Xiaomi has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone called the Mi 8. The device will land in China on June 5th and, from the looks of it, those who can’t afford the $1,000 iPhone X might want to consider this device.
The Mi 8 packs a 6.21-inch OLED 2248×1080 display with a notch at the top that looks similar to the shape and size of the iPhone X’s. Under the hood sits a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and a 3400mAh battery. Android Oreo serves as the software with Xiaomi’s usual skin on top, while dual 12MP sensors sit on the back as a 20MP lens sits on the front. For security, Xiaomi placed a fingerprint sensor on the back.
There’s also a special Explorer Edition of the Mi 8 that will be for sale. Since the device is made of glass, Xiaomi says it was able to create a transparent version of the device that reveals the phone’s internals, similar to HTC’s U12 Plus. The special edition also comes with an in-display fingerprint reader that uses pressure sensitivity to read your finger. There’s also 3D facial recognition, likely a version of Apple’s Face ID. However, it’s unclear exactly how accurate the technology is so we’ll need to wait until people get a hold of the phone before many any predictions.
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All of this sits in a body that looks strikingly similar to the iPhone X. The camera array is positioned the same on the back, the notch at the top of the screen looks familiar, and the entire body is glass. There are some differentiating factors like the chin below the display, but other than this, you can basically say the Mi 8 is the Android version of the iPhone X.
That being said, the price is in no way the same. Whereas Apple’s phone costs $999, the Xiaomi Mi 8 will start at just about $421 when it launches in China. For the Explorer Edition with its transparent back and advanced biometrics, it’ll cost you around $577 which isn’t a bad price either. And for what you get with the phone, you can’t really beat the value.
Update 5-31-2018 2:08 PM: Updated to reflect actual product image and information.
