Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro sees Chinese manufacturer officially launch in the UK

Jake Stones Read more November 8, 2018

Xiaomi has announced it’ll finally be officially launching in the UK for the first time ever. The launch comes as part of its focus on the global debut of its flagship phone, the Mi 8 Pro. In the eight years since its creation, Xiaomi has become the fourth largest smartphone maker in the world despite having never made large efforts in Europe or North America. Now it’s expanding that market by officially coming to the UK for trade.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro sees Chinese manufacturer officially launch in the UK

Within the last 12 months, Xiaomi has made strong movements in Western Europe. First launching in Spain last November – where Xiaomi is now the third largest smartphone maker – and then subsequently to Italy and France in May of this year. Now distributing in 74 markets, the tech company is making its “global expansion journey” sincerely noticeable. Vice President Wang Xiang says Xiaomi is “thrilled to make great strides” in officially launching into the UK.

Xiaomi is kicking its UK arrival off with the global debut of its flagship smartphone, the Mi 8 Pro, outside of Greater China. Placed in a similar price range to the OnePlus 6T, Xiaomi’s phone is thought to be a strong contender for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Mi 8 Pro totes two 12-megapixel rear cameras, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and a 6.21in AMOLED screen. It also helps that it’s equipped with a battery stated to last a full day of constant use. Needless to say, this is an impressive phone that comes free from of the heart-stopping price tags seen on the Apple iPhone Xs, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Google Pixel 3.

“Today we witness a new chapter in Xiaomi’s global expansion journey, underpinned by our global ambitions”, said Wang Xiang, SVP of Xiaomi Corporation. “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 ”

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Xiaomi is set to open its first authorised Mi store in one of London’s Westfield shopping centres on the 18 November. The Mi store is set to offer a wide variety of Xiaomi’s “Mi Ecosystem” products, including the affordable Xiaomi Band 3 fitness band, the Mi Sphere Camera, and the Mi Electric Scooter.

It’s fair to say that Xiaomi is coming to the UK with ambition and intensity, as per their mantra. If their products are as well designed and affordable as they claim, they’re sure to succeed in getting it noticed.