Xiaomi has launched the Mi 8 series of phones in China recently. They are the Mi 8 (the flagship model), the Mi 8 SE (lower specs, smaller phone size) and the Mi 8 Explorer Edition (highest specs). Looking at the naming convention and the specs, it is definitely following the Apple trend closely.
At first glance, you might have mistaken the Mi 8 for the Apple iPhone X because of the wide notch. And if you have seen the videos of the phone, you will realize that Xiaomi has also taken the cue from Apple on some of the features.
- Face ID
- Animoji
- Studio lighting
However, looking at the specs, the 6.21-inch (with OLED) Xiaomi Mi 8 also has unique features like Dual GPS (not sure how it works though), 20MPX front-facing camera, AI camera and etc. Specs-wise, the Mi-8 has Snapdragon 845 and comes with max 6 GB RAM + 256 GB storage (you can choose from 64/128/256 GB storage). On the Mi 8 Explorer Edition, it has a transparent back and an on-screen fingerprint sensor but with 8 GB RAM +128 GB storage.
Xiaomi has also “copied” Apple in the naming of their smaller, cheaper and lower specs version of the Mi 8 by naming it the Mi 8 SE. Not sure why they would want to do it. I really don’t see a need to do so.
Anyway, these 3 phones are only available in the China market as of now. The Xiaomi Mi 8 will be available from 5th June at 2,699 yuan (approx. USD420) and the SE from the 8th June at 1,799 yuan (approx. USD280). The Explorer Edition will be available at later date with a price tag starting from 3,699 yuan (approx. USD577).
Click Here to Check Out the Xiaomi Mi 8 (in Chinese)
or
Click Here to Check Out the Xiaomi Mi 8 Specs (in Chinese)
If you want to see the launch event, I have found a video that is very interesting. Check it out below.
There is no mention if the phone will come to other markets or not. Based on past experiences, some retailers will definitely be bringing in these phones as export sets.