Xiaomi Mi 8 Officially Launched With 3D Face Unlock

Xiaomi hosted its 8th anniversary launch event in China and unveiled a plethora of devices. The most anticipated device to launch at the event was the Xiaomi Mi 8. For weeks there were rumours about the Mi 8 being the first Android smartphone to launch with a Face ID-like facial recognition system and even feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. All these rumours were put to rest by Xiaomi and the Mi 8 looks like the best iPhone X recreation yet.

The Mi 8 will be available in three variants in China. The 6GB RAM/64GB storage is priced at CNY2,699 (Rs 28400 approx.), the 6GB RAM/128GB storage model will cost CNY2,999 (Rs 315000) and the priciest version will retail for CNY 3299 (Rs 34700 approx.) with the same RAM and 256GB storage. It goes on sale in China on June 5th via its official online and offline stores.

The Mi 8 is Xiaomi’s first smartphone to sport a notch, a trend slowly becoming the norm. The Mi 8’s notch, however, should not disappoint a lot of people since it solves a purpose, just like the iPhone X’s notch does. As we have been speculating for weeks, the Mi 8 is indeed the first Android smartphone to feature 3D facial recognition which means Xiaomi had to incorporate more sensors than usual in the notch.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 is also the first smartphone with Dual GPS technology. The dual GPS technology doesn’t use the L1 frequency like other smartphones. It instead uses the L5 frequency usually used by the aeronautical industry. According to Xiaomi, the dual-frequency GPS detects the location more accurately by eliminating radio disturbances from buildings. It also reduces signal delays, making navigation faster.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 has a 6.21 inch Super AMOLED display (by Samsung) with a 2248 x 1080 px resolution. The unusual resolution is a result of an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. Xiaomi, like OnePlus, has stuck to a FullHD+ resolution instead of a QuadHD+ resolution found in devices like the Galaxy S9.

Under the hood, the smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 845 chipset with 6GB of RAM coupled with 64GB/128GB/256GB of onboard storage. The onboard storage will not be expandable, which has been the case for flagship Xiaomi devices for a while. The fingeprint sensor is placed on the back of smartphones, giving users an option to choose between Face Unlock and a fingerprint sensor.

Powering the smartphone will be a 3400 mAh battery which charges via USB C port. Despite the glass back, the Xiaomi Mi 8 does not have wireless charging. Out of the box, the Mi 8 will run Android 8.1 Oreo with the new MIUI 10 on top. MIUI 10 was also announced at the same event and comes with Xiaomi’s own Xiao Ai smart assistant, similar to Google Assistant and Siri.

The vertically-placed dual-camera setup is also reminiscent of the iPhone X. However, Xiaomi appears to have adopted the design for its 2018 lineup of smartphones. To the back is a primary 12MP RGB sensor with an f/1.8 aperture coupled with a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture and 1-micron pixel size. The notch houses a 20MP AI camera with an f/2.0 aperture. Just like the iPhone X, it also has a portrait lighting feature and Xiaomi’s own take on the animojis.

The company went a step further and launched a special edition Mi 8 as well. The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition has an in-display fingerprint sensor which the company claims is faster than Vivo’s. It is also the first-ever smartphone with a pressure sensitive fingerprint sensor. The specifications remain the same as the Mi 8 but, the rear-facing fingerprint sensor disappears. The back of the device has a transparent glass that gives a peek to the internals of the device.

The Mi 8 Explorer Edition is priced at CNY3,799 (Rs 40000 approx.) and will be available in the 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant only.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 has a big notch like the iPhone X and follows an industry-wide trend. However, the notch has a reason to exist as it is the first-ever Android smartphone to feature 3D facial recognition technology. With it being a world-first, we expect the company to launch it in other major markets like India. There are no details about it yet and we shall keep you posted on any developments regarding the matter.