Xiaomi launches transparent phone

Xiaomi Corp unveiled a flagship smartphone with a transparent glass back panel on Thursday, as the world's fourth-largest smartphone maker by shipments started putting finishing touches to its mega-sized Hong Kong initial public offering.

Priced up to 3,699 yuan ($578), the Mi 8 Explorer Edition is equipped with a transparent glass back panel that allows consumers to peek into the insides of the phone. The move is part of Xiaomi's broader push to build up its image as a pioneer keen to experiment with cutting-edge smartphone design.

Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, said it is also the first Android smartphone that comes with infrared cameras for face unlocking and gesture controls, a method that is used in its rival Apple Inc's iPhone X.