Xiaomi Launches Two New Editions of Mi 8, Starting at 1399 Yuan
After several rounds of warming up, new editions of Mi 8 are finally unveiled at Xiaomi‘s new product launch event in Chengdu on Sept. 19. Added to Xiaomi‘s Mi 8 family are Mi 8 Pro (or Mi 8 Fingerprint Edition) and Mi 8 Lite (or Mi 8 Youth Edition), one high-end model and one lower-tier model for younger customers.
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Mi 8 Pro has similar specifications to the Mi 8 Explorer, featuring a Snapdragon 845 chipset, dual-frequency GPS, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of expandable storage. What is worth noting about Mi 8 Pro are the pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint sensor and IR face unlock that has replaced 3D structure face unlock, claimed to significantly improve the speed and accuracy of the unlocking process.
In additon, Mi 8 Pro comes with two new colors of Ochre Black and Twilight Gold, as well as the transparent back the Mi 8 Explorer comes in. Mi 8 Pro also has a 6.21-inch 1080 x 2248 pixels OLED display, a 12MP f/1.8 + 12MP f/2.4 main camera and a 20MP front-facing camera.
Meanwhile, Mi 8 Lite, a budget version of Mi 8 Explorer, comes with a Snapdragon 660 chipset, a 6.26-inch LCD, and a 12MP f/1.9 + 5MP f/1.9 dual-camera setup. However, it offers a better selfie experience with its higher-res 24MP front-facing camera. It comes in two gradient color finishes – Blue & Purple and Orange & Yellow.
Mi 8 Pro starts at 3,199 yuan ($467) for the 6GB/128GB model and 3,599 yuan for the 8GB/128GB variant, while Mi 8 Lite starts at just 1,399 yuan for a 4GB RAM/64GB storage model. Mi 8 Lite is also available in a 6GB/64GB configuration for 1,699 yuan and a 6GB/128GB variant for 1,999 yuan.
Both devices are available for pre-order starting at 6pm, Sept. 19. The Fingerprint Edition will start shipping on Sept. 21 and the Youth Edition will start shipping on Sept. 25.
