Xiaomi’s new ShareSave app will let you buy its China-exclusive ecosystem products in India

It’s no secret that Xiaomi is unlike any other hardware (or even software) company out there. It is an Internet company first and is known for its comprehensive portfolio of products spanning multiple categories. Smart or otherwise. In simple terms, Xiaomi makes a lot of things. Things that are very popular even in India but are hard to get because well, most of them are exclusive to China. Xiaomi is looking to change that with its newly launched ShareSave app. 

With ShareSave, Xiaomi “aims to offer users outside of Chinese mainland a convenient and cost-effective way to purchase ecosystem products that have only been available within Chinese mainland.” In simple terms, it will let you easily buy its China-exclusive ecosystem products in India at “honest pricing.” 

The cost to import products – especially electrical goods – can be quite high but Xiaomi apparently has a workaround to cut costs. The ShareSave app has a pair-up mode that lets you get discounts when you choose to buy products with a friend, and a drop mode that lets you avail up to a 100 per cent discount when “enough friends and family join the drop group.” Xiaomi being a community driven company has also added a kickstart angle to ShareSave that lets you contribute an amount ($0.2) to a startup item and “get up to 10 times the reward” when the item is fully funded. 

Xiaomi sells a broad range of hardware developed either in-house or in partnership with its ecosystem partners – it says it is investing in and managing an ecosystem of over 210 companies, with over 90 of these companies focusing on the development of smart hardware and lifestyle products. “With its unique ecosystem model, Xiaomi has currently incubated and partnered with more than 100 IoT and lifestyle companies. With more than 132 million connected devices (excluding smartphones and laptops), Xiaomi has the world’s largest consumer IoT platform,” Xiaomi says adding that ShareSave will offer “a comprehensive selection of the products that are crafted by these ecosystem companies, including mobile peripherals, smart hardware and lifestyle products.” 

It’s still very early days for ShareSave (the app is now available for download on the Google Play Store) which is probably why it is selling only a handful of devices including the “Mi x Wiha Precision Screwdriver, Yeelight LED Light Bulb (Colour), Soocas Sonic Electric Toothbrush X1 Lite,” for now but hopefully more will be added in the days to come. 

Xiaomi is going so far as it claim “full local support, such as after-sales services and delivery right to the buyers’ doorstep,” which could be a key differentiator when compared to websites like AliExpress. 

Also Read:This Is Xiaomi’s First Android Go Phone, The Redmi Go