Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is taking its first step into the U.S. market by opening the the Mi.com website in the U.S. and other markets over the next few months. Unfortunately the site will not sell the company's smartphones or tablets but will carry other products, such as health bands, power chargers, and headphones.

Xiaomi "can bring these products to market much faster because they are simpler to take to market," Hugo Barra, Xiaomi's vice president of international, said at a news conference in San Francisco on Thursday, Feb. 12. "We intend to launch it here in the U.S. and perhaps a few other markets and see how it goes. Hopefully it will be the beginning of really having America experience the Xiaomi brand and quality and craftsmanship of our products."

Xiaomi is the No. 1 smartphone maker in China, selling more handsets there than Apple or Samsung Electronics.