Best price: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite with 4/64 GB for 165.99
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Whenever you think that there is no more room in Xiaomi’s smartphone portfolio, the Chinese surprise us again. Now the next high-end smartphone has found its way to us. Like almost every Xiaomi smartphone, it combines the features of different devices. Is this just a reissue of the Mi 6X for Europe this time, or does the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite deserve more attention than we first suspected?
Technical Specifications
| Xiaomi |
| 6,28 in |
| 2280 × 1080 p |
| IPS LC-Display |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, (Kryo 260 Cluster with 2,2 1,84 GHz ) |
| Qualcomm Adreno 512 |
| 650 MHz |
| 4-6 GB |
| LPDDR4X |
| 64-128 GB |
| eMMC |
| 12-5 MP |
| Sony IMX363 Samsung S5K5E8, ƒ/1.9 |
| 24 MP |
| Sony IMX576 |
| 3,350 mAh |
| Wi-Fi AC, BT 5.0, GPS/GLONASS/BDS, Hybrid SIM, LTE |
| USB Type-C, Fingerprint Sensor, Face Unlock, Quick Charge 3.0 |
| MIUI 9.6, Android 8.1 |
| 156.4 × 75.8 × 7.5 mm |
| 169 g |
Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
With the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, Xiaomi introduces two new colour variants, which is also noticeable in the new packaging. Instead of the typical white Xiaomi box or the orange box of the Redmi devices, the manufacturer delivers the smartphone in a very colorful box. This box contains the Mi 8 Lite, a transparent case, the EU charger, a 1m USB type C cable in white, a SIM needle, the USB type C to 3.5 mm adapter, operating instructions and the warranty card.
Xiaomi now also with Twilight approach
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (originally “Youth Edition”) offers some optical features we already know from Xiaomi. However, this model also looks in the direction of the competition from Huawei and especially Honor and adjusts the optics a bit.
Since this is the Lite version of the in-house flagship, the comparison is very obvious. At first glance, the basic design is very similar, but there are still a few small differences. With a diagonal of 6.26 inches, the display is slightly larger than that of the Xiaomi Mi 8, which also affects the case size. The (still) polarizing Notch is significantly smaller than its big brother, but also accommodates less technology. A clearly visible edge runs alongside the display and the lower edge of the screen is also clearly visible. Nevertheless, the screen edge can still be described as “thin”.
This is reflected in the dimensions of 156,4 × 75,8 × 7,5 mm. The glass back shows that one wants to do justice to the title “Youth Edition”. The Twilight effect known from Huawei is also used here, which in this case, for example, leads to a colour change between Rose, Pink and Orange. In addition there is a blue-purple Colorway, which reminds us very much of Honor 10.
Unfortunately, we have to do without it with our test device, as the Midnight-Black variant does not need such an effect. But the back also differs in the shape from the Mi 8, as the glass is not bent towards the sides and thus looks rather “flatter”.
Top processing also for Lite products
On the other hand, Xiaomi bulges the case frame more than the Mi 8 or Pocophone F1, so that it also fits well in your hands. This is also due to the 168.5 g total weight, which means that it has almost 20 g less weight on its ribs than the Poco. Despite the name suffix “Lite”, you don’t have to do without Xiaomi’s excellent workmanship, which also gives this Mi 8 version an exemplary feel. That didn’t work so well, at least with our test product, the Mi 8 SE.
Average display
We don’t quite understand why Xiaomi doesn’t simply have a 6.21 inch display like in the Mi 8. Yes, with 6.26 inches the display of the Mi 8 Lite is bigger, but only 0.05 inches, i.e. 1.27 mm. Maybe it’s because of the display technology, because in the Mi 8 Lite you get “only” an IPS LC display and no AMOLED as in the flagship. Xiaomi proves that this isn’t necessarily a disadvantage with the good IPS panels they use. Also the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is no exception and the screen is convincing overall.
The brightness of the panel is satisfactory at medium setting, the necessary sharpness is also not lacking and the contrast ratio is good despite the IPS display in my eyes. Also the blink angle stability speaks for the used panel. The responsiveness is as usual very good and that it supports multitouch up to 10 fingers is good, but really the expected standard. The glass pane seems to be somewhat susceptible to grease fingers, but this is only a subjective impression.
