Ever since the beginning of the year, Xiaomi and Redmi have been launching new smartphones in different markets on a monthly basis. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun revealed the company’s plans for the future. The Chinese tech giant wants to stop manufacturing 4G phones for its home market by the end of 2020 – with most of its devices already supporting 5G. Instead, the company wants to focus its efforts on 6G research and satellite internet technology.

Jun also spoke up about the challenges facing the tech giant as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. According to his predictions, the industry will be transformed with the introduction and popularization of 5G, whose prime benefits include auto-pilot, cloud gaming, and 4K / 8K video conferencing.

The company has been launching 5G-capable devices to adapt to the trend, but its supply chain has been severely impacted by the ongoing pandemic. Xiaomi had to provide its factories with subsidies in the amount of 250 million yuan for the manufacturing of 5G smartphones, as its warehouses stood empty.

The decision to stop producing 4G devices in Xiaomi’s home market of China by the end of 2020 will also allow the tech giant to allocate more resources to 5G handsets instead.

Last year, the company announced that it will focus its efforts on mobile technology and Artificial Intelligence of Things. It will also cooperate with the Chinese government to establish disaster warning systems, as well as other 5G-reliant public service systems. Finally, the Chinese tech company has already started research on 6G and satellite internet technology.

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