How do Xiaomi and this website make money, or at least survive?

[cdl]

I understand Xiaomi sell their own smartphone in China, but why do they develop their ROM for other smartphones, too? Cyanogen is a user-driven community but Xiaomi is a commercial company: why do they even bother developing ROMs for other phones? I am sure they're a bunch of very nice people, but what's in it for them?

Similarly, I hope I'm not misunderstood, but how does this website get by and face its maintenance costs? Only on advertising?

 

[Sean Su]

I'm not sure about Xiaomi which is trying to make money off handsets but so far has made tremendous updates, but MIUIAndroid does make money off ads. In my other post I wrote about how I was concerned that given CarrierIQ's recently unveiling (and I don't mean it in a good way) that someone should do an audit as MIUI is currently closed. Given the nature of where it's based, it is possible that MIUI roms have built-in spying software funded by their government. Given how the Chinese government actively wants surveillance features put into roms and other projects, it gives me an uncomfortable thought.

 

[Tr0jAn]

There is a small free app in market which checks the phone for Carrier IQ, its not 100% but I run it on various roms and they seem clean.. even MIUI

TrOjAn

 

[cyberstoic]

I'm not sure about Xiaomi which is trying to make money off handsets but so far has made tremendous updates, but MIUIAndroid does make money off ads. In my other post I wrote about how I was concerned that given CarrierIQ's recently unveiling (and I don't mean it in a good way) that someone should do an audit as MIUI is currently closed. Given the nature of where it's based, it is possible that MIUI roms have built-in spying software funded by their government. Given how the Chinese government actively wants surveillance features put into roms and other projects, it gives me an uncomfortable thought.

trust me, if governments wanted to spy on you, they don't need carrier IQ. Seem to recall reading about eschalon or some such thing. If you are that concerned about carrier IQ, use CM7, they don't load it on.

 

[carbonize]

Echelon. It is true that if a government wants to spy on it's people it doesn't not really need to access your phone as all message, internet and messaging goes through routes that are easy to intercept.

 

[SuperGL]

By making roms for other phones it counts as an advertising/marketing scheme. For those who are interested in making an awesome phone with cool little niches and improved phone capabilities/stats etc, they will try out anything that is available and free! As soon as you have got your cool phone down, 9/10 you'll show it off to your friends etc therefore increasing the chance that someone will go and buy an MIUI phone.

 

[lizeroy]

9/10 you'll show it off to your friends etc therefore increasing the chance that someone will go and buy an MIUI phone.

This is where I am at... I love MIUI and the devs are great! I want to buy one of their phones. Unfortunately I am in the states and have no idea how to get my hands on one of them. Still, I am glad they support my USA only Vibrant, and convert it to English for me.

Maybe they are thinking long term for USA market share?

 

[rexxer]

I see it another way. What better way to get free testing and feedback then by giving the ROM away to as many users as you can. The company can file tune their product until it is perfect and then release their phone (MiOne). Also, from a marketing and research standpoint, you know the types of users and the numbers of users who would be interested in your phone.