Uber and Xiaomi team up on phone deliveries

Uber and Xiaomi are working together to deliver smart phones in Singapore and Malaysia. This is first act of collaboration between the ride-hailing phenomenon and the Chinese electronics company which started up in 2010 and is now one of the world’s leading smartphone distributors.

Xiaomi’s international chief Hugo Barra posted the news about the tie-up on his Facebook page on Thursday: “Xiaomi x UBER: Today we’re announcing a unique partnership with Uber for on-demand delivery of the new Mi Note we just launched in Singapore and Malaysia. This is an awesome and first-of-its-kind collaboration between two of the most innovative tech startups in the world. The first sale will happen on July 27.”

Barra then explained how it works: “Ordering a Mi Note follows the exact same process as calling for an Uber — you simply open the Uber app, use the slider at the bottom to select “Xiaomi” (which shows Xiaomi-orange colored Uber cars on the map equipped to deliver the new smartphone), and hit request. Payment will be charged directly to the credit card tied to your Uber account and a Mi Note will be delivered to you within a few minutes.”

Uber regional general manager Mike Brown commented: “The power of the on-demand economy is transforming the consumer experience, and we are excited to take this to another level in Southeast Asia.”