At 10am Saturday, the Chinese phone and electronics giant Xiaomi opened their first Mi store in all of Oceania in Auckland's Westfield Sylvia Park.

The turnout was astounding with hundreds of pcustomers out first thing in the morning to get their hands on some value-driven smart tech.

"I've had a really good experience with Xiaomi. I like that they focus on good hardware rather than expensive 'appeal'." That was something that many people spoken to had in common - they had done their research and found a lot of great feedback online.

The buzz around Xiaomi products is reminiscent of the early days of Apple, with the line snaking through the mall to the point where it was drawing its own spectators.

The opening event was a simple affair. A few invitees, like TV and radio's Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce, invited to play with the products before the ribbon was cut. The Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices are going to be what makes Xiaomi stand out in the NZ marketplace.

The smartphones are an obvious draw but Xiaomi's clean design, good quality components and an attractive price point - made possible in part by the company's rule of a less than 5% profit margin on any hardware - are what set the company apart from any competitor in the market.

Xiaomi NZ brand spokesperson and product manager Eric Chang said that New Zealand was chosen as the spot for the Australia/New Zealand (A/NZ) launch because of the support they see here. "The fans have been screaming for us! People have been supporting us locally for yonks by importing our products but that means they are dealing with an unfair markup they don't have to deal with now. That's why NZ is a perfect place for a proof of concept."

Of course, the anti-chinese-business feeling in Australia probably played a part as well. "Australia is a tougher market, which is why we are really focusing on bringing in the IoT produce line. Australia and New Zealand have very similar regulations so we want to show A/NZ what we have to offer. "

Only time will tell whether the brand will continue to grow successfully here, but if today is anything to go by, Xiaomi's focus on high-volume, low markup smart devices is certainly hitting the right buttons so far.