Xiaomi Announces Mi 8 Pro With an Under-Display Fingerprint Reader

Alongside the recently unveiled Mi 8 Lite, Xiaomi has announced another version of its flagship Mi 8, called Mi 8 Pro.

The phone was launched at an event alongside the low-spec Mi 8 Lite. The pro version has an under-display fingerprint sensor and even has a transparent back option like the Mi 8 Explorer Edition.

Mi 8 Pro has flagship-level features and brings notable improvements over the previous Mi 8 duo. Read on for details.

Design & Display

Xiaomi’s latest phone has a familiar notched design and looks quite similar to the Mi 8 duo. This one, however, has a gradient colored design on a premium glass body, with an under-display fingerprint sensor.

As compared to the Mi 8 Explorer Edition, the under-display fingerprint sensor on this one has been improved – Xiaomi says that it’s 29% faster and 8.8% more accurate.

In addition to the in-display fingerprint reader, the Mi 8 Pro also has an IR facial recognition unit on the front, just like the Mi 8, so you can switch between the two unlocking methods on the fly.

The display, in addition to other internals, is almost identical to the base Mi 8. It’s a 6.21-inch Super AMOLED panel with FHD+ (1080 x 2248) resolution.

Hardware & Storage

Internal specs are the same as Mi 8. A top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 runs the show, with two RAM options of 6 and 8 GB. The Mi 8 Explorer Edition only had one 8 GB version, so this new model adds another 6 GB option.

Internal storage is the same for both RAM options, at 128 GB.

Camera & Software

Mi 8 Pro gets the best camera set up offered by Xiaomi on a smartphone. There are two cameras on the rear, both cameras shoot 12 MP photos but at f/1.8 for the primary one and f/2.4 for the secondary shooter respectively. The set up also has OIS and lossless optical zoom on board.

On the front, a single 20 MP selfie camera sits within the notch. It has a f/2.0 aperture, with all the latest AI beautification and portrait mode features. The software is Android 8.1 Oreo, with Xiaomi’s latest MIUI 10 skin on top.

Battery, Price, & Availability

Moving on the battery, Mi 8 Pro has a decent 3,400 mAh unit with fast charging support. It has a transparent back, but is also available in two normal color variants of Twilight Gold and Ochre Black – both have gradient designs.

Pricing is at CNY 3199 (~Rs. 57,000) for 6/128 GB model and CNY 3599 (~Rs. 65,000) for 8/128 GB variant. Pre-orders will begin soon, while the phone will hit the shelves at September 21 across China.

Mi 8 Pro Specifications

• CPU: 4x 2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x 1.8 GHz Kryo 385 Silver
  
• GPU: Adreno 630
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
• OS: Android 8.0 Oreo-based MIUI 10
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G
• Design:
  • In-display Fingerprint scanner
  • 3D facial recognition using Infrared based facial recognition
• Display: 6.21″ Samsung AMOLED 18.7:9 display with Full HD+ (2248 x 1080) resolution
• Memory: 
  • RAM: 6/8 GB
  • Internal: 128 GB
  • Card slot: No
• Camera:
  • Primary: 12 MP + 12 MP, dual pixel phase detection autofocus, 4-axis OIS, dual-LED dual-tone flash
  • Secondary: 20 MP, facial recognition using infrared
• Connectivity: NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS
• Battery: 3,400 mAh with Quick Charge 4+ and Qi Wireless charging