Pardon us for the surge of Xiaomi articles of late — their recent announcements are just too noticeable to look past. Earlier today, the technology company that has drawn so many comparisons to Apple revealed what is perhaps the closest thing we have right now to the iPhone X if it was made by Xiaomi.
READ ALSO: Mi 8 Explorer Edition is Xiaomi’s flashiest, most advanced phone yet
The Mi 8, which skips the Mi 7 moniker in favor of the number 8 to mark Xiaomi’s eighth anniversary, looks like the anniversary iPhone; it’s got high-end specs and no love for the headphone jack; it even uses the same face-scanning technology as the iPhone X. Ever wonder what the best-ever iPhone would look like if it was running the most popular operating system on the planet? Well, wonder no more.
READ ALSO: Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is world’s 1st phone with Snapdragon 710
Around the back, the Xiaomi Mi 8 features a dual-lens module with two 12-megapixel cameras, the second one using a telephoto lens for zooming and taking photos with a blurred background, just like you can on a professional camera.
Walking through the details of the camera module, Xiaomi beams with pride in saying the Mi 8 was awarded an overall rating of 99 by camera-benchmarking site DxOMark, higher than the score of the Mi MIX 2S and iPhone X (both got 97) in the same tests.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 was awarded an overall rating of 99 by camera-benchmarking site DxOMark, higher than the score of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S and Apple iPhone X (both got 97) in the same tests.
The photo quality out of the camera was rated at 105 (DxOMark scores are not out of 100 possible points), a point more than the dual-lens array on the Samsung Galaxy S9+. As always, these ratings are not to be considered gospel, but we do agree with many of the observations published by the website.
For taking crisp selfies with AI beautification and iPhone X-style portrait lighting, there’s a 20-megapixel camera in the notch at the top of the screen. Speaking of, the notch has an infrared-lighting system and camera for unlocking the phone with a glance, even in a dim environment.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 uses the same face-scanning technology as the Apple iPhone X
Animoji, is that you?
The Xiaomi Mi 8’s 6.2-inch OLED display is supplied by Samsung, with always-on functionality and a resolution of 2,248 x 1,080 pixels. The bezels are thin enough to allow for a high screen-to-body ratio, but the screen doesn’t extend all the way to the bottom; for sure, it’s a missed opportunity to take the fight to Apple and every other device manufacturer waging war on bezels.
SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S, cheapest Snapdragon 845 phone in the Philippines, goes on sale June 1
Besides the curious resemblance to the best iPhone available, the Mi 8 notably carries the fastest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 mobile processor mated to 6GB RAM and up to 256GB of non-expandable (bummer!) storage. It’s also the first handset to feature dual-frequency GPS for accurate positioning and reduced signal delays when using location-based services such as Google Maps and Waze.
The included battery is rated at 3,400mAh and supports Qualcomm’s latest — and fastest — Quick Charge 4+ technology. According to the Qualcomm website, devices that support the fast-charging standard can get up to a 50-percent charge after 15 minutes plugged in.
Xiaomi Mi 8 prices and availability
The Xiaomi Mi 8 will become available in its home country of China from June 5 for the base price of ¥2,699 (around P22,155 or $422) for the 64GB storage edition. Versions with 128GB and 256GB storage are priced at ¥2,999 (P24,618 or $468) and ¥3,299 (P27,080 or $515), respectively.
Color options include black, blue, white, and rose gold. For now, there’s no word about the international availability of this device, much more its launch in the Philippines.
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
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