..and major carriers in the US. Android Pay can be used via the traditional unlocking pattern. This feature will also be incorporated with the fingerprint sensor feature. Other than working with Android Pay, the handling of the fingerprint sensor is now standardized, allowing apps to work with it. The user can simply touch the fingerprint sensor to unlock the phone. The phone will then make a secure NFC exchange with the payment terminal, and then the payment goes through. Finally: improvement in Power & Charging.

So how can it afford to undercut the competition? A willingness to stay aggressive, said Hugo Barra, the global vice president of Xiaomi, You may not have heard of Xiaomi, but the company, which is the world's most valuable startup, is starting to make waves beyond its home country, Xiaomi officially opens its online store in the US and select European countries on June 1, part of a broader push to build its brand in more mature markets, But Xiaomi is moving cautiously -- it isn't selling smartphones at first, just accessories such deep pink garden mandala iphone case as a fitness band and headphones..

Like its smartphones though, the products are attractively priced. The headphone will sell for $80, which Barra compares to similar $300 headphones in the market, while the fitness band, the Mi Band, will sell for $15. Xiaomi has been able to grow by selling products at or near cost in a quest to generate a tiny profit off of a myriad of products. The strategy has paid off with a community of what Barra calls "fans" who are loyal to the brand. Barra, speaking on Wednesday at Recode's Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif, explained how Xiaomi is able to pull it off.

The company eliminates much of the overhead by sticking to online distribution, removing the retailer and distributor margin, Barra boasted that Xiaomi is the third-largest e-commerce retailer in China, As a large vendor, Barra said the company has been able to negotiate competitive prices for components, For example, Xiaomi is Qualcomm's third-largest customer, he said, "We have amazing relationships with suppliers," he said, But deep pink garden mandala iphone case the trick is to forgo profit early on, Barra said Xiaomi doesn't make any money at the beginning of the smartphone's life, As the product stays in the market, it becomes cheaper to produce, increasing the margins..

Xiaomi is sensitive about making too much money -- Barra said if it gets too profitable, the company will slash the price once or twice near the end of its life cycle. "We do the price drop because we want to remain aggressive," he said. Will Xiaomi sell a smartphone in the US? Barra didn't offer many clues. "We don't have a set plan," he said. "We haven't picked a date to bring a smartphone to the US. We're sort of dipping our toes."Part of the challenge is to build a brand and marketing presence in the US. The store is part of its effort to build awareness of the company.