The so called "Apple of China" is looking to change that though, and a recent Tweet from Xiaomi's VP of global operations hints at a big step in that direction:
Beyond thrilled to share that Xiaomi will be a part of Google I/O. A sneak peek of what you'll see from Mi at #io16pic.twitter.com/GP3HHE3F6c
Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference that starts Wednesday, offers Android developers a chance to announce and show off their apps and devices. This tweet obviously doesn't tell us exactly what Xiaomi plans to debut. But it does offer some information.
Edoardo Maggio at 9to5Google suggests the "I" in Xiaomi's "IO" looks a lot like a TV remote, speculating that Xiaomi could be working on an Android TV device. The company has built an integrated TV and media player system before using its own software platform, so it wouldn't be a totally outlandish move.
A Xiaomi Android TV would compete with Apple TV and Roku, as well as a number of existing Android TV devices like the Nexus Player. It could take the form of an integrated TV-media player, or come as a standalone box. We'll likely learn more this week at Google I/O.
