Video: Xiaomi Mi 8 SE to launch in India and more tech news EA is conducting the biggest gaming convention of the year, E3 2018; Xiaomi's Mi 8 SE is coming to India as Mi 8i, Mi Band 3 to launch along with the new smartphone and HTC Desire 12 and HTC Desire 12+ goes on sale in India at Rs 15,800 and Rs 19,790 respectively. Watch more in this episode of Daily Tech Wrap with Danny D'Cruze.<doc-sep>Xiaomi's latest flagship family takes on the flagship from Last year. Is it a worthy upgrade? We find out. Xiaomi has been making a lot of headlines recently for its 8th-anniversary celebrations, which commenced by the company launching not one, but three different versions of their 2018 flagship, the Xiaomi Mi 8. A lower spec’d, cheaper version of the flagship is the Mi 8 SE, and a top-end, Mi 8 Explorer edition which boasts of a first-of-its-kind transparent glass back. In today’s comparison, we put the Mi 8 and the Mi 8 SE against the last year flagship for Xiaomi, Mi 6. Mi 8 vs Mi 8 SE vs Mi 6: Price in India The Mi 6 was never officially launched in India and we do hope that changes with the Mi 8 family. The Mi 6 sells in other markets at roughly a price of Rs. 24,000 and the Mi 8 SE is expected to be priced around the same lines. The Mi 8 could cost you a bit more, roughly around Rs 29,000. Mi 8 vs Mi 8 SE vs Mi 6: Design, Display Despite their lower price points, all three of these devices feature premium construction which has become Xiaomi’s trademark. All three of these devices feature a glass body wrapped around by a metal frame. The Mi 6 featured a fingerprint scanner below the display at the front, whereas the Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE come with rear-mounted fingerprint scanners, owing to their extra-tall displays. The Mi 6 featured a standard 16:9 5.15-inch IPS LCD screen with FHD resolution. Both the Mi 8 and the Mi 8 SE come with HDR-enabled, FHD+ resolution, Super AMOLED screens and also an iPhone X style notch at the front. While the Mi 8 SE features a huge 5.88-inch panel, the Mi 8 does it one better with a 6.21-inch display up front. Mi 8 vs Mi 8 SE vs Mi 6: Performance, Hardware Xiaomi’s flagships have always featured top-end spec sheet. The Mi 6 came with the latest Snapdragon 835 processor in 2017, coupled with 4GB or 6GB of RAM, and 64/128GB of internal storage. The Mi 8 continues that tradition and comes with the current-gen champion Snapdragon 845 chipset, coupled with 6 gigs of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. The Mi 8 SE being a lower-spec’d sibling comes with a dependable Snapdragon 710 chipset and 4GB RAM, coupled with 64GB of internal storage. In terms of performance, the Mi 8 will take the cake as it has the best processor out of these three. That being said, the other two are in no way lousy performers and you’ll still get zippy performance from all three of these. Mi 8 vs Mi 8 SE vs Mi 6: Software, Battery The Mi 6 launched with Android Nougat 7.1.1 with Xiaomi’s custom MIUI 8 on top. The Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE come with Android Oreo 8.1 out of the box and MIUI 10 skin on top of it. MIUI 10 brings a host of smart features like AI capabilities etc to these phones. The battery capacities haven’t been changed too much with the Mi 6 coming with a 3350mAh cell, while the Mi 8 has a slightly larger 3400mAh cell. The Mi 8 SE owing to its smaller size has to do with a 3120mAh battery. Mi 8 vs Mi 8 SE vs Mi 6: Cameras The Mi 6 was the first Xiaomi phone to be launched with a dual camera. It featured a dual 12 MP (f/1.8) + 12 MP (f/2.6) setup at the back, with 4-axis OIS and 2x optical zoom. On the front was an 8MP shooter capable of 1080p video recording. The Mi 8 features an almost similar setup with a dual 12 MP (f/1.8) + 12 MP (f/2.4) setup, complete with 4-axis OIS, dual pixel phase detection autofocus, and 2x optical zoom. On the front is where things change drastically, with the Mi 8 featuring a 20MP front camera with a wide f/2.0 aperture. The Mi 8 SE also borrows the same front camera, but on the back, it gets a 5MP (F/2.0) secondary shooter instead of the 12MP one on the Mi 8. Mi 8 vs Mi 8 SE vs Mi 6: Final Verdict The Mi 6 was a solid phone and it was a shame it didn’t make it to the Indian markets. The Mi 8 improves on everything the Mi 6 offered and is one of the most complete flagships to have been launched in 2018. If Xiaomi can price it right, it can make a huge dent in the Indian market, where it’ll go head to head with OnePlus 6 for the title of affordable flagship king. The Mi 8 SE features great hardware combined with good software features and could make for the perfect mid-range device if it’s priced around the 20K mark. Stay tuned as we’ll bring you all the latest news about the Mi 8’s India pricing and availability.