According to reports from Fast Technology on August 29, Indian media indicated that Apple and Samsung have simultaneously issued legal notices to Xiaomi, demanding an end to certain marketing practices. These tech giants were displeased with Xiaomi’s advertisements in India, directly comparing its flagship models to those of Apple and Samsung.
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that both Apple and Samsung served cease-and-desist orders, opposing the “deprecating content” within Xiaomi’s marketing campaigns. A cease-and-desist notice is a legal document that requires a company to immediately halt actions considered illegal or harmful.
A source noted, “Comparing product specifications is acceptable, but directly naming a competitor is inappropriate. It’s better to use general terms like ‘competitor.’”
Xiaomi has yet to respond to these notices.
This issue traces back to April, when Xiaomi launched a full-page newspaper ad on April Fools’ Day. The ad humorously criticized Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, claiming its camera performance was inferior to Xiaomi’s 15 Ultra model. In March, during the launch of the Xiaomi 15 series in India, another ad surfaced claiming the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s camera was “cute,” implying its inadequacy compared to Xiaomi’s models. Similar tactics were used against Samsung.
Apple and Samsung argue that these ads exceed fair competition boundaries and could damage their premium brand image, especially in the Indian market where they lead the high-end smartphone sector.
This advertising approach, known as “ambush marketing,” involves associating with competitors’ brands without permission to draw attention.
IDC data from the second quarter of 2025 shows Samsung holding a 14.5% share of the Indian smartphone market, with Xiaomi at 9.6% and Apple at 7.5%. During this period, the iPhone 16 was the top-selling model in India, accounting for 4% of total smartphone sales. Additionally, Apple expanded its retail presence by opening a fourth offline store in Pune, India earlier this year.
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