Facebook hires former smartphone exec

Facebook Inc. hired Hugo Barra to lead its virtual-reality efforts just days after he quit Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp.

Barra, who led Xiaomi's international expansion, now will take on a different challenge as vice president of virtual reality. He will need to navigate the competitive and young market, where Facebook's Oculus Rift and Gear products have drawn interest but not dominance.

Facebook bought Oculus for about $2 billion in 2014. CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions virtual reality as a social platform, and says Barra will help the company achieve that. Competitors have been more focused on gaming.

Barra resigned from Beijing-based Xiaomi after a turbulent four years during which it rose to the top of its home market before local rivals mimicked its model and dethroned the brand. He was given the task of taking the Chinese company global, helping it make inroads into India, where sales topped $1 billion for the first time in 2016.

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