Xiaomi has three main smartphone lines out at the moment in the form of Mi, Redmi, and POCO. The company has decided to shake things up with the nomenclature a bit and revealed that future phones that were destined to fall under the Mi banner will just bear the Xiaomi name.
Not too long ago, the Chinese brand had started disassociating its Redmi brand from the Xiaomi name, a move that was perhaps hinting at this new development. The company has told XDA Developers, “Starting in 2021 Q3, Xiaomi’s product series “Mi” will be renamed to “Xiaomi.” This change will unify our global brand presence and close the perception gap between the brand and its products.”
The change is already evident through the recently launched Xiaomi MIX 4 smartphone. The company’s statement further said, “With the introduction of the new brand identity, two distinct product series will sit beneath the parent brand. Xiaomi products represent the pinnacle of technology and offer a premium experience.”
“Redmi products bring big innovation at a more accessible price point and are aimed at younger audience. This differentiation is also reflected in our updated logos, with both the Xiaomi and Redmi logotypes under the parent brand logo. The product series naming convention — Xiaomi and Redmi — will also be applied to our ecosystem and IoT products over time.”
The first ever smartphone to have the Mi branding was the Mi 1, which was launched ten years ago. Since then, the brand has diversified and now sells plenty of devices other than smartphones, tablets, TVs, smart devices, tools, toys, audio accessories, and more.
According to a recent report by Counterpoint, Xiaomi became the number one smartphone brand in the world for the first time ever in June 2021.