Xiaomi’s stunning flagship Mi 8 has landed on Malaysian shores. The beautifully-crafted device packs punchy hardware including the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 845 chip and a great 12MP AI dual-camera system, amongst other things.
The Mi 8 is offered in two configurations: 6GB RAM + 64GB of storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB of storage. Both come in three colour options – Black, Blue and White (to be available in September).
Just like the latest crop of flagship devices, the Mi 8 boasts the most powerful SoC in Qualcomm’s stable – the Snapdragon 845 with Artificial Intelligence Engine (AIE) and Adreno 630 graphics.
Compared to the last generation processor, the Snapdragon 845 delivers a 30 percent performance increase while consuming 30 percent less power.
In the optics department, Xiaomi says the Mi 8 has the best camera ever on its smartphones. The 12MP AI dual-camera, as seen on the brilliant Mi MIX 2S is mighty impressive, scoring 105 in the photo score on DxOMark.
The device’s selfie camera punches some weight too – a 20MP unit with pixel binning technology that combines four pixels into one large 1.8-micron pixel for better photos in low light.
The top-notch hardware is complemented by AI-enabled Studio Lighting as well as Xiaomi’s AI Beautify 5.0.
The Mi 8 also features face unlocking with an infrared camera paired with a dedicated infrared illuminator. This enables accurate face unlocking even in a pitch black environment.
The display, by the way, is a bright 6.21-inch FHD+ AMOLED full screen display with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The display delivers an 86.68 percent screen-to-body ratio.
The device also happens to be the first smartphone in the world to adopt dual-frequency GPS, supporting both L1 and L5 bands. This enables super-accurate navigation.
In the battery department, the Mi 8 packs a 3,400mAh battery that charges up via USB Type-C and it supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+.
Pricing and availability
The Mi 8 6GB RAM + 64GB of storage is priced at MYR1,599 and will be available from 16 August via Lazada and Shopee. Meanwhile the Mi 8 6GB RAM + 128GB of storage model sells for MYR1,899 (available from 18 August at authorised Mi Stores, Lazada and Shopee).
Initial thoughts
Following the launch of the Mi A2, it’s a little strange why Xiaomi Malaysia has decided to be whisper quiet with the release of its flagship device.
Nonetheless, the showstopper is priced shockingly “below the belt,” putting it in the same breath as the new ASUS ZenFone 5z flagship.
Now that the Mi 8 is here, this or the ZenFone 5z?