I think we are dealing with the same display panel as in a Xiaomi Mi A2 or Pocophone F1. It’s good, no more and no less. I usually like AMOLEDs a bit better, but in practice they should at least show some serious differences.
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite with Snapdragon 660
Even though you might be a little annoyed by the sheer variety of smartphones, a glance at the specs almost makes you forget. As processor Xiaomi now uses the Snapdragon 660, and not the 710, as first assumed. This CPU seems to become the new Snapdragon 625, after all it is used in many smartphones and tablets of the manufacturer. And that’s good news, because the Octa Core with 8 Kryo 260 cores, four of which clock at 2.2 GHz and four at 1.6 GHz, is a powerhouse.
And we know this CPU and were able to estimate the quality well in advance. This was also proven in the test. MIUI is well tuned to this hardware and allows a very smooth operation. Opening and closing apps works wonderfully, games are also no problem, whereby you have to be content with medium graphic settings for blockbuster titles like PUBG. If you don’t need top hardware, this processor is really a good choice for you and you shouldn’t notice any performance problems in everyday life.
This is also proven by the benchmark results. The AnTuTu benchmark and the Geekbench benchmark are clearly better than the Xiaomi Mi A2. Only in the PC Mark Benchmark the Mi 8 Lite has to admit defeat. Especially the multi-score in the Geekbench benchmark is much stronger. This is the proof for the previous statement that Xiaomi simply understands this CPU and was able to optimize its operating system on it. But it’s also worth looking at the Mi 6X with the same OS, because here too the Lite version of the Mi 8 is stronger overall.
Somewhat unexpected was the fact that you can expand the internal memory with a microSD card. The only “important” consideration is the RAM. Because the 64 GB version gets 4 GB RAM and the larger 128 GB version even gets 6 GB RAM. The RAM is LPDDR4X, but the internal memory is “only” eMMC and not the faster UFS 2.1 standard.
Battery life
One of the biggest criticisms of the Xiaomi Mi A2 and Mi 6X was the relatively short battery life. In order to realize the thin design, Xiaomi had to install a smaller battery. That’s what the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite takes up and can at least offer a battery capacity of 3,350 mAh, which is a pretty good average value. The manufacturer’s own operating system also manages to get the maximum battery life out of this battery.
Because with a screen-on time of over 9 hours we have a good result here. You can definitely make do with that for one day, but even one and a half days should be possible. Of course you have to admit defeat against a Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 or even Pocophone F1.
The battery is also rechargeable with Quick Charge 3.0, which guarantees a fast charging time and you never have to get along without your smartphone for long. The only catch: Xiaomi “only” comes with a 5V 2A charger. That means, if you want to use Quick Charge, you have to buy a charger yourself. With the included charger, charging from 20% to 100% takes about an hour and 30 minutes.
Flagship camera without flagship software?
The first look at the Specs made me hope: “The camera plays right at the top”. The Sony IMX363 12 Megapixel sensor with ƒ/1.9 aperture and the Samsung S5K5E8 5 Megapixel sensor are combined on the back. After all, the Sony IMX363 is the same sensor as its big brother, the Mi 8, and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, which has positioned itself strongly in the DxO benchmark. We also saw this combination in the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE. The only change: the arrangement of the sensors is now horizontal again.
Accordingly, the camera should also be as good as the one from the Mi 8 SE. And it is, at least almost. I like the speed of the shutter release and also the autofocus, here you usually get even scenes with movement sharp (see table tennis photo). The camera also takes good photos when shooting indoors, even if you notice that the shutter speed is slower. All in all, I also failed to notice that, as with the SE, the photos tend to be somewhat underexposed. But in general I like the colors, even if skin tones in my eyes aren’t hit quite optimally.
This means in the end that I don’t believe that the Mi 8 Lite doesn’t participate in the same software optimizations as your own top models. As with the 8 SE, there is a class difference. This is also noticeable, for example, in the portrait mode, which works well overall. The smaller 5 megapixel sensor, in contrast to the Mi 8, doesn’t get as much image information and the bokeh doesn’t look that natural. Nevertheless, in my opinion, you are playing in a higher league here than, for example, Honor Play.
Video function
For my taste, there is a bit too much noise in the picture, but only after closer examination. This could also be criticized in the videos, but I think they are really very good for this price range. Especially the stabilized Full HD shots at 1080p are really impressive, but also the 240fps slow motion shots are fun, even if you have to be satisfied with 720p.
