We're deep in new flagship season, and today Xiaomi took part by unveiling its latest high-end smartphone.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 is another smartphone that gets in on the display notch trend. Inside that notch is a 20MP front-facing camera with a 1.8μm pixel size, proximity sensor, earpiece, and a combo of infrared lighting and an infrared lens for face unlock that works in the dark. The display itself is a 6.21-inch 2248x1080 AMOLED panel from Samsung.
Around back there's a dual rear camera setup with two 12MP sensors. The main 12MP sensor has a wide angle lens, optical image stabilization, 1.4 μm pixel size, and an f/1.8 aperture, while the second 12MP sensor is a telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. Xiaomi touts that the Mi 8 earned a score of 99 from camera testing group DxOMark, the same as the Galaxy S9+ and higher than phones like the Pixel 2 and iPhone X.
Inside the Mi 8 is a Snapdragon 845 processor paired with 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. A 3400mAh battery powers the whole phone, and recharging is done over USB Type-C. Also of note is that there's a fingerprint reader on the back of the phone and a dual-frequency GPS that Xiaomi says will increase the location accuracy of the Mi 8.
The Mi 8 will be available in China starting at 2699 yuan ($421 USD) for the 6GB/64GB model and going up to 2999 yuan ($468 USD) for the 6GB/128GB model and 3299 yuan ($515 USD) for the 6GB/256GB version.
Also announced today is a limited edition version of the Mi 8 called the Mi 8 Explorer Edition. It adds an in-display fingerprint sensor and a 3D Face Unlock feature that uses "advanced structured light technology". The back of the phone features a transparent design that shows the internals of the device.
The Mi 8 Explorer Edition will launch in China in July with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 3699 yuan ($577 USD) price tag.
Finally, there's the Mi 8 SE. This device has a design that's similar to the standard Mi 8 but with a smaller 5.88-inch 2244x1080 AMOLED display. It's also the first phone with a Snapdragon 710 processor.
Other specs of the Mi 8 SE include a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 5MP sensors, a 20MP front-facing camera, up to 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The battery in the Mi 8 SE is a bit smaller than the one in the Mi 8, measuring in at 3120mAh. The price tag is smaller, too, starting at 1799 yuan ($281 USD) for the 4GB/64GB model and going up to 1999 yuan ($312 USD) for the 6GB/64GB version.
