Xiaomi has gotten really busy this year. Apart from launching a number of affordable devices in the past few months, the Chinese smartphone maker has just expanded its Mi 8 flagship lineup with two new models. Their new Mi 8 Lite is their new affordable alternative that aims to offer flagship-class photography and gaming experience, while the Mi 8 Pro appears to be a rehash of their Mi 8 Explorer Edition.
Mi 8 Lite
The Mi 8 Lite is a mid-range device that comes with a 6.26″ Full HD+ (2280×1080) LCD that features a slightly narrower notch. Powering the device is a Snapdragon 660 processor that comes with up to 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 128GB of eMMC 5.1 storage.
For better gaming, Xiaomi claims that this is the first Snapdragon 660 powered device that’s capable of supporting Vulkan API on the Chinese version of Arena of Valor. Xiaomi has also worked with Epic Games to optimise the device’s graphics and power efficiency with Unreal Engine based titles.
It has an AI-assisted dual camera setup consisting of a 12MP f/1.9 main camera and a secondary 5MP unit for depth of field effects. Over at the front, the Mi 8 Lite comes with a 24MP selfie camera that support 4-in-1 super pixel feature for better low light performance.
Powering the device is a modest 3,350mAh battery which supports Quick Charge 3.0 via USB-C and it also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The Mi 8 Lite still lacks a headphone jack but you do get a USB-C to 3.5mm audio adapter in the box.
The Mi 8 Lite comes in a variety of colourful options with gradient finishes which are quite similar to Huawei’s P20 and Nova series. In terms of pricing, it appears to compete with the likes of the OPPO F9 and Huawei’s Nova 3i. In China, the Mi 8 Lite is priced as follows:
Mi 8 Lite 4GB RAM + 64GB storage – 1,399CNY (about RM845)
Mi 8 Lite 6GB RAM + 64GB storage – 1,699CNY (about RM1,026)
Mi 8 Lite 6GB RAM + 128GB storage – 1,999CNY (about RM1,207)
Mi 8 Pro
Like the name suggests, the Mi 8 Pro is the ultimate model of the series and it is pretty much the same device as its cool looking Mi 8 Explorer Edition. According to the spec-sheet you still get a similar 6.21″ Full HD+ AMOLED display with a notch and it also runs on a top of the line Snapdragon 845 processor. You can get it with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB of UFS storage, however this Pro edition also comes with a cheaper 6GB RAM option.
In the imaging department, it retains a 12MP f/1.8 + 12MP f/2.4 dual-camera setup which claims to score 105 points for photo on DxOMark Mobile. This is the same score as the standard Mi 8 which scores 99 points overall. The Mi 8 Pro also gets a 20MP selfie camera that comes with a host of AI beautification features.
Instead of typical fingerprint sensor, the Mi 8 Pro features a pressure sensitive in-display fingerprint sensor which is said to be more power efficient. Unlike other in-display sensors that constantly ping the screen to detect if a finger is present, this sensor is activated only when it detects some level of pressure on the screen. On top of that, the Mi 8 Pro also comes with dual-frequency GPS like its standard Mi 8 model.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro comes in Sunset Gold, Black and Transparent Titanium. The base 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model is going for 3,199CNY (about RM1,932) while the top spec 8GB RAM + 128GB storage option is priced at 3,599CNY (about about RM2,173).
