Xiaomi releases its first smartphone in the UK to rival Apple and Samsung complete with a unique glass rear case that shows off its components

Company announced its Mi 8 Pro flagship phone will go on sale today Xiaomi is already the fourth largest smartphone maker in the world New smartphone will start at £499 as part of a strategy it calls 'honest pricing' This is the first time the company has released the phone outside China Xiaomi have launched their first smartphone in the UK to rival Apple and Samsung ahead of opening up a store in London.

  The Mi 8 Pro flagship phone will go on sale in the UK today - the first time the device has been available outside China. Xiaomi is already the fourth largest smartphone maker in the world by market share, behind only Samsung, Huawei and Apple. The UK shop will open in Westfield shopping centre, which also has an Apple store, and will sell other gadgets including fitness trackers and electric scooters. The Mi 8 Pro has a unique glass rear case which shows some of the phones components and includes a fingerprint sensor built into the 6.2 inch AMOLED screen, and dual 12-megapixel cameras. It uses the Snapdragon 845 processor and runs on a customised version of Google's Android operating system.