Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi is a jack of all trades. It makes a variety of connected gadgets, including TVs, toothbrushes, scooters, and even kettles. Yet, we know it mostly as a smartphone maker, and it’s now the fourth-largest in the world. It’s reached those lofty heights thanks to a simple promise: quality hardware at rock-bottom prices, and its flagship Mi 8 lineup is a prime example of that.
Now that Xiaomi is officially selling products in the UK (ahead of a possible attempt to do so in the US), it means we can take a closer look at the phones. The Mi 8 starts at just £459, with the Pro model going for £499. Compared to a base model OnePlus 6T (£499), the Mi 8 offers many of the same specs — Snapdragon 845, dual rear cameras, and more — while also adding infrared face unlock. For the exact same price, the Mi 8 Pro matches the 128GB of storage and in-display fingerprint scanner and throws in an extra 2GB of RAM (8GB in total). So, it’s clear who Xiaomi is trying to compete with here, but are these phones up to the task?
I mostly used the Mi 8 Pro during this review, but you can assume all of the same points apply to the cheaper model unless stated otherwise.
| OS | Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 10 |
| Display | 6.21-inch OLED (2248x1080) 18.7:9 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 |
| Memory | 6 (Mi 8) or 8GB (Pro) |
| Storage | 64/128GB (Mi 8) or 128GB (Pro) |
| Rear Camera | 12MP Sony IMX363 (f/1.8) + 12MP Samsung S5K3m3 telephoto (f/2.4) |
| Front Camera | 20MP (f/2.0) with AI Beautify |
| Battery | 3,400 (Mi 8) or 3,000mAh (Pro) |
| Headphone Jack | No |
| Other | IR face unlock, USB-C, NFC |
| Mi 8 only | Rear fingerprint-scanner |
| Pro only | In-display fingerprint scanner |
| Dimensions | 154.9 x 74.8 x 7.6 mm |
| Weight | 175g (Mi 8) or 177g (Pro) |
| Price | £459 (Mi 8) or £499 (Pro) |
Comments
Post a Comment