At a major event in China, Redmi, the sub-brand of Xiaomi today unveiled the next-generation Redmi Note series of phones- the Redmi Note 8 and the Redmi Note 8 Pro. Both the phones are direct successors to the Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro launched earlier this year in various markets. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is the world's first smartphone to ship with 64MP quad-camera setup and the phone's first sale will take place on September 3. Realme XT was just showcased yesterday and the pricing of the handset is not yet available. The Redmi Note 8 and Note 8 Pro features a similar design, but they're different in various aspects including cameras, battery and hardware. The Note 8 Pro is also the first smartphone to come with MediaTek Helio G90T chipset. Read onto know complete specifications of both the phones.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: Specifications and Features
Kicking off with the bigger version among the two phones launched by Redmi today, the Note 8 Pro features a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display on the front, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and it features a Dot Notch display on the top that houses the 20MP selfie camera. Similar to the Redmi Note 7 Pro, the Note 8 Pro also has a glass back which again is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. Under the hood, the Note 8 Pro has the MediaTek Helio G90T chipset, paired with 4GB/6GB/8GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage. The smartphone has a dedicated gaming mode since the Helio G90T is a gaming chipset. Xiaomi even added liquid cooling technology inside the Note 8 Pro.
The Redmi Note 8 Pro has four cameras on the rear side- a 64MP Samsung GW1 sensor, paired with 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, 2MP macro lens and 2MP depth sensor. Upfront, the phone has a 20MP shooter for capturing selfies and video calls. The Note 8 Pro is backed by a 4500mAh battery and has 18W fast charging support.
Connectivity options on the smartphone include Dual 4G, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS and a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. Lastly, the Note 8 Pro has IP52 certification, which is something we haven't seen from brands in this price range. The phone also retains 3.5mm headphone jack and IR Blaster from the Note 7 Pro.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: Specifications and Features
The Note 8 is a slightly downgraded version of the Note 8 Pro, as the name itself suggests. The phone rocks a 6.39-inch Full HD+ display, again protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It also has the same glass back as the premium Note 8 Pro. Hardware side of things, the Redmi Note 8 comes powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset, paired with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. That said, Xiaomi has bumped the storage to 64GB even on the base variant, which is a good thing to see.
The Redmi Note 8 also has four cameras on the rear side, but it's slightly different from the Note 8 Pro. The primary sensor on the Note 8 is a 48MP unit and the rest of the sensors are the same ones present on the Note 8 Pro. On the front, Xiaomi has added a 13MP selfie camera. The standard Note 8 has a 4000mAh battery, and on the brighter side, it also has support for 18W fast charging, but Xiaomi may not bundle the charger inside the retail box. The phone also features 3.5mm headphone jack, IR Blaster and a USB Type-C port on the bottom.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Series: Pricing and Expected India Launch
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 will be available in three colours- Dream Blue, Meteorite Black, and White, whereas the Redmi Note 8 Pro comes in Pearl White, Ice Emerald, and Electric Light Grey. As for the pricing, the standard Note 8 with 4GB+64GB storage starts at 999 Yuan (approx. Rs 10,000). The phone also comes in two more variants- 6GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB priced at 1,199 Yuan (approx. Rs 12,500) and 1,399 Yuan (approx. Rs 14,500).
Coming to the Redmi Note 8 Pro, this phone also comes in three models- 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB and 8GB+128GB, priced at 1,399 Yuan (approx. Rs 14,500), 1,599 Yuan (approx. Rs 16,500) and 1,799 Yuan (approx. Rs 18,500).
Xiaomi India did not reveal anything about the launch of Redmi Note 8 series in the country, but we're expecting them to reach the Indian market before Diwali this year to take on the Realme 5 series.