<doc-sep>Mi 8 is Xiaomi’s latest flagship phone with a notch-style display, Infrared Face Unlock feature, a dual-rear camera that relies more on Artificial intelligence, and the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Mi 8 is Xiaomi’s latest flagship phone with a notch-style display, Infrared Face Unlock feature, a dual-rear camera that relies more on Artificial intelligence, and the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Xiaomi Mi 8 is the latest flagship smartphone from the company, and this sports a with a notch-style display, Infrared Face Unlock feature, a dual-rear camera that relies more on Artificial intelligence, along with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. The Mi 8 SE has also been launched, which is a budget variant of the phone and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor. Finally, there’s a Mi 8 Explorer Edition version, which has ‘transparent’ back, 3D Face Unlock feature along with the new an in-display fingerprint scanner. So what exactly does Mi 8 offer and when it will launch in India? We answer all your questions around the Mi 8 smartphone. Also read: Xiaomi Mi 8 launch HIGHLIGHTS Xiaomi Mi 8: When will it launch in India? Xiaomi has not given any official confirmation about the launch of Mi 8, Mi 8 SE or Mi 8 Explore Edition in the Indian market. However, Xiaomi had shared a teaser ahead of the Mi 8 launch indicating that the phone could launch in other markets. India’s Taj Mahal was shown as a part of the teaser with the number 8 surrounding it, which was seen as proof that Mi 8 series will come to the market. Xiaomi is yet to launch a flagship in the Indian market for 2018, and there’s a good chance that the Mi 8 will the smartphone. Now whether the Mi range Mi 8 SE will also be introduced remains to be seen. So far, we have seen the brand sticking with one flagship for the Indian market. In China, Xiaomi Mi 8 is going on sale on June 5. The Mi 6 was not launched in India, but Mi Mix 2 was introduced in the market. The Mi Mix 2S has also not made it to India, which is another Xiaomi flagship with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor like the Mi 8. Xiaomi will likely have a phone in India with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, and this will most likely be the Mi 8 smartphone. Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 8 with notch display, dual-rear cameras launched: Price, specifications The Mi 8 has a Face Recognition that relies on the Infrared sensor. The Mi 8 has a Face Recognition that relies on the Infrared sensor. Xiaomi Mi 8: What is the price? Mi 8 might be a flagship phone from Xiaomi, but the pricing is still quite affordable for the kind of specifications it has on-board. Mi 8 will start at Yuan 2,699 in China which comes to Rs 28,000 plus on conversion. This is for the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage variant. Mi 8 in 6GB RAM and 128GB storage will cost Yuan 2,999 which is Rs 31,000 plus. The Mi 8 with 6GB RAM and 256GB storage will cost Yuan 3,299, which is Rs 34,000 plus. This is definitely an affordable flagship, which will compete with OnePlus 6, Honor 10, Vivo X21 and others in the market. Mi 8 also has an Explorer Edition with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage along with other special features. This phone will cost Yuan 3699, which is nearly Rs 38,000 plus. Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition, Mi 8 SE also launched: Here are the details Xiaomi Mi 8: What are the specifications? Mi 8’s basic specifications are as follows: 6.21-inches AMOLED display with FHD+resolution which is 2248 x 1080 pixels, 600 nits brightness. The aspect ratio is 18.7: 5 and comes with a notch on the front. The processor is Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 at 2.8Ghz, there’s 6GB RAM and three storage variants. Mi 8 has 12MP+12MP rear camera with a telephoto and a wide-angle lens combination. The front camera is 20MP with Infrared sensors as well for the Face Unlock. Battery on the Mi 8 is 3400 mAh, it has Bluetooth 5.0 and this is a dual SIM 4G VoLTE phone. Mi 8 also has