Apple Is Catching Up With Xiaomi

Xiaomi is getting smarter, and Apple is playing a catch up game, according to MIT’s 50 smartest companies list. The just published 2015 ranking, Xiaomi climbed to the 2nd position this year, up from 30th position last year, while Apple climbed to the 16th position, up from nowhere last year. Yes, that’s right, nowhere. As we wrote in a previous piece here – which might have come as a surprise to Apple fans, as Xiaomi has been considered Apple’s China competitor (imitator?). Here’s another surprise. Apple is way down on the patent list, which is topped by IBM and Samsung. Still, Apple dominates a number of other lists. Apple topped last year’s Barron’s list of the World’s Most Respected Companies among institutional investors—beating Berkshire Hathaway, Boeing and Google. Apple’s re-claim of a position at the top of this list reflects a strong rebound in the company’s stock, and is a vote of confidence for the company’s leader Timothy Cook. Apple received high marks among institutional investors in all five categories surveyed: strong management, sound business strategy, ethical business practices, competitive edge, and revenue and profit growth. Apple’s Key Financial Metrics