Xiaomi officially enters UK market with major retailer backing

[HEXUS]

And it is opening a flagship Mi Store in Westfield London.

Read more.

[jimborae]

Yawn..... will continue to import mine from China or grey importers due to better selection & price differential, which isn't solely due to VAT before anyone asks.

[Firejack]

Most people aren't going to spend the time and effort to find a phone to import from overseas. Calculate the Customs Duty. Or be happy to pay high postage fees for returns. They are willing to pay a little extra for the convenience and that is where a UK market presence makes sense.

[DanceswithUnix]

I've been more put off by the potential hassle of warranty returns. This does make me more likely to buy one of their phones.

[Smudger]

Mi 8 Pro - £499 similar specs to the top Oneplus 6t, not bad...
Mi 8 - £459

https://event.mi.com/uk/sales2018/open-sales

Edit: Blimey, that Pocophone's good value. £349 for an SD845 with 6Gb RAM and 128Gb onboard? Only £20 markup for the extra 64Gb?

[Salazaar]

The scooter is technically illegal to ride anywhere except on private land. It's not legal to ride it on the footway and is classed as not roadworthy for use on the carriageway.

[flearider]

The scooter is technically illegal to ride anywhere except on private land. It's not legal to ride it on the footway and is classed as not roadworthy for use on the carriageway.

plus you will get run down by an old granny in her 30mph go cart ..

[Ttaskmaster]

Well, if their cameras are any good, I may get one. UK shop would make things easier, too.

[Zhaoman]

Had my Mi6 for the last two and a half years and still going strong. Had better than iPhone 7 specs for less than half the price. I see their prices have crept up now but still not bad. Apart from one dodgey update in 2017 that sucked battery and made it run hot and broke the alarm clock (which lasted about 2 weeks until a patch) it has been very satisfactory and battery life still lasts 2 days. I'll probably wait to see if there is any truth to these Surface phone rumours because I'm in no rush to upgrade just yet.

[Moonister]

say goodbye to decent pricing...ladies and gents corporate greed enters the arena

[DanceswithUnix]

Well, if their cameras are any good, I may get one. UK shop would make things easier, too.

Apparently they have a feature where the phone's AI applies makeup to the image for you to look at your best. Not sure what to make of that.

[Ttaskmaster]

say goodbye to decent pricing...ladies and gents corporate greed enters the arena

It's Friday. Go down the pub and stop worrying so much.
Someone else will fill the cheap-phone void, I'm sure...

Apparently they have a feature where the phone's AI applies makeup to the image for you to look at your best. Not sure what to make of that.

I meant the IP type camera....
But since I'll be watching the dogs on it, I know exactly what to make of it - Adding makeup to their faces will be an essential feature!!

My very first pics of my boy were him dressed in the wife's t-shirt and socks, with the caption: "Master has given Doggie clothing. Doggie is a free elf!!"

[Smudger]

say goodbye to decent pricing...ladies and gents corporate greed enters the arena

Did you see the Pocophone?

[jim]

Very glad to see them in the UK finally.

Although the promotional launch of their site today was abysmal.

[jimborae]

Most people aren't going to spend the time and effort to find a phone to import from overseas. Calculate the Customs Duty. Or be happy to pay high postage fees for returns. They are willing to pay a little extra for the convenience and that is where a UK market presence makes sense.

I'd argue it's more than a little extra though, and most people have never heard of Xiaomi in the West. Carrier deals with 3 etc will assist with brand recognition but why go with Xiaomi over the likes of One+ & Honor when they offer a similarly compelling product with arguably better software & support. They need to do what One+ & Honor did in the beginning and have a compelling product that totally undercut all the opposition and build brand loyalty. That's what they've done in India to a certain extent except I'd say they hit that market on a much larger scale with products that were suitable and compellingly priced for that market.

The Poco phone I dont think is right for a Western market as it has no NFC, not required in India or China at that price point but it is in the West. One+ didn't get huge (relatively) over here till the 3 which had the right specs for the market at an unbelievable price. Xiaomi though do have much bigger muscle to put behind the marketing machine and that maybe their saving grace.

[jimborae]

Did you see the Pocophone?

Wrong phone for the wrong market I'd say. No NFC or Widevine L1 support so no Netflix HD support among others.

Don't get me wrong though I love Xiaomi products and have been using them for years, I just think they've taken a bit of a mis-step with this brand & product launch. Time will tell and & wish them well and Wilkin Lee knows a thing or two about generating product buzz from his time at Honor.