It seems Xiaomi is looking to become a major phone brand in South America and one good way to do this is by setting up a smartphone production base in the region. And a new report has suggested that the company has plans of setting up a manufacturing factory in Argentina.
According to a report from Argentina Página12, government officials who accompanied Argentine President Alberto Fernandez on a visit said that Xiaomi will establish a production base in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
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This means, Xiaomi smartphones will be produced (or assembled) in the country. The report also stated that Xiaomi is expected to release an official statement within 60 days. This type of multi-million investment is rare for this region.
But, we think Xiaomi might have made its calculations and know what’s best for the company. The company entered this country with the release of the Redmi Note 10 series. And things look really good for them when they arrived.
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Xiaomi Phones in Argentina
The first phone from Xiaomi to hit Argentina is the Redmi Note 10 5G. The phone was retailed at 80,000 Argentine pesos (about $750). The company shipped about 100,000 unit in its first batch to the country.
But the most loved Xiaomi phones sold in the country was the Redmi Note 10 Pro and Redmi Note 10S. Both phones went out of stock within days after it was made available.
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According to Juan Pablo Baiardi, from Etercor, “Consumers want alternatives and they see in Xiaomi a brand capable of giving them what they want. The brand itself appreciates the real potential for growth and development that they have in Argentina.” (Note: Etercor is a company chosen as distributor of Xiaomi products in the past.)
Going by the new report, Etercor will be the local company to work with Xiaomi in its phone production in Argentina. Etercor already has a factory in Tierra del Fuego that is owned by Solnik.
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The factory has everything needed to make premium electronics. For instance, the factory is used to manufacture HMD Global products and is an official licensor of the Nokia brand.
There are about 400 people currently working with the Argentine company and if everything goes as plan, the company will also be responsible for repairs of Xiaomi products in the country.
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So far, only phones from Xiaomi’s sub brand Redmi has been launched in the country. Probably only Redmi phones will be made in the country while top flagship Xiaomi phones will be made outside Argentina.
Whatever the case, it’s a good thing that Xiaomi has plans to produce phones in a South American country. For a change, a phone company is looking outside China, Thailand, India, the US and Europe to build a factory.
