After months of waiting, the Xiaomi Mi 8 has finally been unveiled today by the company during the annual product launch event in China. The company also revealed two more variants of the handset – Mi 8 Explorer Edition and Mi 8 SE. First, let’s talk about the Xiaomi Mi 8.
Xiaomi Mi 8 Specs
As was expected, the handset comes with a slim profile and a notch display. The notch, similar to the iPhone X, houses several sensors. The Mi 8 sports a 6.21-inch AMOLED display, full HD+ resolution, 88.5% screen-to-body ratio and 18:7:9 aspect ratio.
The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor. According to the Chinese company, its latest flagship scored 301,472 on the AnTuTu benchmarking test. The 6GB RAM and 64GB version is priced at CNY 2,699 ($421), the 6GB RAM and 128GB variant costs CNY 2,999 ($468) and the 256GB version will set you back CNY 3,299 ($515).
Talking of the camera, it is fitted with a 20-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture. Similar to the Redmi S2 and Mi 6X, Xiaomi’s latest flagship has an AI camera supporting AI portrait selfies, and AI Beautify. Further, it has a 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel AI dual camera at the back with Dual pixel autofocus, AI portraits, AI scene detection, and video editing. Also, the handset boasts of the iPhone X-like Studio Lighting mode.
Xiaomi Mi 8 Features
Xiaomi Mi 8 sports a fingerprint scanner on the back and comes with NFC support. The company claims that its in-screen fingerprint scanner, which is similar to Vivo X21, is faster than Vivo’s. Further, the notch houses an Infrared Face Unlock that allows users to unlock the phone just by looking at the screen. The Face Unlock feature works even in the dark, and the company claims that it can’t be misled by a photo or video of the person.
The handset is equipped with dual GPS technology, which is claimed to give more accurate locations, reduce signal delays, and make navigation super fast. The better results are because the technology eliminates radio disturbances from buildings.
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
Along with the 6.21-inch variant, Xiaomi also unveiled the Mi 8 SE with a smaller 5.88-inch screen and a notch on the front. It has a display resolution of 2240 x 1080 pixels and 18.7: 9 aspect ratio. The handset is fitted with a fingerprint scanner at the back. The smaller variant is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 SoC and sports a 12-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual-rear camera.
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE has a 3120 mAh battery and a 2.5D curved glass design. The handset will be available in four color options – Red, Blue, Gold and Black. The 4GB RAM+64GB SE version is priced at CNY 1,799 ($281), while the 6GB+64GB costs CNY 1,999 ($312).
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Xiaomi also launched a special Explorer Edition, which comes with a transparent back panel, 3D face recognition tech and in-display fingerprint sensor. This special edition handset comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB on-board storage, and is priced at CNY 3,699 ($577).
Release Date
In China, the Xiaomi Mi 8 will be available for purchase starting June 5, while the SE version will hit the shelves on June 8. The Explorer Edition will come later. As of now, the Chinese company has not revealed the pricing and the launch date for other markets.
All the three Mi 8 phones run on MIUI 10 out of the box (based on the Android 8.0 Oreo). The MIUI 10 gets a new layout, and the company promises to bake AI in the new custom ROM. The company claims that the use of AI will help reduce the app load time to zero. Further, the OS also gets the ability to control smart home devices.
Xiaomi also introduces a new task manager with MIUI 10 to leverage the full screen. The new task manager makes full use of the screen space along with adding full-screen space gestures. Now, users can delete tasks with a simple swipe and use a long press to get more options. The company has promised to add more gestures going forward.
Xiaomi also unveiled its voice assistant, similar to Siri and Alexa. Xiaomi’s voice assistant is capable of reading messages, traffic updates and more. The Chinese company also used the event to launch a Mi VR headset, Mi TV in 75-inches and new Mi Band. The standalone VR headset has been made in partnership with Oculus, while the Mi TV boasts of an ultra-thin design, 2GB RAM, 32GB onboard storage and 4K HDR display. The Mi band has a 0.78-inch OLED display and is priced at CNY 169 ($26).
