Through the Shenzhen event today, Xiaomi announced the all new Xiaomi Mi 8 series of smartphones. The Xiaomi Mi 8 has arrived as the 8th anniversary phone of the company while the Mi 8 Explorer Edition is a limited edition phone with advanced features. The Mi 8 SE is the first smartphone ever to feature the Snapdragon 710 chipset and it carries a mid-range pricing.
Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition Specifications and Features
The Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition are packed with the same specs. However, apart from the advanced features available on the Mi 8 Explorer Edition, the only other differences available on the limited-edition phone are more amount of RAM and smaller battery.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 features glass panels on front and rear sides with a metallic frame flanked in between. The handset measures 154.9 x 74.8 x 7.6mm and it weighs 177 grams. It can be availed in colors like Black, White, Gold and Blue.
The handset houses a 6.21-inch Super AMOLED screen that offers an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. The screen offers Full HD+ resolution of 2248 x 1080 pixels. The display features available on the Mi 8 include DCI-P3 color gamut, HDR, Always-On Display, 60000:1 contrast ratio, up to 600nits brightness and Eye protection mode.
The Snapdragon 845 and 6 GB of RAM powers the Xiaomi Mi 8. It comes in multiple storage choices like 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. The handset lacks a microSD card slot. It is fueled by 3,400mAh battery. It is enabled with support for Quick Charge 4+ fast charging but lacks wireless charging. The MIUI 10 flavored Android 8.1 Oreo is preloaded on the smartphone.
The 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 primary sensor present in the dual camera setup has features like f/1.8 aperture, pixel size of 1.4micron, 4-axis OIS, optical zoom and dual autofocus. The secondary camera in the dual camera setup is of 12-megapixel that has an aperture of f/2.4. For enhanced photography experience, Xiaomi has included plenty of AI features such Studio Lighting portrait photography, AI scene detection and video editing.
Placed inside the notch of the smartphone is 20-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture. It offers features like big pixel size of 1.8micron, AI portrait selfies and AI beauty.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 has arrived as the first smartphone ever in the world to feature support for dual-frequency GPS which makes it possible to carry out navigation accurately even when there are interfering objects like building and weak signal strength. The other connectivity features available on the smartphone include dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 and 3.5mm audio jack.
For security, the Mi 8 is equipped with a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. Also, the infrared lens available in the notch brings support for infrared face unlock.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition has the specs as the Mi 8, but it features 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage and 3,000mAh battery. A highly pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint reader is available on the phone that can authenticate and unlock the phone by gentle touch.
Also, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition is the first Android phone ever to feature 3D facial recognition as it features complex Face ID sensors in its notch like the iPhone X. Xiaomi has also included its version of animated emojis that can create 3D characters that can mimic the expressions and voice of the user. Lastly, it features a translucent rear that gives a view of the inner components.
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE Specifications and Features
Like the Mi 8, the SE edition also features metal and glass combination body. It has a smaller S-AMOLED display of 5.88 inches that offers a screen-to-body ratio of 86.12 percent and the same features that are available on the Mi 8. The handset can be bought in colors like Gray, Gold Blue and Red.
The Snapdragon 710 driven Mi 8 SE comes in 4 GB and 6 GB RAM editions. Both models feature 64 GB of storage. For photography, it is fitted with a 12-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera setup and a selfie snapper of 20-megapixel. There is a 3,120mAh battery inside the phone. It is also loaded with Android 8.1.0 that is modified with MIUI 10.
Xiaomi Mi 8 Series Pricing and Availability
The Xiaomi variants featuring 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB storage are respectively priced at 2,699 (~Rs. 28,150) Yuan, 2,999 Yuan (~Rs. 31,280) and 3,299 Yuan (~Rs. 34,400). The pre-orders of the phone have already started in China. Its shipments will begin on June 4.
The Chinese manufacturer is yet to confirm on the availability of the Mi 8 Explorer Edition. The company has revealed that the smartphone would be available with a price tag of 3,699 Yuan (~Rs 36,580). The 4 GB and 6 GB RAM editions of the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE are respectively priced at 1,799 Yuan (~Rs. 18,730) and 1,999 Yuan (~Rs. 20,850). The sales of the Mi 8 SE will start on June 8.
