Xiaomi starts production in Brazil ahead of first phone launch outside Asia

More than 15 months after Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra teased the Chinese company’s Latin American ambitions, the gadget maker this week confirmed its first move into that region with the launch of a Brazilian homepage. The site indicates Xiaomi will sell its budget Redmi 2 smartphone and Mi Band fitness tracker in Brazil starting on July 7, with pre-registration for the first flash sale now open.

Barra confirmed today in a tweet that Xiaomi now has a Brazil production line in partnership with Foxconn’s plant in the country. Foxconn also assembles some Xiaomi devices in China.

Xiaomi's manufacturing line in Brazil is up and running, powered by Foxconn! pic.twitter.com/5KCxCdyEnO

— Hugo Barra (@hbarra) July 4, 2015

Xiaomi, which started up in 2010 and began selling its first phone in 2011, is aiming at 80 to 100 million smartphone sales this year across all its markets. Aside from the new Brazil expansion, it currently has official sales channels in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, and Indonesia.

Earlier this week, the company revealed it sold 34.7 million smartphones in the first half of 2015, meaning it may miss its sales target. However, new markets like Brazil and other possible launches in the region such as Mexico could provide Xiaomi with a boost in the second half of the year.

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