The Redmi 8, the latest addition to the company’s budget smartphone portfolio, however, seems to be a fresh move in a new direction. The phone comes in two variants: 3GB RAM + 32GB storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB storage, priced at $194 Singapore dollar.
The Redmi 8 has a dual-camera set-up on the back, featuring a Sony IMX363 12-megapixel primary sensor, f/1.8 aperture, 1.4μm large pixel size, and a 2MP depth sensor. The phone’s rear camera is able to let you take some decent shots in good lighting, especially in the AI portrait mode. On the front, it has an 8MP shooter with an f/2.0 aperture.
Xiaomi has done some good work by making USB type-C standard across its Redmi-branded smartphone. Another good addition is the 18W fast charge support, but the phone comes bundled with a 10W charger that replenishes the phone’s 5,000 mAh battery in a little over 90 minutes. The phone’s on-battery time is seemingly good as it keeps on going consistently for one full day on every charge.
s mentioned, Xiaomi has visibly started paying more attention to how its budget phones look. So, in the Redmi 8 you get a premium-looking phone with a sleek build and thin bezels, courtesy of the dot-notch display. The phone is light and comfortable to carry around. Towards the back, the smooth glossy polycarbonate build looks good but is susceptible to fingerprints. The fingerprint sensor works fine.
On the top is a notch making space for a selfie camera. You get a 6.2-inch HD+ IPS LCD display of a 720 x 1520p resolution. The display is not dazzling but it will be bright enough even in daylight and for casual multimedia consumption. The screen is protected under a sheet of Gorilla Glass 5, something that most phones in this segment lack.
The phone has an FM radio as well, along with a built-in antenna so that you can use it over the speaker. This is a very nifty feature for a market like Singapore, where listening to FM radio is still exceedingly popular.
The Redmi 8 is powered by Snapdragon 439 chipset — as is the Redmi 8A — which is a downgrade from the Redmi 7's Snapdragon 632. While it is understandable that Xiaomi would want to compensate for a bigger battery and other features with some cuts, the choice of an inferior processor might rub some users the wrong way. Nonetheless, the 4GB RAM ensures that there isn't much lag while switching between apps.
| Network | Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | |
| CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA | ||
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | |
| 4G bands | LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500) | |
| LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 17(700), 20(800), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500) - China | ||
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | |
| GPRS | Yes | |
| EDGE | Yes | |
| Launch | Announced | 2019, October |
| Status | Available. Released 2019, October | |
| Body | Dimensions | 156.5 x 75.4 x 9.4 mm |
| Weight | 188 g | |
| Build | - Splash resistant | |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | |
| Display | Type | IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 6.22 inches, 96.6 cm2 (~81.8% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 720 x 1520 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~270 ppi density) | |
| Multitouch | Yes | |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | |
| Platform | OS | Android 9.0 (Pie); MIUI 9 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM439 Snapdragon 439 (12 nm) | |
| CPU | Octa-core (2x1.95 GHz Cortex-A53 & 6x1.45 GHz Cortex A53) | |
| GPU | Adreno 505 | |
| Memory | Card slot | microSD, up to 512 GB (dedicated slot) |
| Internal | 32GB 3GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM | |
| Main Camera | Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF 2 MP, depth sensor |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | |
| Selfie camera | Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm |
| Features | HDR | |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | |
| Sound | Alert types | Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | |
| - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic | ||
| Comms | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS | |
| Infrared port | Yes | |
| Radio | Wireless FM radio (no wired headphones required) | |
| USB | 2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go | |
| Features | Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass |
| Messaging | SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM | |
| Browser | HTML5 | |
| - Fast battery charging 18W - XviD/MP4/H.265 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/Flac player - Photo/video editor - Document viewer | ||
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Po 5000 mAh battery | |
| Misc | Colors | Onyx Black, Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue |
| Model | M1908C3IC |
|---|---|
| FreeGift | No |
| Warranty | 1 year local mfg warranty |
| Options | No |
| Housing | N/A |
| LCD Replacement | N/A |
| Battery Replacement | N/A |
| Network | Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | |
| CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA | ||
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | |
| 4G bands | LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500) | |
| LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 17(700), 20(800), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500) - China | ||
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | |
| GPRS | Yes | |
| EDGE | Yes | |
| Launch | Announced | 2019, October |
| Status | Available. Released 2019, October | |
| Body | Dimensions | 156.5 x 75.4 x 9.4 mm |
| Weight | 188 g | |
| Build | - Splash resistant | |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | |
| Display | Type | IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 6.22 inches, 96.6 cm2 (~81.8% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 720 x 1520 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~270 ppi density) | |
| Multitouch | Yes | |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | |
| Platform | OS | Android 9.0 (Pie); MIUI 9 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM439 Snapdragon 439 (12 nm) | |
| CPU | Octa-core (2x1.95 GHz Cortex-A53 & 6x1.45 GHz Cortex A53) | |
| GPU | Adreno 505 | |
| Memory | Card slot | microSD, up to 512 GB (dedicated slot) |
| Internal | 32GB 3GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM | |
| Main Camera | Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF 2 MP, depth sensor |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | |
| Selfie camera | Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm |
| Features | HDR | |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | |
| Sound | Alert types | Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | |
| - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic | ||
| Comms | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS | |
| Infrared port | Yes | |
| Radio | Wireless FM radio (no wired headphones required) | |
| USB | 2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go | |
| Features | Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass |
| Messaging | SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM | |
| Browser | HTML5 | |
| - Fast battery charging 18W - XviD/MP4/H.265 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/Flac player - Photo/video editor - Document viewer | ||
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Po 5000 mAh battery | |
| Misc | Colors | Onyx Black, Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue |
