Xiaomi unveils robot-run factory, aims for 10 million phones annually

Chinese technology giant Xiaomi is not slowing down. President Lei Jun announced the opening of their first factory, which will be operated exclusively by robots. This facility is expected to produce phones 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Technology and automotive corporations are constantly competing to create new products that aim to meet consumer expectations. To this end, enormous factories are being built that employ thousands of people. Some of their work is automated thanks to modern devices. However, it turns out that it’s possible to build a factory where only robots work.

The Xiaomi Smart Factory is located in Beijing's Changping district. Lei Jun assures that, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, the robots will be able to produce up to 30,000 smartphones per day. The Xiaomi Smart Factory is set to manufacture the brand’s flagship phone models, such as the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 and Xiaomi MIX Flip.

The new factory covers an area of approximately 81,000 square metres (871,000 square feet) and houses 11 production lines. The construction cost amounted to 2.4 billion renminbi (approximately $337 million USD). The robots operating in it are set to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which will allow even faster production of smartphones. Ultimately, the factory aims to produce 10 million phones annually.

Xiaomi General Manager Lei Jun boasted about the massive investment on social media. He wrote on the X platform: "The next-generation Xiaomi smart factory in Changping, Beijing is now operational. We invested 2.4 billion RMB in this facility, covering 81,000 square metres, capable of producing 10 million flagship phones annually. The new models, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 and MIX Flip, will be produced here. At the same time, we also opened the electric car factory this year. I guess I can now be called Factory Manager Lei!"

Lei Jun posted several videos on the X platform showcasing the robots that will build Xiaomi-brand phones from scratch. The new solution may raise concerns among potential employees of other factories of the Chinese giant, as they face the prospect of being replaced by robots.