Only a few months ago Xiaomi launched an Australian Mi store and became available on Amazon, marking the end of the phone manufacturer’s official absence from the local market, but the Chinese tech giant has today taken it one step further.
A number of Xiaomi handsets have appeared for sale both online and in-store at JB Hi-Fi. This includes the budget-friendly Xiaomi Mi A3, the all-screen Mi 9T, and the premium, 5G-ready Mi Mix 3 5G.
- Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G makes the brand’s flagship future-ready
- Xiaomi teases Mi 9T smartphone with pop-up camera
- Xiaomi phones now officially available in Australia via Amazon
At the same time as this surprise retail partnership, Vivo (owned by BBK Electronics along with Oppo and OnePlus) has also brought two of its budget handsets to JB Hi-Fi – the Vivo Y17 and the Vivo S1.
Although Oppo has long had success in Australia with its flagship handsets, its sibling OnePlus only saw a soft-launch of its OnePlus 5 phone locally before giving up, and the Vivo brand has never officially released a smartphone Down Under.
Both Xiaomi and Vivo have technically been available in Australia for years, but the catch was that this was only via grey importers and, thus, would not be Australian versions of the handset with local chargers and customer support.
The new handsets on offer from these two Chinese tech giants range from $369 for the most affordable (Vivo Y17) to $1,399 for the 5G-capable Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G premium flagship with its pop-up camera and notch-free display.
- Check out our review of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 (non-5G version)
- And also our review with the Xiaomi Mi 9 (the predecessor of the Mi 9T)
