Skip to main content

Xiaomi’s claim that its phones are ‘the best’ ends in an investigation

xiaomi investigated for best device claim redmi note 2 colors
Image used with permission by copyright holder
When you’re as huge and successful a smartphone manufacturing company as Chinese firm Xiaomi is, saying that your devices are the best is understandable. However, that swagger landed the company in hot water in China, reports Tech in Asia.

According to the report, rival smartphone company Cong brought attention to Xiaomi’s alleged use of terms like “best,” resulting in the Beijing Ministry of Industry and Commerce looking into the matter. The problem here is with China’s new ad law, which forbids the use of superlatives, such as “best,” in advertisements. For companies found in violation of this law, penalties start at RMB 200,000, or $31,000, with stricter penalties possibly brought into play depending on the severity of the violation.

In the case of Xiaomi, Cong CEO Tan Wesheng was concerned about Xiaomi using phrases like “first-class” and “the king of screens,” among others, on the company’s website. As the outlet pointed out, however, this could just be a case of sour grapes on the part of Cong and its CEO. Xiaomi is, by far, the reigning smartphone powerhouse in the Chinese market, and considering how Cong released a smartphone of its own to little fanfare, it’s not hard to see why Cong could try to grasp at straws.

Also consider the fact that Wesheng previously owned Red Pepper, a now-defunct Xiaomi competitor that was fined roughly $23,500 for publicly making false statements about a competitor.

Obviously, a company’s use of superlatives isn’t all that surprising. There are times, however, when such boasting can backfire, as OnePlus and one of the co-founders can certainly attest to. There are also times when using superlatives gets ridiculous, such as with Apple, which constantly uses the words “magical” and “amazing” in its marketing. Would that get the firm in trouble in China.

Editors' Recommendations

Williams Pelegrin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…
The Nothing Phone 2 just leaked, and it’s not what I expected
Nothing Phone (2) leaked render.

Nothing has been hyping up It’s next phone with executive interviews and social media drop-feeding recently. But merely weeks before the anticipated July launch and eventual brand arrival in the U.S. market, the leaking world has spoiled the design surprise.

Prolific leaker Steve H. (aka @OnLeaks ) teamed up with SmartPrix to drop high-resolution renders of the Nothing Phone 2 based on a “testing stage unit.” To sum up my first impression after seeing these renders, I’d say it’s underwhelming — especially for a brand that takes a lot of pride in its design chops.

Read more
Motorola made one of the year’s best phones — but it’s not enough
The Motorola Edge Plus (2023) lying face-down on a table.

Motorola needs to see the Edge Plus (2023) as a new beginning, a jumping-off point for a revitalized brand, and not just another phone in an ever-growing list of disappointing models.

Why? It’s apparently too good not to signal a new start. We gave the Edge Plus (2023) a 9/10 score in our review, so it rivals the very best phones you can buy today. It’s clearly excellent, but this came as a total surprise — because Motorola is one of the most frustratingly inconsistent phone makers out there today.
Nostalgia isn't enough

Read more
I tested 2 of the year’s best camera phones — it was brutal
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Vivo X90 Pro's camera modules.

Leica and Zeiss are two of the most established and respected names in photography, despite being best-known for different products. Leica is famous for its cameras, while Zeiss has made its name with optics. Over the past years, the pair have collaborated with different smartphone manufacturers to improve the camera systems.

Now, in a twist of fate, both have put their names on phones with massive Sony IMX989 1-inch sensors, which are still a rarity in the industry. It sets the scene for a comprehensive camera test to see which brand currently leads in the phone world.
What phones are we using?

Read more