Xiaomi junks ‘Mi’ on its gadgets, officially drops decade old branding

Xiaomi unveiled a new visual identity for its premium line of goods on Monday.

The premium "Mi" series products will now be replaced with the new "Xiaomi" branding in order to unify the company's global brand presence.

The company said in a news release that with the introduction of the new brand identity, there will be two unique product lines under the parent corporate name.

The ‘Mi' brand will be retained on the business or corporate side, which means stores and corporate offices will have the same orange-colored logo as before.

However, under the Mi branding, its product portfolio will shift to the prefix "Xiaomi" and a new logo (that simply reads Xiaomi).

Redmi-branded goods would continue to bear the same name and emblem, according to the Chinese tech business. 

"Being a leading technology brand with a strong presence across the globe, our aim is to have a unified presence. With this new logo shift, we envision bridging the perception gap between our brand and products."

"The new Xiaomi logo will be used for our premium products that represent the pinnacle of technology and offer a premium experience. Ushering in the festive season, Xiaomi's premium product series Mi will be renamed to Xiaomi'," Jaskaran Singh Kapany, Head of Marketing, Xiaomi India, said in a statement.

The Xiaomi Mi 1, the first Mi-branded smartphone, was released in August 2011, making the brand almost ten years old.

Under the Mi brand, the business has released tablets, TVs, smart gadgets, audio accessories, and other products over the years.

According to a recent Counterpoint Research survey, Xiaomi overcame Samsung and Apple to become the world's number one smartphone brand for the first time in June.

Xiaomi's sales increased by 26% month over month in June, making it the month's fastest-growing brand. 

(With inputs from agencies)