Xiaomi’s stock debut in Hong Kong earlier this week might have got off to a bumpy start, but the company still wants fans to celebrate with them: It’s promising to release IPO editions of two of its wearables.
Judging from the concept photos Xiaomi teased on Weibo, the special version of Mi Band 3 doesn’t look much different from the original model -- except that it's printed with Xiaomi’s stock code 1810 and the words 厚道, or houdao.
The Chinese words roughly translate as “honest and kind”. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun often uses the term to describe the price of Xiaomi products… and his own personality.
“People who are houdao won't be too unlucky,” he posted on Weibo after Xiaomi’s IPO.
While some users commented that the band looks somewhat tacky, more are confused about what’s printed on the other product -- the Amazfit smartwatch.
The words “sha ren you sha fu” is the romanization of a traditional Chinese phrase, meaning “fortune favors the foolish”. It was reportedly also printed on employee T-shirts to celebrate the IPO.
But some people pointed out that without seeing the actual Chinese characters, the romanized phrase can also be read as “Kill people and kill father”, confusing (and possibly scaring) many users at first glance.
With their tongue firmly in cheek, some users have suggested another phrase for Xiaomi to print on the band: “Are you OK?”
The now-infamous phrase came from Xiaomi’s product launch in New Delhi three years ago -- the first time that Lei introduced a product speaking in English. Seeking to fire up the crowd, the CEO repeatedly shouted “Are you OK? Are you OK?” -- creating an instant meme.
