Xiaomi added to the line of Mi 8 devices with the launch of Mi 8 Pro and Mi 8 Lite in China on Wednesday. With a transparent back variant and in-display fingerprint sensor, the Mi 8 Pro could be the global variant of Mi 8 Explorer, which is a high-end trim of the Mi 8. On the other hand, the Mi 8 Lite has been placed below Mi 8 SE as a lower mid-range offering.
The Mi 8 Pro has been priced at CNY 3199 (Rs 33,800) for the 6GB variant, whereas the 8GB variant has been priced at CNY 3,599 (Rs 38,000). The 4GB/64GB variant of the Mi 8 Lite comes with a price tag of CNY 1,399 (Rs 14,800), whereas the 6GB/64GB variant will cost CNY 1,699 (Rs 18,000). The high end 6GB/128GB variant has been priced at CNY 1,999 (Rs 21,000). The devices are available for pre-order starting today, whereas shipping for Mi 8 Pro will begin from September 21, and that for Mi 8 Lite from September 25.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro comes equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 coupled with 8GB or 6GB of RAM, and not just 8GB as in the case of Mi 8 Explorer Edition. The internal storage is 128GB, but without any microSD card slot for expansion. The Mi 8 Pro has a Super AMOLED 6.21-inch screen with a notch at top, a screen-to-body ratio of 83.8 per cent, and resolution of 1080x2248 pixels.
At the back, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro has a dual camera setup with two 12MP sensors. One of the sensors sits under a lens with f/1.8 aperture and comes with 4-axis optical image stabilisation and phase detection auto focus. The second sensor has f/2.4 aperture and double optical zoom. The front camera is a 20MP snapper with f/2.0 aperture.
The feature to look out for is the pressure sensitive underscreen fingerprint sensor which has been seen on the Mi 8 Explorer Edition. In Mi 8 Pro, the 3D face recognition has been replaced with IR facial recognition, though. Buyers can opt for a transparent back option, along with two other colour options.
The physical fingerprint sensor has been retained in the Mi 8 Lite and can be found at the back of the device. The colour options are twilight gold, deep space grey and dream blue with gradient pattern.
Edited by Vivek Punj