Xiaomi answers the call for smartphone evolution

On most iPhones sold around the world, there is a thin line of production information embossed on the lower back that reads: "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China."

China, the world's largest smartphone manufacturer, is striving to contribute more in the design part instead of being bogged down by tedious outsourcing deals and knockoff businesses known for narrow profit margins and intense labor conditions.

Xiaomi Corp, a four-year-old startup headquartered in Beijing, is eagerly expecting to shake off the title as "the world's best iPhone copycat" and build its own legend in design and innovation.