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Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi 8 SE, and Mi 8 Explorer Edition are official: Top-of-the-line hardware, affordable pricing

By Peter Kostadinov

Updated: May 31, 2018, 6:17 AM

50comments

Android Xiaomi

One of China's biggest smartphone makers, Xiaomi, today unveiled its latest flagship lineup to commemorate its 8th-year anniversary. Consisting of the Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi 8 SE, and Mi 8 Explorer Edition, it's quite an adequate answer to all the iPhone X, LG G7, Huawei P20, and OnePlus 6 devices of the world.

Xiaomi Mi 8

The Xiaomi Mi 8 is almost a carbon copy of the iPhone X with its mostly glass body, vertical dual camera, and wide notch which houses a slew of sensors, the front-facing camera, and the earpiece. Aside from a notch, the phone has a slight chin at the bottom which makes up for an asymmetrical look. We guess the more unique looks of the Mi Mix series will remain exclusive to that lineup and won't transcede to the flagship Mi series of devices, which will have to remain a sign of the times - a brazen, shameless copy of the iPhone X but with a different logo at the back.

However, in terms of specs, the device doesn't disappoint at all. A notched 6.21" Samsung AMOLED display with an Always-On functionality and a FHD+ resolution of 1080 by 2248 pixels proudly sits at the front, flaunting its 88.5% screen-to-body ratio and up to 600 nits of brightness. Below ticks a Snapdragon 845, aided by 6GB of RAM, and available with 64, 128, or 256GB of storage. Xiaomi boasts that the Mi 8 hits 301,472 in AnTuTu, which sets a new record. The notch also houses infrared sensors and camera that's used to 3D scan your face and allows you to easily unlock it even in the dark.

Camera-wise, we have two 12MP cameras at the back with bit 1.4um pixels and 4-axis OIS. There's dual-pixel autofocus and AI-aided portrait mode. The AI is also used for scene detection. Up front, we get a 20MP front camera with 1.8um pixels and AI selfies and various beauty modes. Here's a camera comparison against the iPhone X and the Huawei P20 released by Xiaomi:

Another noteworthy feature is the dual-frequency GPS on board, which is much more precise than the common single-frequency GPS solutions and works much better in metropolitan areas. You can read more about that one right here.

The 64GB version costs CNY2,699 (~$421), the 128GB will sell for CNY2,999 (~$468), while the top 256GB one will be up for grabs for CNY3,299 (~$515).

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE

The Mi 8 SE is also the first device in the world sporting the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset. Aside from that, the phone comes with a 5.88" AMOLED display and a 12MP+5MP rear-camera combo.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition

The Mi 8 Explorer Edition is undoubtedly the most interesting version of the Mi 8, and it's also the most spec'd-out. The highlight here? Of course, that'd be the in-display fingerprint scanner, which makes Xiaomi one of the first manufacturers to employ this up and coming technology on a device of its own, joining the ranks of Huawei.

This version of the Mi 8 will also come with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage at the very special price of CNY3,699 ($577).

Oh, and probably the coolest aspect of the phone is its translucent back which lets you take a peek at its insides. That really is a trend we hope catches on - industrial design elevated to new levels of cool!

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Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.