was the introduction of ultrafast charging, where other brands were content with 18-25 watts, Redmi introduced 67 watts or higher in devices under $300, which dramatically changed the user experience by allowing the phone to be fully charged in less than 40 minutes.
Also worth noting is the experimentation with materials: The use of Gorilla Glass Victus ceramics and protective glass in the Redmi K series was a pleasant surprise for enthusiasts, and the company's engineers were able to find ways to reduce the cost of production processes to offer premium materials at affordable prices.
⚠️ Note: When buying Redmi devices, pay attention to the version region (Global, CN, EEA). Chinese versions may not support frequencies LTE Band 20 and 7 are important for work in Europe and the CIS, and also do not have a pre-installed Google Play (although it can be installed).
Impact on the global smartphone market
Redmi’s emergence has had a devastating impact on many traditional manufacturers: Companies like HTC, Sony Mobile and LG have been forced to pull out of the mainstream or scale back their presence, and the democratization of technology promoted by the brand has made smartphones available to billions of people in developing countries.
In India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market, Redmi has long been a leader, with localization, job creation, and localization (supporting multiple languages and dialects) making the brand a favorite, an example of how a Chinese company has been able to become “their” for a foreign market.
Redmi is not just about smartphones, but it's also about TVs, laptops, headphones and smart home devices, and it's an ecosystem approach that allows users who buy a cheap phone to easily integrate into Xiaomi's world of gadgets by buying compatible accessories, which creates powerful loyalty and keeps customers inside the ecosystem.
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When buying a Redmi Note series smartphone, pay attention to the presence of an infrared port. This is a unique feature of the brand, which allows you to use the phone as a remote for TV, air conditioning and other equipment, which is very convenient in everyday life.
The future of the brand and the prospects for development
As Redmi continues to evolve, the brand is actively embedding 5G technology even in budget models, making high-speed internet available to everyone.The strategy of "turning everyone into 5G users" is one of the company's keys in the coming years.
There is also a trend towards convergence with Xiaomi’s core brand in terms of design and materials quality, but with a continued price advantage: Redmi is expected to focus more on gaming and performance, leaving photography and premium issues to the mainstream brand, even though the boundaries are blurring here.
The creators of the brand have laid a solid foundation that allows Redmi to remain flexible and adaptive. In the face of global uncertainty and changing supply chains, the ability to quickly rebuild and offer the market exactly what the consumer needs in the here and now is the company’s main asset.
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Redmi has created a new industry standard: Flagship-level features should be accessible to everyone, not just the elite.