Poco Plans Website Closure By Year-End: Transitioning To Xiaomi’s Platform

In a notable shift for fans of the popular budget smartphone brand Poco, the company has announced that it will be shutting down its official website, po.co, on December 31, 2024. This change will affect all websites under the po.co domain, including regional sites like /uk and /fr. However, Poco enthusiasts need not worry, as the brand is not disappearing but instead consolidating its online presence under the Xiaomi umbrella, directing customers to Xiaomi’s official website, mi.com/global.

This announcement comes as a slight surprise to many, given Xiaomi’s previous emphasis on maintaining distinct identities for its brands—Xiaomi, Redmi, and Poco. Despite this, Poco assures its users that the transition will not hinder their experience with the brand. All customer support, product offerings, and services currently available on the Poco website will seamlessly migrate to Xiaomi’s platform.

The transition process is set to commence on October 21, just a few days away, at which point customers will no longer be able to make purchases via Poco’s website. This shutdown is part of Xiaomi’s strategy to streamline its online offerings and make the shopping experience more cohesive for users of its various brands.

Poco has also taken steps to ensure that loyalty program participants will not lose any benefits as a result of this change. Existing Poco Points and loyalty points will be transferred over to the Xiaomi ecosystem, maintaining their validity within this new framework. Additionally, any current coupons in use will be reissued to users by December 12, allowing them to continue enjoying discounts without interruption.

Concerned users need not fear losing access to their order histories or tracking information; Poco has confirmed that past orders and even user reviews from the website will be migrated to the Xiaomi platform. The transition will occur automatically, requiring no action from users to ensure that their accounts remain intact and functional following the website’s closure.

After December 31, customers attempting to access the Poco website will be redirected to the relevant pages on Xiaomi’s site. However, it is important to note that the standalone Poco Store app will not be part of this migration and will cease to function alongside the website’s shutdown.

Ultimately, this consolidation is indicative of a wider strategy by Xiaomi to simplify its web presence. Although Poco was marketed as an independent brand when it launched in 2020, its operations have not been entirely separate from Xiaomi, as evidenced by the similarities between Poco’s smartphones and those from the Redmi lineup.

From a consumer perspective, the transition is unlikely to generate significant disruptions. For now, it appears that Poco’s operations in India, which operate under the poco.in domain, will remain unaffected by these changes, allowing that segment of the brand to continue its independent online presence. As fans anticipate the transition, many will be curious to see how this new approach will affect the future offerings from one of the budget smartphone market’s unchallenged players.