Who said that Xiaomi won’t go beyond smartphones, tablets, headphones and external power banks? Now that it has overtaken Samsung as China’s top smartphone vendor, Xiaomi wants to have a go at making medical gadgets such as this smart blood pressure monitor.
Xiaomi is turning quite quickly into one of my favorite companies, and this is completely justified. The Chinese company makes some of the best flagship-killers on the market, and is not afraid of tipping its toes in foreign waters. I mean, who would’ve expected a smartphone manufacturer to take a shot at making a blood pressure monitor? Since it’s often called the ‘Apple of China,’ Xiaomi might as well follow the same path as its American competitor and get involved in the development of medical gadgets. Sure, the Chinese company received some help when developing the Android-compatible blood pressure monitor, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its own merit.
iHealth Labs, the American company that helped Xiaomi develop this medical gadget, is in fact a spin-off of a Chinese company, which explains why the smartphone manufacturer found a partner in it so easily. Xiaomi invested not less than US$25 million in this company, and proceeded to making an Android-compatible blood pressure monitor to fight against the iOS-compatible counterparts. At 199 yuan, the equivalent of roughly $32, iHealth’s b.p. monitor is an indisputable winner, compared to the iOS version which costs $100 more, and ironically enough, is made by the same company.
The blood pressure monitor is said to work best with Xiaomi smartphones (ha! who would’ve thought?), but it will be otherwise compatible with any Android phone (and tablet, I assume) with USB on-the-go support. If anything, it’s great to see that Apple won’t get to use the iHealth name, and considering Xiaomi’s recent plans of expansion, you shouldn’t be surprised when these b.p. monitors make their way to a store near you. Yes, that includes the US.
All in all, it’s great to see Xiaomi getting involved in the health industry, and I hope that this smart blood pressure monitor is not the only medical gadget it will develop. As I’m sure that many are aware, this company knows exactly how to hit the sweet spot between high quality and affordability.
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