Xiaomi Officially Launches Into UK
Global debut of its flagship Mi 8 Pro outside Greater China. Starting at £499, Mi 8 Pro’s futuristic transparent glass back design is one of the first to feature pressure sensitive in-display fingerprint sensor. The first Authorised Mi Store in UK will soon be opened in Westfield London
Global technology leader Xiaomi enters the UK today with a slew of exciting products at its first ever launch event in the market, highlighting its stunning flagship Mi 8 Pro packed with world-class technology innovations making its global debut outside Greater China. 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 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.
Wang Xiang, Senior Vice President of Xiaomi Corporation, said: “Today we witness a new chapter in Xiaomi’s global expansion journey, underpinned by our global ambitions. We are thrilled to make great strides by announcing our arrival in the UK. By bringing a range of our amazing products at honest pricing we want to offer more choices and let everyone in the UK enjoy a connected simple life through our innovative technology ”
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
First ever Authorised Mi Store in the UK
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter, creator of the world’s most popular mobile photography and art website— TheAppWhisperer.com— TheAppWhisperer platform has been a pivotal cyberspace for mobile artists of all abilities to learn about, to explore, to celebrate and to share mobile artworks. Joanne’s compassion, inclusivity, and humility are hallmarks in all that she does, and is particularly evident in the platform she has built. In her words, “We all have the potential to remove ourselves from the centre of any circle and to expand a sphere of compassion outward; to include everyone interested in mobile art, ensuring every artist is within reach”, she has said. Promotion of mobile artists and the art form as a primary medium in today’s art world, has become her life’s focus. She has presented lectures bolstering mobile artists and their art from as far away as the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea to closer to her home in the UK at Focus on Imaging. Her experience as a jurist for mobile art competitions includes: Portugal, Canada, US, S Korea, UK and Italy. And her travels pioneering the breadth of mobile art includes key events in: Frankfurt, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Paris, Brazil, London. Pioneering the world’s first mobile art online gallery - TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com has extended her reach even further, shipping from London, UK to clients in the US, Europe and The Far East to a global group of collectors looking for exclusive art to hang in their homes and offices. The online gallery specialises in prints for discerning collectors of unique, previously unseen signed limited edition art. Her journey towards becoming The App Whisperer, includes (but is not limited to) working for a paparazzi photo agency for several years and as a deputy editor for a photo print magazine. Her own freelance photographic journalistic work is also widely acclaimed. She has been published extensively both within the UK and the US in national and international titles. These include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Popular Photography & Imaging, dpreview, NikonPro, Which? and more recently with the BBC as a Contributor, Columnist at Vogue Italia and Contributing Editor at LensCulture. Her professional photography has also been widely exhibited throughout Europe, including Italy, Portugal and the UK. She is currently writing several books, all related to mobile art and is always open to requests for new commissions for either writing or photography projects or a combination of both. Please contact her at: [email protected]
