Xiaomi Redmi 8 is officially launching in India on October 9 and the company is slowly revealing the key features of the handset ahead of the official release. A series of tweets posted by Redmi India on Twitter handle confirms the Redmi 8 will come with a USB Type-C port similar to the Redmi 8A and it will have fast charging support. Furthermore, the Xiaomi Redmi 8 will also pack a flagship Sony camera sensor- probably the Sony IMX519 which we earlier saw on the likes of Realme 3 Pro, OnePlus 6T and others. If Xiaomi manages to bring the 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor to under Rs 10,000, it will destroy the competition with ease in the said price range. That said, Xiaomi did not confirm the Sony sensor which it's going to use on the Redmi 8, but considering the Redmi 8A packing the Sony IMX363 sensor, we're excited to see what Xiaomi has in store for us.
Xiaomi Redmi 8: Rumoured Specifications and Features
Firstly, let's talk about the confirmed features of the Xiaomi Redmi 8. The Redmi 8 will feature dual rear cameras and one of them will be a flagship Sony camera sensor (details of which are unknown at the moment). There may be a depth sensor accompanying the primary camera sensor. Another feature confirmed by Xiaomi is a big battery- probably a 4500mAh one. And the Redmi 8 will have support for fast charging and USB Type-C port, again similar to the Redmi 8A.
The Redmi 7 also arrived with a teardrop notch display and the Redmi 8 will also have the same. Additionally, the Redmi 8 will have a new design called 'Aura Mirror,' hinting at a reflective back panel.
Other rumoured features of the Redmi 8 include Snapdragon 439 chipset which will be a major downgrade over the Redmi 7 considering the Snapdragon 632 chipset we got on the latter. Probably to achieve the affordable price tag, Xiaomi is going with a lower-end processor in the form of Snapdragon 439 SoC. The phone may arrive in four colour options- Green, Ash, Blue and Red.
Xiaomi Redmi 8 vs Redmi 7: What Changes We Can Expect?
Earlier this year in June, Xiaomi released the Redmi 7 and Redmi Y3 smartphones with almost similar specs, but a different selfie camera. The Redmi Y3 featured a 32MP selfie camera whereas the Redmi 7 arrived with a sub-par 8MP front-facing camera. As for the specs, the Redmi 7 rocks a 6.26-inch HD+ screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 chipset, clubbed with up to 3GB of RAM, 4000mAh battery, 12MP+2MP dual rear cameras and an 8MP selfie camera.
Considering the teased features of the Redmi 8, it seems like a decent upgrade over the Redmi 7, however, the processor would be something we're sceptical of. The Redmi 7 had the second-best processor (first one is the MediaTek Helio P60) in its price range- Qualcomm Snapdragon 632. So the downgrade to Snapdragon 439 SoC will be a questionable one, but as mentioned above, Xiaomi may be looking to achieve an affordable price tag because of the other specs like camera, battery and more.
Surely, the Redmi 8 will have better cameras and the fast charging support will be a bonus. But the price and other aspects will be something we're looking forward to. Xiaomi pulled off a surprise with the Redmi 8A and hopefully it does the same with the Redmi 8 as well.
