There was a time when Xiaomi could afford to be a sympathetic logo, almost toy. A funny nickname (“mi”), a simple aesthetic not to say Ramplona, a spirit of accessibility and carefree. Okay. He was born as the brand that democratized the smartphone, the brand that competed in Price, but not in prestige.
That time is over.
In the Shanghai Motor Show it has been clear to us that Xiaomi no longer plays that game. With the SU7 Ultra, its first electric car in the upper version, Xiaomi changes its screws: it no longer competes by volume, competes by status. It does not seek to be the cheap alternative to Tesla. He wants to be the direct alternative. He even wants to overcome.
The problem is that their brand, its visual architecture, their story, have not followed that jump of ambition.
Today, Xiaomi sells mobiles of more than 1,500 euros. And it does it more and more often. It goes up to the podium of computational photography, of the design of noble materials, of functional luxury. And now he launches a car that, in finishes, technology and presence, rivals you with Porsche or Lucid.
But continues to carry the same logo as when he did 200 euros phones that at three years ended in a drawer.
It is not enough to change the product. You also have to change what the world sees, feels and projects about you.
A brand is not just a name or an emblem. It is a silent promise, an unconscious expectation, a frame of reference.
Today, the orange logo and the nice “Mi” continue to refer to the old Xiaomi. To that of shelves at ground in Medamarkt. Not to the Xiaomi that builds 500 horsepower electric bellins, or polished titanium mobiles. Not to the Xiaomi who wants to be a cultural and not just technological reference.
That dissonance between what Xiaomi is and what seems to be is its greatest risk right now.
Because brand coherence – that invisible red thread that joins product, perception and aspiration— It is essential when you want to play in the leagues where each nuance matterswhere each gesture counts.
Apple was never just a logo. It was an aesthetic. A narrative. A visual discipline. A coherent language between hardware, software, packagingstores and communication.
Xiaomi is reaching a product level capable of playing in that league. But the language of its beginnings continues. Keep asking respect with a teenager voice.
And if it does not correct that lag, His ambition will collide with skepticism. Against a friction that is barely intuited today, but that can crystallize in a subtle but lethal distrust: that of whom the object admires, but does not finish believing the brand.
The moment is now.
Image: WorldOfSoftware.
It was not so important that the flagship on the hood of the ultra was gold and carbon fiber how to change its image.
A superficial redesign is not enough. Xiaomi needs a new brand architecture: more sober, more refined, more deliberate. A brand capable of sustaining ultra -premium mobiles, electric shots, and whatever comes later without anyone blinking.
Perhaps a double architecture – an accessible base xiaomi and a different submarine for the aspirational. Or perhaps a deep and unique evolution. But not remain the same. He already encouraged to transcend his original brand, but consolidating chaos instead of building clarity.
The Ultra has not only shown that Xiaomi knows how to make extraordinary cars. Has demonstrated, above all, that It no longer makes sense to continue looking at Xiaomi as the usual brand.
Now that Xiaomi also understands.
And act accordingly.
Outstanding image | Xiaomi
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