a dual GPS, which we will discuss below. The smartphone runs MIUI 10, which is based on Android Oreo. Read: Xiaomi Mi 8 Highlights: Mi 8 SE, Explorer Edition, Mi Band 3, Mi TV 4 and more Xiaomi Mi 8: What is special about the camera? The Mi 8’s rear camera is 12MP+ 12MP. Xiaomi has added OIS on the wide-angle sensor, which has an aperture of f/1.8. The 12MP telephoto lens has f/2.4 aperture. The highlight of the rear camera is the artificial intelligence (AI) enabled features, which the company claims will assist in recognition of scenes, improving portrait shots, etc. There is also AI Studio Light Effect for photos, similar to what the Apple iPhone X is offering. When it comes to video recording, the Mi 8 can capture up to 4K at 30 fps, while it can also capture 1080p video at a high-frame rate of 120fps. There is no super-slow motion mode at 480 fps or 960 fps like the OnePlus 6 or the Samsung Galaxy S9+ are offering. The Mi 8’s rear camera is 12MP+ 12MP. Xiaomi has added OIS on the wide-angle sensor which has an aperture of f/1.8. The 12MP telephoto lens has f/2.4 aperture. The Mi 8’s rear camera is 12MP+ 12MP. Xiaomi has added OIS on the wide-angle sensor which has an aperture of f/1.8. The 12MP telephoto lens has f/2.4 aperture. Mi 8’s AI scene camera will recognise different kinds of scenes to ensure the best results. Xiaomi claims the smart AI camera can identify 206 common photo scenes, and then adjust exposure, saturation for these. AI-powered scene recognition is being offered by most smartphone makers on their devices. The Mi 8’s AI camera can also support smart translation, recognise business cards, etc. Again we will have to wait and see if these features are added to the Mi 8’s global variant as well.<doc-sep>Xiaomi Mi 8, MIUI 10, Mi Band 3 launch Highlights: Mi 8 gets notch display, there’s a Mi 8 Explorer edition as well with a transparent back. Xiaomi Mi 8, MIUI 10, Mi Band 3 launch Highlights: Mi 8 gets notch display, there’s a Mi 8 Explorer edition as well with a transparent back. Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi Band 3, Mi 8 SE, Mi 8 Explorer Edition, MIUI 10, a new Mi TV 4 in 75-inches and a Mi VR headset were announced at the company’s annual product launch event in Shenzhen, China today. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun hosted the keynote, which kicked off at 2 PM local time (11:30 AM IST). The company had a livestream for the event on its China website as well. The highlight of Xiaomi’s event is the Mi 8 flagship smartphone, which has been announced in three different editions. Mi 8 is the anniversary special smartphone from the company. The Mi 8 has a notch style display with advanced facial recognition system like Apple iPhone X. Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 8 sports a notch, Snapdragon 845: Here are all your questions answered There’s also a Mi 8 Explorer edition, which is more expensive and features a 3D facial recognition system and a completely transparent back. Xiaomi has also introduced an in-display fingerprint scanner on the Mi 8 Explorer edition. The regular Mi 8 has a fingerprint scanner at the back of the phone. Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 8 with iPhone X-like ‘notch’ display, Snapdragon 845 SoC launched: Specifications, features Mi 8 has an aspect ratio of 18.7: 9, and the same display style is followed on the Mi 8 Explorer Edition and the Mi 8 SE. The SE variant runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor and comes with a 12MP+5MP rear camera. The bigger Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition both have a 12MP+12MP camera setup on the back. All three phones have a 20MP front camera. Also read: Xiaomi Mi 8 ‘Explorer Edition’ with in-display fingerprint scanner; Mi 8 SE launched MIUI 10, which is the company’s latest custom UI, has also been introduced with a revamped task manager, boost in performance as well as gesture controls. MIUI 10 also comes with AI-based features and support for Bokeh photos on dual and single sensor cameras. Read more: Xiaomi Mi Band 3 with 0.78-inch OLED display, water resistance launched Meanwhile, Mi Band 3 now comes with 5ATM water resistance, a bigger 0.78-inches display and a 110 mAh battery. Xiaomi has also revealed a standalone Mi VR headset in partnership with Oculus and powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. Mi TV 4 in 75-inches has a 4K HDR display coupled with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. Read on for live updates and details from the event.<doc-sep>
Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi 8 Explorer and Mi 8 SE made their debut in China yesterday. Here is a comparison of all three smartphones. Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi 8 Explorer and Mi 8 SE made their debut in China yesterday. Here is a comparison of all three smartphones. Xiaomi unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Mi 8 at its annual product launch in Shenzhen, China on May 31. The Chinese technology company also introduced the Mi 8 Explorer Edition and Mi 8 SE smartphones; the latter is a smaller and more budget-friendly variant of the Mi 8. Xiaomi Mi 8 is the first smartphone from the company to feature a notch-style display. While the Mi 8 Explorer edition comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor, Xiaomi also touts this as the first Android phone in the world to use 3D face recognition technology. Meanwhile, the smaller Mi 8 SE is the first phone in the industry to carry Qualcomm’s brand-new Snapdragon 710 platform designed for mid-ranging smartphones. Let us take a look at how the latest Mi 8 phones compare with each other in terms of price and specifications. Xiaomi Mi 8 vs Mi 8 Explorer Edition vs Mi 8 SE: Design and display Mi 8 features a four-way curved glass back panel with aluminium chassis. At the front, it flaunts a near-bezel less display with a notch to house the front camera and other Infrared sensors. The Mi 8 Explorer and the Mi 8 SE carry similar design as the standard Mi 8 version. However, the Explorer edition has a see-through (transparent) glass panel that makes the phone’s appearance standout compared to the other two variants. The Xiaomi Mi 8 features a 6.2-inch full HD+AMOLED display with a resolution of 2248 x 1080 pixels The Xiaomi Mi 8 features a 6.2-inch full HD+AMOLED display with a resolution of 2248 x 1080 pixels Coming to the display, all the three Mi 8 smartphones sport AMOLED displays from Samsung. Both the Mi 8 and the Mi 8 Explorer edition feature a tall 6.2-inch full HD+ display with a resolution of 2248 x 1080 pixels. Mi 8 has an aspect ratio of 18.7:9 and a screen-to-body ratio of 88.5 per cent. Mi 8 Explorer Edition has a screen-to-body ratio of 83.8 per cent. In contrast, the Mi 8 SE comes with a slightly smaller 5.88-inch display with similar pixel resolution like the Mi 8. The screen-to-body ratio is 81.3 per cent. Xiaomi Mi 8 vs Mi 8 Explorer Edition vs Mi 8 SE: Camera In terms of optics, both the Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer edition carry vertically stacked dual-rear camera modules combining 12MP sensors each. The camera on the Mi 8 and its Explorer Edition comes with dual-LED flash support and include 2x optical zoom, 4-axis OIS, dual-pixel autofocus, AI portraits and AI scene detection. The camera pair comprises of a 12MP primary wide-angle lens with f/1.8 aperture and OIS, while the secondary telephoto lens has f/2.4 aperture. The AI scene detection on the smartphones are capable of tweaking contrast, white balance, and other camera settings depending on the environment and lighting. The AI Portrait mode is meant to add depth of field effect to the images. The Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition sports 12MP dual cameras with dual-LED flash support and include 2x optical zoom, 4-axis OIS, dual-pixel autofocus, AI portraits The Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition sports 12MP dual cameras with dual-LED flash support and include 2x optical zoom, 4-axis OIS, dual-pixel autofocus, AI portraits Mi 8 SE also flaunts a dual-AI camera on the back, but it packs a 12MP sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor, instead of the two 12MP units found on the higher-end variants. It comes with f/1.9 aperture and includes portrait mode, HDR mode, panorama mode and facial recognition. It offers AI-driven features like business card recognition, intelligent translation, etc which are present on the Mi 8 and its Explorer edition as well. As for the front-facing camera, all three smartphones in the Mi 8 lineup sport a 20MP sensor. The front camera features options like AI background bokeh, beautification mode, 3D beauty, etc. The big difference is that the Mi 8’s front camera also gets the support of an Infrared sensor to boost the facial recognition, which Xiaomi claims will work in the dark and cannot be fooled by photos.