The new Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE are arguably the technology company’s most exciting smartphones of late. And if you’re wondering how to buy them in the Philippines, at prices that are not so different from what you would pay in China now, congratulations — you’ve come to the right place.
(Update, June 12: We just want this highlighted: This is Xiaomi Mi 8’s target official availability in the Philippines.)
The Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE have been listed on Shopee Philippines by one seller for preorder. By that, the seller means the phones will be shipped out within 8 days after payment has been made.
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The base Xiaomi Mi 8 has been priced at P25,590 (about $482) for the white color option with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. It’s the cheapest among the available variants. The most expensive of the bunch, if you absolutely need to have a ton of space for your apps and videos and music? A black Mi 8 sporting 6GB RAM and 256GB of memory for P30,990 ($584). Not bad, actually, especially since the price tag could be a lot worse.
Consider that in China, the Mi 8 starts at ¥2,699 (P22,363 or $421); the unit with 256GB of storage space retails at ¥3,299 (P27,336 or $515). Again, not bad.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 being sold unofficially on Shopee Philippines
As for the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE, it (unofficially) retails at P18,690 ($353) for 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage on Shopee Philippines. The higher-end gray model with 6GB RAM commands a higher premium of P20,390 ($384).
The Mi 8 SE with 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM just went on sale in China this week for ¥1,799 (P14,899 or $281) and ¥1,999 (P16,555 or $312), respectively.
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE unofficially retailing Shopee Philippines
Another thing: The Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE listed on Shopee Philippines right now are not covered by Xiaomi’s official warranty here, meaning if something goes wrong, customers will likely be on their own when it comes to replacing the phones.
The Mi 8 is a decked-out Apple iPhone X clone at less than half the cost, whereas the Mi 8 SE is the first mobile device to feature the potent Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 on the inside. Of course, it’s priced reasonably as well.
SEE ALSO: These are the Xiaomi dealers and service centers in the Philippines
It’s no surprise then that Xiaomi managed to sell out all available Mi 8 units in under two minutes (one minute and 37 seconds, to be exact) in its initial sale period for the Chinese market. It’s unclear how many units were actually sold, and whether the first sellout includes the Mi 8 SE.
Asked when the Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE would be available at authorized online and offline stores in the Philippines, a person familiar with Xiaomi’s domestic plans said the iPhone X lookalikes might arrive as early as July. That’s not a long wait, so all you Mi 8 hopefuls sit tight.
Asked when the Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE would be available at authorized online and offline stores in the Philippines, a person familiar with the company’s local plans said they might arrive as early as July.
Xiaomi Mi 8 specs
- Infrared/3D face unlock
- Fingerprint reader (rear-mounted; front-mounted on the Explorer Edition)
- 6.2-inch OLED display, 2,248 x 1,080 resolution (18.7:9)
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
- 6GB RAM (8GB on the Explorer Edition)
- 64GB/128GB/256GB non-expandable storage
- Dual 12-megapixel rear cameras with LED flash
- 20-megapixel front camera
- 3,400mAh battery with fast charging
- Android 8.1 Oreo
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE specs
- 5.88-inch Super AMOLED display, 1,080 x 2,244 resolution, 18.7:9, 86 percent screen-to-bezel ratio
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor
- 4GB/6GB RAM
- 64GB expandable storage
- Dual: 12 megapixels (f/1.9, 1.4µm, dual-pixel PDAF) + 5 megapixels (f/2.0, 1.12µm), dual-pixel phase-detection auto-focus, LED flash
- 20 megapixels (f/2.0, 2.0µm), 1080p
- Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
- 3,120mAh battery, Li-Po, non-removable
- 18W Quick Charge 3.0
- USB-C port
- Android 8.1 Oreo
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