Xiaomi's Hugo Barra Says He Is an Apple Fan, but Not a Copycat

Xiaomi, the Chinese handset maker that has been nicknamed the "Apple of China," does not view itself as an Apple copycat. But it is an unabashed Apple admirer.

Hugo Barra, a Xiaomi vice president who was a Google executive, said in an onstage interview on Tuesday at a tech conference in Laguna Beach, California, that he was a "huge Apple fan." And he said that Xiaomi's designers are inspired by great design, including Apple's, but so are all designers.

Barra said the iPhone 6, which he called the "most beautiful smartphone," is no exception. Its designers borrowed some ideas from past smartphones made by HTC, he said. He added that Apple's iOS 8 took some ideas from the Android software system and made them even better.

"Point me to a new product that had completely unique design language," Barra said. "You're not going to be able to find one."

Barra was responding to comments made by Jony Ive, Apple's head of design, at a conference earlier this month. An audience member had asked Ive how he felt about companies that appear to be copying Apple, including Xiaomi.

Ive's response was harsh: "I think it's theft, and it's lazy."

Critics have accused Xiaomi of blatantly copying Apple, from the design of Apple products to the way Apple introduces products at events. When introducing new products, Xiaomi's chief executive Lei Jun even dresses in jeans and dark shirts, similar to the iconic outfit repeatedly worn by Steve Jobs.

Still, Barra encouraged people to try Xiaomi's products instead of leaping to the conclusion that the company is a copycat.

"People who see a picture on a website and criticize us for theft need to take a closer look," he said. "I invite them to experience our products first hand."

© 2014 New York Times News Service