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Uber's next PR stunt is delivering Xiaomi phones

Lyft users might get free Starbucks coffee, but certain Uber users can get a high-end Xiaomi smartphone delivered to their door, at least for a day. If you're in Singapore and Malaysia, you can order the 5.7-inch QuadHD Xiaomi Mi Note directly from the Uber app and get it delivered like some kind of high-tech pizza. Your Uber credit card will be charged for the phone and you'll be able to follow the special orange-colored vehicle as it heads your way. The deal is only good for one day, July 27th, but that's a day ahead of the official launch, briefly giving you bragging rights.

PR stunt? Sure, but Uber is anxious to make deliveries profitable using its huge driver network, and hasn't had much luck yet. Companies in the US like Sprint are now delivering smartphones straight to subscribers, complete with technicians to set them up. Given that, we'd not be surprised if Uber starts doing more Amazon-style deliveries in the US and elsewhere. As for Xiaomi, it's doubtful the Mi Note will ever come to the US or Europe, but the company did say that it would come to more markets soon. The tie-up is interesting from another angle, because Xiaomi recently stole Uber's crown as the world's move valuable startup.