Xiaomi Civi Series: Hope for the Next "Hit"?

Xiaomi Civi Series: Hope for the Next "Hit"?Hu Xinxin, known as "Xiaomi's most beautiful product manager," is set to leave her position as product manager for the Xiaomi Civi series and transition to become a product manager for Redmi phones. This news has sparked speculation and worries among Mi fans regarding the future of the Civi series

Xiaomi Civi Series: Hope for the Next "Hit"?

Hu Xinxin, known as "Xiaomi's most beautiful product manager," is set to leave her position as product manager for the Xiaomi Civi series and transition to become a product manager for Redmi phones. This news has sparked speculation and worries among Mi fans regarding the future of the Civi series.

On October 8th, Lu Weibing, president of Xiaomi Group, announced the news on social media, but did not disclose the new product manager for the Civi series. Although "rotation" is part of Xiaomi Group's corporate culture, the Civi series' market performance and the fact that a successor hasn't been announced have caused some unease among Mi fans.

Wang Teng, deputy manager of Xiaomi's China market department and general manager of the Redmi brand, later responded that the Civi series would not be discontinued and expressed his anticipation that Hu Xinxin's contributions to the Civi series' "high aesthetics" and "excellent photography" would be integrated into Redmi phones, leading to more attractive new products.

There have been rumors that the Civi 4 Pro might be the last model in the series that receives Xiaomi's full commitment. If market performance fails to meet expectations, the Civi series might face the risk of being marginalized. While new products will continue to be released, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the series' market positioning and resource allocation.

Trendy Phones: A False Proposition?

The Xiaomi Civi series was initially known as the Xiaomi CC series, first launched in 2019 with the theme "Chic&Cool," targeting the younger generation. The Xiaomi CC series was initially managed by product manager Wei Siqi, whose background in the Central Academy of Fine Arts made him focus on the product's artistic design. When the CC series transitioned to the Civi series, Hu Xinxin took over. The first model in the Civi series, with its "stylish and slim" design, quickly attracted a large number of young users. Hu Xinxin's debut at the launch event, with her distinctive charm, earned her the title of "most beautiful product manager," sparking heated discussions in the tech world.

Of course, while product managers can generate buzz, market acceptance ultimately depends on product strength. The Xiaomi Civi series focuses on trendy design, which deviates from Xiaomi phones' previous emphasis on high performance and value for money. This led to criticisms of the Xiaomi Civi 1 and Civi 1S for being "expensive and under-equipped" after their release.

For instance, the Redmi Note 10 Pro, released earlier in the same year, was equipped with the Dimensity 1100 processor and priced at a maximum of 1,999 yuan, while the Xiaomi Civi, featuring the Snapdragon 778G processor, started at 2,599 yuan. With both models displayed at Xiaomi stores, many Mi fans would likely choose the Redmi Note 10 Pro for its superior value for money.

Perhaps considering Xiaomi's overall market perception, subsequent generations of the Civi series have consistently improved hardware while pricing remained competitive within the mid-range, even featuring Leica imaging in the Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro. It's clear that Xiaomi is dedicated to making the Civi series successful. However, the Civi series has consistently struggled to gain significant market attention. While the Civi 4 Pro achieved sales significantly exceeding its predecessors, it still falls short of rival products.

According to a sales chart for devices with the Snapdragon 7+ Gen3 and 8s Gen3 chipsets published by a person familiar with the industry, the Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro sold 6.4 times more than the Realme Neo6, while the Redmi Turbo 3 achieved 14.2 times the sales of the Realme Neo6.

The Xiaomi Civi series represents a bold and innovative attempt by Xiaomi to tap into a market segment seeking style, thinness, and quality. In simpler terms, it aims for the offline market. However, consistently priced within the 2K range, the Civi series finds itself overshadowed by the more comprehensive digital series above and the more affordable Redmi Note series below. This, coupled with the established fan bases of OPPO, vivo, and Honor in this segment, makes it even more difficult for the Civi series to break through.

Civi Needs a More Precise Positioning

We've discussed Xiaomi's early foray into the trendy market, and while the Civi series hasn't brought substantial advantages, does this mean Xiaomi is destined to fail in this direction? Absolutely not. The Xiaomi MIX Flip, also a trendy phone, has garnered nationwide attention since its launch, outselling rival foldable phones released at the same time and setting a new sales record for Xiaomi in the foldable phone category.

