Lei said he hoped to double the sales figure to 15 million units this year.

The company's broader plan, Lei told China Daily in June last year, is to ship more than 100 million smartphones annually for each model by 2016.

In the same interview, Lei expressed his hopes to sell Xiaomi smartphones outside the Chinese mainland in the second half of 2012.

In addition to Hong Kong and Taiwan, some emerging markets, including Russia, India and Brazil, have also been prioritized.

"We need time for customers in developed economies to recognize and accept a Chinese brand," Lei said, explaining why developed countries are not being targeted.

"Because Xiaomi is a unique mobile phone vendor that has largely built its reputation through the Internet, we need to select markets with a good e-commerce environment and a well-established social network," Lei added.