Xiaomi enters the UK today with a slew of exciting products at its first-ever launch event in the market, highlighting its flagship Mi 8 Pro. Other products announced include Redmi 6A that offers great value and Xiaomi Band 3, Xiaomi’s wildly popular fitness band, as well as Mi Electric Scooter.
In addition to the impressive spec of the Mi 8 which boasts Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, AI dual camera, IR face unlock and 6.21” AMOLED Full-Screen Display, the Mi 8 Pro upgrades the popular Mi 8 smartphone with a pressure sensitive in-display fingerprint sensor and a transparent glass back cover.
Xiaomi has shipped more than 100 million smartphones this year, and the Mi 8 series, with a total shipment of over 6 million and counting, has been a major contributor to this global success. Mi 8 Pro shares the same great performance and photography capabilities with Mi 8, and adds a pressure sensitive in-display fingerprint sensor and a transparent glass back exposing a decorative cover crafted using electronic components, making it one of the most unique-looking smartphones on the market.
Xiaomi’s entry into the UK follows its arrival in France and Italy this May, and the official entry last November into Spain, its first Western European market, where it had already become the #3 smartphone vendor as per Canalys. Today Xiaomi has entered 74 markets globally and is top in 30 markets. As per Q2 IDC report, Xiaomi is ranked 4th in the global smartphone market with nearly a 50% year on year growth rate.
Pressure sensitive in-display fingerprint sensor
Unlike other in-display fingerprint technologies that constantly ping the screen to see if a finger is present, the Mi 8 Pro’s dedicated pressure sensor only activates the unlocking process once you place your finger on the screen, which is faster and more power-efficient.
12MP + 12MP AI dual camera
Mi 8 Pro sports the same camera setup as Mi 8, which received a DxOMark score of 105 for photography. The Sony IMX363 primary sensor features massive 1.4μm pixels and dual pixel autofocus, enhancing photo brightness and quality while drastically improving focus speed, especially in low-light conditions. Bolstering 4-axis OIS and 2x optical zoom, plus a bunch of handy AI features such as AI portrait, AI beautify and AI scene detection, this is one of the best camera setups in the world.
6.21” AMOLED Full Screen Display, Always-On display
This AMOLED panel offers a startling contrast ratio of 60,000 to 1, meaning incredibly crisp colours and deep, power-saving blacks. With an 18.7:9 aspect ratio, it provides an unmatched visual experience that is highly practical and beautiful. Always-On display support provides a convenient way to check your notifications, the date, and the time while saving time and battery life by keeping the screen off.
Qualcomm SnapdragonTM 845 flagship processor
Mi 8 Pro sports the flagship Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM 845 platform. With a 2.8GHz maximum clock speed and the new Qualcomm AdrenoTM 630 GPU, the platform outperforms its predecessor by up to 30 percent. The platform also features a newly introduced DSP architecture with AI performance three times higher than the previous generation. Supported by 8GB LPDDR4x DRAM, Mi 8 Pro can render the most demanding games at high FPS for an unparalleled gaming experience.
Mi 8 Pro also features face unlock with an infrared camera paired with a dedicated infrared illuminator, enabling rapid and accurate face unlock in a dark environment, and uses the same dual frequency GPS as Mi 8 for more accurate navigation.
The Mi 8 Pro comes in Transparent Titanium with an 8GB + 128GB setup and will be available from the 9th November through Three, Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, Carphone Warehouse, Currys PC World, Very, gomobile, mobile phones direct, Katana and Mi.com and the first Authorised Mi Store that will be opened on Nov 19.
Redmi 6A offers great value
Starting at £99, Redmi 6A sports the MediaTek Helio A22 SoC that is also built on the 12nm process. Its 3000mAh battery allows the phone to stay in standby mode for up to 19 days. Redmi 6A has a 13MP rear camera featuring phase detection autofocus and a 5MP front camera—both capable of using Xiaomi’s AI Portrait mode.
In the UK, Xiaomi is introducing the following well-loved Mi Ecosystem products:
Xiaomi Band 3
Priced at £26.99 Xiaomi Band 3 has a large OLED touchscreen display in addition to a physical button for easy control. It is an all-round upgrade on Xiaomi’s wildly popular fitness tracker, complete with a more comfortable and secure wristband, along with a 20-day battery life and 50-meter water resistance.
Xiaomi Band 3 will be available from the 9th of November through Amazon.com, Mi.com, Three, ebuyer.com, SCAN, buyitdirect, Box, Currys PC World, Carphone Warehouse. It will be available in the Authorised Mi Store starting from the 18th November.
Mi Electric Scooter
Priced at £399, Mi Electric Scooter has an award-winning design and is incredibly easy to master. It travels 30km on a single charge and weighs just 12.5kg, and comes with an LED headlight and features such as regenerative braking. By connecting to an app, users can also use their phone as a dashboard.
Mi Electric Scooter will be available at Amazon.com, Mi.com, ebuyer.com, SCAN, Box, halfords, very, littlewoods, Pure and Authorised Mi Store later this month.
First ever Authorised Mi Store in the UK
Xiaomi also announced today that it will open its first-ever Authorised Mi Store in the UK, opening 18th November 2018 in Westfield London which will also host a range of its exclusive Mi Ecosystem products. Designed to be user-centric through mobile internet, the ecosystem creates a network of long-lasting, and stylish looking smart devices designed to make life easier from Mi Band 3 to the Mi Sphere Camera Kit.
