Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun announced recently its intensified efforts in entering the smart television market. (Photo : Reuters)
Smartphone-maker Xiaomi has announced on Wednesday that it will create a union gathering over 100 video sites. The move is part of its efforts to increase it presence in the smart television market.
The participants include major domestic video websites, revealed CEO Lei Jun. Youku Tudou Inc. and Baidu Inc.'s iQiyi are also joining the union.
Xiaomi has also poured in an investment worth $1 billion in online video content, serving as an aid to its smart television business.
The startup Chinese firm has risen to prominence in the smartphone arena since its launching. Its ambitious foray into the smart television market sees LeTV as one fierce opponent.
In comparison, the Shenzhen-listed firm has started as an online video provider, but later entered other business including the smart television and the smartphone sectors.
So far, Xiaomi has sold over 6.77 million television and set-top boxes, Lei also stated the same day. LeTV, on the other hand, sold 1.5 million televisions last year.
In Lei's keynote speech, he indirectly compared a firm--believed to be LeTV--with his firm, citing Xiaomi's wide-ranging online video content and lauding the potential of the union while stating the other firm's relatively limited selection.
Asked about the name of the firm the CEO was pertaining to, LeTV has not disclosed any information yet.
Zhang Yan, a fresh university graduate, shared that of the two, Xiaomi's wide-ranging online video content will be a more attractive choice.
On the other hand, a Shandong-based independent industry analyst Jia Jinghua stated that he doubts Xiaomi's capability to take on LeTV.
