Redmi is focusing on phone-plus strategy: Xiaomi India

Xiaomi's Redmi is focusing on a 'phone-plus' strategy and will bring in more devices this year as part of the approach, a company official said on Tuesday. 

The company, which has previously launched power banks under the Redmi range, unveiled true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones, priced at ₹1,799 on Tuesday. 

"Earlier this year, we had announced that we will bring products under Mi and Redmi portfolios. We are adopting a phone-plus strategy with Redmi which will see us delve deeper into the accessories and ecosystem apart from our core smartphone products," Xiaomi India Chief Marketing Officer Anuj Sharma said. 

Mi will see more premium products with flagship features, while Redmi will include more affordable products. Xiaomi already offers Mi TWS earphones for ₹4,499 in India. Talking about the new audio product, Sharma said the Redmi Earbuds S aims to bring true wireless audio experience to everyone. 

"Redmi smartphones are known to be versatile and are benchmarks of performance in their category. We approached the audio category with the same credo. With Redmi Earbuds S, we want to provide a stylish true wireless experience with class-leading low latency while gaming," he said. 

Sharma added that the TWS includes feature like a compact design, IPX4 rating and a dedicated gaming mode (low latency mode). Sharma said the audio category under the smart wearables segment is witnessing a strong growth in the Indian market. 

However, the pricing of TWS products is still on the higher side, and that is one of the challenges that Xiaomi wanted to address with the Redmi Earbuds S. 

Asked about manufacturing, Sharma said the company will evaluate the prospects depending on the volumes it sees for the product. 

According to Counterpoint Research, the TWS market in India posted a massive 700% growth in 2019, becoming the fastest growing market in wearables. Apple accounted for 27% share, followed by Noise (12%), JBL (8%), Samsung and Realme (7%).