Xiaomi is launching its brand new Mi Note, but not in the way you expect it to.
Hardcore Xiaomi fans will be familiar with the online flash sales the China-based company is well known for, but this time, the electronics distributor will be collaborating with private transportation company Uber to have an exclusive pre-launch flash sale on the Uber app itself.
The pre-flash sale flash sale will go live on July 27 in Singapore and Malaysia — a full day before it launches on the official Xiaomi website. This means that hardcore Mi fans will need to download the Uber app to get ahead of the curve.
To gain access to the exclusive pre-flash sale, fans just need to open up the Uber app, and use the slider at the bottom of the screen to select “Xiaomi”. This will reveal orange colored Uber cars on the map equipped to deliver the new smartphone to you. Payment for the Mi Note will be charged directly to the credit card tied to the user’s Uber account.
And just like that, you’ll get the brand new Mi Note in minutes, one day before (almost) everyone else.
Steve Vickers, General Manager, Xiaomi Southeast Asia, said: “We are truly excited to bring Mi Note, Xiaomi’s most beautifully designed flagship, to Singapore and Malaysia. Partnering with Uber for a pre-launch flash sale means Mi fans can get their hands on the new Mi Note faster than ever before, and in an innovative and convenient way.”
Seems like Uber is branching out to much more than just transporting people from place to place, adding smartphone deliveries — and, rumour has it, ice cream delivery — to their repertoire as well.
Uber appears to have some tricks up its sleeve to deal with the stiff competition that the launch of GrabCar has given them, and if same-day delivery for smartphones are involved, then I’m definitely in.