Finally, after several rumors and speculations, the latest flagships from Xiaomi are official. The Chinese smartphone maker has announced their latest flagship smartphones from the Mi-series. The devices dubbed as the Mi 8, Mi 8 Explorer Edition and Mi 8 SE were unveiled at their annual launch event to celebrate their 8th anniversary. There is no Mi 7 as previously rumored but this is definitely the next-gen Xiaomi smartphone offering that follows up the Mi 6. Apart from this, the company also announced the Mi Band 3, MIUI 10, MI VR Standalone and Mi TV 4 75” at the event.
Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition
The Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition feature similar specifications but differ in terms of design. Both devices pack the same 6.21-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with DCI-P3 color gamut, a resolution of 2248 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. Both the devices sport a notch at the top which houses a 20MP front camera, proximity sensor, earpiece, and infrared sensor. The Mi 8 features dual-frequency GPS that promises accurate navigation compared to other smartphones.
In terms of performance, both Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition is powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with Adreno 630 GPU. In terms of memory, the Mi 8 will be available in three variants – 6GB + 64GB, 6GB + 128GB and 6GB + 256GB. The Mi 8 Explorer Edition has been launched with 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Both devices offer LPDDR4X RAM.
Talking about cameras both the phones feature a dual camera set up at the back consisting of a 12MP primary camera with f/1.8 aperture, 1.4µm pixel size, 26mm wide-angle lens, 4-axis OIS, Optical zoom and a secondary 12MP camera with f/2.4 aperture, 2X zoom, and 1.0µm pixel size. On the front, they sport a 20MP selfie camera with AI support for portrait shots.
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Fueling up the Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition are 3,400mAh and 3,000mAh battery respectively, with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0. While the Mi 8 features IR Face Unlock, the Explorer Edition supports 3D Face Unlock. Connectivity options on the devices include Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11ac, Dual frequency GPS, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and a USB Type-C port. Both devices offer all the basic sensors required.
The main difference between these two phones is the placement of fingerprint sensors. While the Mi 8 features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition is equipped with an in-display fingerprint sensor. Both the devices run on Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9 skin on top. They will, however, receive the MIUI 10 update soon! Additionally, the Explorer Edition has a transparent back panel, allowing you to see some of the internals of the device.
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
The Mi 8 SE is another mid-tier flagship from Xioami. The phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9 skin on top and will get the MIUI 10 update soon. It features a 5.88-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a notch, a resolution of 2248 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18.7:9, similar to the Mi 8. Also, this phone houses a notch but there is no IR or 3D Face Scanner.
Powering the device is a recently launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC coupled with an Adreno 616 GPU. Mi 8 SE is the first device to offer the Snapdragon 710 chipset. In terms of memory, the device will be available in two variants: 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6BG RAM + 64GB storage.
In the camera department, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE features an AI-backed dual camera setup. It consists of a 12MP primary camera with an f/1.9 aperture along with a 5MP secondary camera with f/2.0 aperture. On the front, the device sports a 20MP selfie camera with AI portrait support.
Fueling the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is a 3,120mAh non-user removable battery. The phone also supports Quick Charge 3.0 support and features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Connectivity options on the device include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, USB Type-C port, GPS and Bluetooth 5.0.
Price and availability
The pricing of these three phones are as follows:
Xiaomi Mi 8 Anniversary Edition
- Xiaomi Mi 8 6GB RAM + 64 GB storage: 2,699 RMB ($421)
- Mi 8 6GB RAM +128 GB storage: 2,999 RMB ($468)
- 6GB RAM + 256 GB storage: 3,299 RMB ($515)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
- 8GB RAM + 256GB storage: 3,699 RMB ($577)
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
- 4GB RAM + 64 GB Storage: 1,799 RMB ($280)
- 6GB RAM + 128 GB storage: 1,999 RMB ($312)
The pricing of these phones is extremely competitive. The Xiaomi Mi 8 is due to release in China on June 5! While the compact Mi 8 SE is due to be released a couple of days later on June 8. Meanwhile, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition is due to be launched later, a specific date hasn’t been announced yet. These devices are also expected to launch very soon in Nepal as well. If the pricing goes right, it will be a direct competition to the OnePlus 6.
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