Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi debuts in US, Europe with online store

Lei Jun, CEO of China's smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi, introduces the research and development process of Xiaomi products during its annual new product release conference held in Beijing, July 22, 2014. (Xinhua/Zhang Jin)

BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Tuesday launched an online store targeting the United States and European market, but stops short of selling its phones.

The new store, mi.com/en/store, does not sell android-based smartphones and tablets but instead offer headphones, power banks and wristbands made by the Beijing-based tech startup.

A spokesperson with Xiaomi said the company currently has no plan to sell smartphones on the newly-launched online store when responding to Xinhua's inquiry.

Xiaomi is currently entangled in a patent dispute with Ericsson in India, with a court verdict pending.

The company, now among the world's most valued tech startups at 45 billion U.S. dollars, started its expansion beyond its home market in China last year. It launched a flagship smartphone called Mi 4i in India last month.

Xiaomi's smartphones are also sold in southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines as well as in Brazil.

Xiaomi was the second largest smartphone maker in China with 13.5 million smartphone shipments in the first quarter this year, trailing Apple, whose shipments stand at 14.5 million, according to IT consultancy IDC.

Chinese smartphone makers including Xiaomi and Huawei are increasingly expanding into overseas markets as smartphone sales in China, the world's largest, reach saturation. China smartphone sales shrank for the first time in six years during the first quarter, with shipments down 4.3 percent to 98.8 million, IDC says.