Earlier today, Xiaomi introduced its new Mi 5 flagship and we lamented that it’s unclear when the company might be bringing its desirable Android phones to the US. Things have changed now, though, because we’ve got an idea of when we should start to see Xiaomi on western shelves.

Hugo Barra, Xiaomi’s global vice president, has said that his company wants to be in western markets by the end of 2017. “I think we have to be in the western markets by the end of next year,” Barra said to CNET. “It’s not something we can wait longer.” 

Currently, Xiaomi phones are often sold only in China, India, and a few other eastern countries. Their devices frequently offer solid features at low prices, and so there’s a demand for them in countries where Xiaomi doesn’t officially sell its phones. And because the devices are intended for use in eastern markets, they don’t have the wireless support for LTE connectivity in the US. We still don’t know exactly which western markets Xiaomi will appear in, but today’s news that a major wireless company will soon expand to the western part of the globe is exciting for everyone in that part of the world.