Lu Weibing Responds to Claims That Xiaomi Is Just a Marketing Company: “That’s a Misunderstanding — Even the Best Marketing Can’t Save a Bad Product”

On October 17, People’s Daily released an interview video featuring Lu Weibing, Partner and President of Xiaomi Group, on its “Face-Off” program. During the discussion, Lu addressed widespread online skepticism about Xiaomi—such as claims that the company “lacks technological depth,” “only assembles products,” and “relies purely on marketing.”

When asked about these criticisms, Lu responded candidly: “The essence of consumer technology lies in both innovation and product quality. Marketing is merely an amplifier. If a product isn’t good enough, no matter how powerful your marketing is, it simply won’t sell.”

Lu went on to emphasize that Xiaomi’s success is rooted in user insight and technological innovation: “Across our three core sectors—smartphones, vehicles, and smart homes—we’ve consistently introduced groundbreaking products. Calling Xiaomi a ‘marketing company’ is a misunderstanding. What truly drives us is our technological strength.”

He revealed that Xiaomi’s R&D investment this year has reached approximately 30 billion yuan—nearly triple the amount from 2020. Lu expressed his hope that the public would pay more attention to Xiaomi’s deep commitment to research and product development.

Responding to the “assembly factory” label, Lu acknowledged that in its early days, Xiaomi smartphones were fully outsourced for manufacturing. “That’s something even Apple still does today,” he noted. “Apple doesn’t own any factories—its entire product line is produced by contract manufacturers. Outsourcing is actually a highly advanced and efficient form of industrial division. Each company focuses on what it does best.” He added that Xiaomi still closely manages its partner factories and, notably, opened two of its own manufacturing facilities last year.

Finally, when asked about comparisons between the Xiaomi 17 and Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17, Lu expressed respect for Apple, describing it as a powerful competitor and an example worth learning from. “We approach Apple with humility,” he said, “and continue to improve by studying the best.”