At an event in China, Xiaomi has unveiled a new in-display fingerprint scanner variant of its flagship smartphone, the Xiaomi Mi 8. You might be wondering by now isn't Xiaomi selling already one variant of Mi 8 with an in-display fingerprint scanner? Well, the company has the Mi 8 Explorer Edition, but it also comes with a transparent back and is pricier than the newly launched Mi 8 Screen Fingerprint Edition. This new variant of the Mi 8 also features slight design changes especially on the back which has a glossy look with gradient finish to take on the likes of Oppo R17 and R17 Pro. Furthermore, the new variant features a better in-display scanner as it's rated to unlock the device 29% faster than the Mi 8 Explorer Edition.
Xiaomi Mi 8 In-Display Fingerprint Edition: Features and Specifications
The spec-sheet of all the Mi 8 variants remain the same, except for some subtle changes. Like the other two Mi 8 variants, the newly introduced Xiaomi Mi 8 Screen Fingerprint Edition has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset underneath, coupled with 6GB/8GB of RAM with 128GB of internal storage. While the Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes in different colour options, the Mi 8 In-Display Fingerprint edition comes in a single Gold colour option, but with different gradients on the rear side.
Other specifications of the handset include 6.21-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display on the front carrying a resolution of 1080 x 2248 and 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The fingerprint scanner on this variant is embedded inside the display, and it's rated to be 29% faster than the one we saw on the Mi 8 Explorer Edition.
The device boots Android 8.1 Oreo-based MIUI 9.6 out of the box, but expected to receive MIUI 10 update very soon. In recent times, we have seen several smartphone vendors improving the gaming performance on their devices and Xiaomi is no exception. The company has partnered with Unreal Engine to deliver constant frame rate while playing heavy games such as PUBG or Fortnite. Cameras on this new variant also remain the same. The Mi 8 In-Display Fingerprint edition ships with two 12MP cameras on the rear side with f/1.8 aperture and 4-axis Optical Image Stabilisation. On the front side, the device has a 20MP shooter.
Xiaomi did not omit the dual-frequency GPS we saw on the Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition. The phone still has a 3400mAh battery.
Xiaomi Mi 8 In-Display Fingerprint Edition: Pricing, Colour Options and Availability
Moving onto the pricing, the Mi 8 In-Display Fingerprint Edition comes in two variants with 6GB, 8GB of RAM. The 6GB RAM option will retail for 3199 Yuan (approx. Rs 33,620), while the 8GB RAM option can be purchased for 3599 Yuan (approx. Rs 37,824). The new variant can be picked up from September 21 in China. Xiaomi did not reveal its plans of bringing the device to other markets such as India.
