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Xiaomi makes bigger Korean push with launch of 15T smartphone with Leica lenses

Published: 25 Sep. 2025, 17:01 Updated: 26 Sep. 2025, 10:07

CHO YONG-JUN
[email protected]

Xiaomi Korea’s general manager Jony Wu holds the new Xiaomi 15T smartphone and earbuds during Thursday’s press event at the Pullman Ambassador Seoul Eastpole in Guui, eastern Seoul. [XIAOMI KOREA]

Xiaomi is aggressively expanding in the Korean market as the Chinese electronics maker launched its midrange 15T smartphone featuring Leica co-developed lenses, its flagship mini tablet and a robot vacuum that costs almost one million won ($707) on Thursday.

The 15T Pro, unveiled globally on the same day, features MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400+ chip set, paired with 12 gigabytes of RAM. The phone, positioned below the company’s flagship 15 Ultra smartphone, still features a triple-camera setup designed in collaboration with the renowned German optics brand Leica. The phone, priced at 849,970 won for the model with 256 gigabytes of internal storage and 898,800 won for the 512 gigabytes model, is still cheaper than the baseline iPhone 17 — with one less camera — that starts at 1.29 million won.

The company’s robot vacuum may not be the cheapest on the market, but the Chinese electronics maker remains determined to prioritize a better cost-to-performance ratio.

Xiaomi Korea’s general manager Jony Wu speaks during Thursday’s press event at the Pullman Ambassador Seoul Eastpole in Guui, eastern Seoul. [CHO YONG-JUN]

“Our new vacuum cleaner, at 1 million won, is comparably a more expensive product when compared to Xiaomi’s existing lineup, but when you compare it with others, you’ll know that Xiaomi’s product is priced at 60 percent to 70 percent of the competitors with similar specs,” Xiaomi Korea’s general manager Jony Wu told the reporters during Thursday’s press event, at the Pullman Ambassador Seoul Eastpole in Guui, eastern Seoul. Next to the hotel was Xiaomi’s new brick-and-mortar store, which will open on Saturday alongside its third store in Magok, Gangseo District in western Seoul.

“Price-to-performance ratio and premium products don’t have to conflict,” he said.

Xiaomi Korea also tried to address the elephant in the room — after-sales service of its products. Before the company’s official entry into Korea, many purchased Xiaomi products from third-party sellers or directly from China, as they were unable to obtain official warranties in Korea.

“For our robot vacuums, we offer a 2-year warranty period, and we also offer a service where we can visit your home to collect the Xiaomi product that needs servicing,” Wu said, adding that Xiaomi TVs in Korea come with a 3-year warranty period, a first in the global market.

Xiaomi also has a service center in all three Seoul stores and plans to open a location in Yongsan, central Seoul, that will focus solely on after-sales service. The company, however, was clear that it would not service products that Xiaomi Korea did not sell.

Xiaomi store in Guui, eastern Seoul. [CHO YONG-JUN]

Wu told the Korea JoongAng Daily that, after the press conference, the reason Xiaomi Korea does not service and repair Xiaomi products not sold by the Korean subsidiary comes down to different regulations and product specifications.

“To say the very least, Chinese Xiaomi products are designed with the country’s 50 hertz frequency standard electric power, when Korea uses 60 hertz, and this small difference can break the device,” he said. “This is why we adjust the products we officially sell in Korea and also why we can’t offer services for overseas products.”

BY CHO YONG-JUN [[email protected]]