Here you can read a short interview with the Managing Director of ABC Data, the first official Xiaomi distributor in Europe.
Q: Why did you decide to become a trading partner of Xiaomi?
A: ABC Data's objective is to achieve "continuous expansion and an increasingly attractive offer". We want to complement our product range, constantly coming up with new, innovative and high quality products. Xiaomi smartphones meet all these expectations. In addition, Xiaomi has built a very good reputation as a brand in Poland. We are happy to be the first distributor of Xiaomi in our country.
ABC Data is Poland's leading IT distributor. According to a survey by the market research company Context, our market share in June this year was 23%. If we add to this the computing equipment sold to telecom operators, the share is even higher, at around 60% per year. Service providers account for more than half of smartphone sales. The higher the share of operators, the faster you can establish a strong position in Poland. Equally important is our experience, the ability to have dedicated teams to support our partners and the dynamic growth we can show in Central and Eastern Europe. Today we are the only regional IT distributor operating directly in eight markets in the region: not only in Poland, but also in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia and Lithuania. We cooperate with more than 13 000 resellers. No other distributor in the region has such extensive contacts. Of course, this requires the right infrastructure and warehouse logistics. ABC Data's four logistics centres in Warsaw, Sosnowiec, Bucharest and Budapest ensure fast delivery to most locations in Central and Eastern Europe. It's true that Xiaomi's focus is currently on the Polish market, but we are ready to support our partners in other Central and Eastern European countries if we expand further.
Q: What is the warranty on the product sold, 12 or 24 months?
A: Xiaomi smartphones purchased from official outlets are covered by a 24-month warranty
Q: Which version of MIUI is available for the phones sold? Global, Stable, Developers or are you designing your own version?
A: Officially sold Xiaomi smartphones will receive the MIUI Global Stable ROM version.
Q: How can I claim the warranty for devices purchased directly from mi.com? Until now, many users have bought Xiaomi devices from resellers or AliExpress - is this service available for them too? Will there be a warranty on the products? What about the warranty for devices purchased from resellers or on AliExpress?
A: SBE (S.B.E. Polska) provides warranty service on behalf of ABC Data and Xiaomi, but only for Xiaomi phones sold by ABC Data. This way the user can be sure that his Xiaomi smartphone works in Poland and complies with Polish and European standards. This includes native language, frequencies in Poland and the EU, and the ability to install apps from Google Play. Phones purchased from mi.com and from unauthorised sources do not meet these criteria and are not covered by ABC Data service support. Be careful with Xiaomi phones from unofficial sales. Since the beginning of Xiaomi's official distribution, there have been people on the market claiming to be official Xiaomi distributors. Meanwhile, unofficial sales channels such as. AliExpress. They may also not comply with Polish and European standards, which can cause many difficulties in normal use.
Q: Will there be a dedicated forum for Xiaomi devices where users can share their experiences?
A: We have no plans to do so at the moment. But it's worth bearing in mind that Xiaomi's dynamic growth is partly thanks to the brand's fans. And that community is international. Their suggestions and comments have been taken into account.
Q: Do phones sold in the EU support the B20 LTE frequency?
A: The Redmi Note 3 and 3S Redmi are currently supported, but when we release the Mi 5s Mi 5s Plus there will be versions of both models.
He gave the answers: Łukasz Łyżwa Xiaomi Product Director ABC Data and thanks to Dominik Walknowski ABC Data
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Latest news : Xiaomi.eu ROMs have been accepted by Xiaomi's official EU distributor ABC Data as not affecting the warranty terms of the devices sold, so they are still valid on these devices! (Of course, with an officially open BL and installed with SuperSU)