Xiaomi is arguably the latest mainstream manufacturer to enter the foldable phone market. Prior to its release, Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, vivo, Honor, and even Transsion had already launched their own foldable phones, some even iterating multiple times. Judging by the timeline alone, Xiaomi should have been at a significant disadvantage.

Unexpectedly, the Xiaomi MIX Flip, deemed unpromising by the market, became a bestseller. The MIX Flip's success can be attributed to its distinct differentiation. First, it was one of the few foldable phones in its generation equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen3 flagship chipset, aligning with Mi fans' pursuit of performance. Second, the MIX Flip adopted a luxurious design aesthetic, abandoning the youthful and trendy style of the Civi series, expanding its potential audience and transcending stylistic limitations.

It's also worth mentioning the portable printer launched alongside the MIX Flip, which enhances the user experience by offering instant photo printing capabilities similar to a Polaroid camera. This innovative feature resulted in both the MIX Flip and the printer selling out, with peak demand reaching a million pre-orders.

The Civi series differs from the MIX Flip in its mission to solidify its position in the offline market within the 2-3K price range, specifically targeting design, thinness, and quality. This has led to a state of indecision for the Civi series, unable to justify the use of flagship-level technologies or venturing into lower price segments.

For example, the OPPO Reno6 Pro+ released in 2021 had already begun incorporating telephoto lenses, while the vivo S12 Pro upgraded its main camera to 108 megapixels, preemptively positioning itself for the mid-range imaging battle. The Xiaomi Civi, on the other hand, seemed unremarkable. In actuality, many Mi fans have expressed a mixture of love and hate towards the Civi series. For instance, when the Civi 1S was discounted to around 1,000 yuan during a promotional event on a certain e-commerce platform, it was immediately sold out. This demonstrates that consumers are not unaware of the Civi series but have higher expectations for it.

Will the Offline Market Offer Civi Another Chance?

As Xiaomi Home stores proliferate across China, we're witnessing the surge in popularity of models like the Civi series that rely heavily on offline channels. The Civi 4 Pro, featuring upgraded processors and enhanced imaging capabilities, has achieved impressive sales. However, Xiaomi has been a step behind.

The biggest highlight of the Civi 4 Pro is its use of the Snapdragon 8s Gen3 mobile platform. This flagship chipset, often referred to as the "small 8 Gen3," has given the Civi series unprecedented performance capabilities. However, this approach turns the Civi 4 Pro into a specialist device. With a thickness of only 7.45mm, it struggles to adequately dissipate the heat generated by the flagship chipset.

Meanwhile, other offline models, except for the Honor 200 Pro, have overwhelmingly chosen to adopt the Snapdragon 7 or Dimensity 9000 series chipsets. Another significant weakness is Xiaomi's reluctance to trickle down flagship technologies to the Civi series. For instance, battery technology: Honor's digital series utilizes the same flagship Qinghai Lake battery, and vivo incorporates the Blue Sea Battery in the S series, enabling these devices to maintain a slim profile while offering extended battery life.

However, the Civi 4 Pro has experienced a noticeable improvement in market perception since incorporating Leica imaging. If Xiaomi can refine its battery technology and incorporate the prevailing trend of durability and robustness, it might win back the hearts of Mi fans.

In a report, market research firm IDC mentioned that the ratio of online to offline shipments in China's smartphone market is roughly 3:7. In non-first-tier cities, over 70% of consumers prefer to purchase phones and electronic products from brick-and-mortar stores. Data from Counterpoint also reveals that vivo has reclaimed the top spot in China's smartphone market share in Q2 2024, propelled by the immense popularity of the S19 and X100 series.

The destiny of the Civi series not only influences Xiaomi's product lineup but also impacts its brand rejuvenation and trendy strategic choices.

For Xiaomi, the Civi series embodies its vision of reaching the younger market segment by attracting a new generation of consumers through aesthetic design and differentiated user experiences. While the Civi series currently faces numerous challenges, Xiaomi continues to demonstrate its courage in innovation within its trendy product line. In the future, if Xiaomi can further polish Civi series configurations, adjust its pricing strategy, and effectively address market pain points, it can not only fulfill consumer expectations but also potentially deliver a truly trendy "hit" product for Mi fans.

As market research firms have indicated, China's smartphone market remains in growth, and offline channels retain their strong appeal to consumers. Xiaomi needs not just bold attempts but also keen market insights and technological