Uber cars now deliver smartphones

Hailo may be king of the taxi-app in Ireland but Uber is still more popular in many places around the world. And that might be down to the odd little extras they offer their users.

Today's deal is all about the new Xiaomi smartphone, which is set for release on the 28th of July. It's a 5.7 inch phablet with some high tech specs, Gorilla Glass coating and a 13 megapixel camera. And if you want to get it early, you can have it delivered by Uber.

The offer is only available to folks in Singapore and Malaysia but if you're in those regions you'll be able to pay for the new phone on your credit card and a special car will be sent out with your new phone on the 27th of July, a day before general release. You'll be able to track the progress of the car on your other phone that you're about to abandon and record it all for posterity on social media.

It's all a way to get more attention for Uber and it's a good partnership especially given the increasing popularity of Xiaomi handsets. Uber's penetration worldwide has hit some snags in recent months, with several cities now banning the use of the app, so don't expect to be getting a phone delivered in Ireland any time soon.