However, the soundtrack is a little off, but this is not visible on the smartphone itself and only seems to be an export error.
Xiaomi Mi8 Lite или Xiaomi Mi8 НАСКОЛЬКО ОНИ РАЗНЫЕ? РАСПАКОВКА, СРАВНЕНИЕ, ОБЗОР, ИГРЫ, КАМЕРА!
Focus on the Selfie-Cam
If you value Selfies a lot, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is the right address for you. Here you can see the FOCUS on the younger target group, which probably absorbs more Selfies than the older generation. The Sony IMX576 sensor accommodates 24 megapixels and takes really good photos. Both in normal mode and in portrait mode. Also the AI scene recognition is integrated here, but for me this technology doesn’t (yet) bring the big advantage. But you notice that the sensor size with 1.8μm is relatively large and you can take better low-light pictures accordingly.
Global Version
Since our test device is the Global Version, we have almost all the connectivity you need. That means: LTE Band 20, but also Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8 are on board. There is also Dual Band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WLAN, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, A-GPS, Beidou and GLONASS. On a physical level we have to get by with a hybrid SIM slot. This gives us the possibility to manage either two SIM cards or one SIM card plus microSD card.
In the test we could not find any problems in this respect. Mobile Internet worked as fast as usual in the D1 network and the corresponding telephone quality is also given. During the conversation my counterpart could always understand me well. The GPS fix succeeded outside within a second and the accuracy of 3 meters speaks for itself. In our offices it took longer, but after a few seconds we reached an accuracy of 9 meters.
Those who want to pay with Google Pay in the future won’t get far with the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, as it does without NFC. An alternative with NFC would be Honor Play or the cheaper Nubia Z17 Lite. Otherwise you have to go for the more expensive Xiaomi models like the Mix 2S.
Sound
In addition there is a USB Type-C slot. The adapter to the jack input is of course included in the scope of delivery, because the Mi 8 Lite doesn’t have its own jack connector. But with the adapter in combination with the Xiaomi Piston Pro 2 I couldn’t notice any quality losses.
If you prefer listening to music via speakers, you can also do this easily with your smartphone. The mono speaker is surprisingly good, even if it doesn’t quite come close to Honor Play. The volume is quite high, the sound hardly distorted, even if there is a lack of clarity in the highs. Nevertheless, this is definitely a class above the Redmi Note 6 Pro or Mi A2 Lite.
A Xiaomi needs MIUI
The biggest difference to the Xiaomi Mi A2 is probably the operating system. Because you entrust the Mi 8 Lite with your own MIUI operating system. Who doesn’t know it yet: MIUI is based on Android, but it is a strongly adapted user interface that deeply intervenes in the system – rightly so. Because this OS offers many advantages, a usually high battery life is only one of them. Anyone who already has a Xiaomi smartphone is most probably already familiar with it. The Mi 8 Lite currently (as of November 2018) still works with MIUI 9.6, based on Android 8.1. An update to MIUI 10 should be available soon. The last security patch is from the beginning of September, so it is relatively up-to-date.
If you want to go at least in the optics somewhat in the direction of Pocophone, you can also download the Poco Launcher in the Google Play Store. Then you will also get an App Drawer, which is not available on delivery. Google Play Store and the most important Google services are of course available. MIUI also unfortunately means that a lot of additional software is pre-installed, but most things are practical apps. For example Mi Drop or the Mi Cloud, but unfortunately also apps from Microsoft like Word or Skype. Fortunately, they are easy to uninstall.
It’s interesting, though, that apparently no Face Unlock is available in the Global version. Also the popular “put region on India” trick doesn’t work. That’s why you can only unlock your phone with the fingerprint sensor on the back. This works very well, as you would expect from Xiaomi, even though I feel that I have already tested faster sensors on the more expensive Xiaomi models.
Conclusion: simply a good smartphone
Admittedly, I wanted to ignore the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite out of defiance (editor’s note: many Xiaomi smartphones lately) first. But I would have done wrong to this smartphone. Because the bottom line is that the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is simply a good smartphone, especially for the price on offer. The performance is right and probably enough for 85% of all users, the camera produces quite nice pictures, the battery life is also very good, the haptics are right and you get almost everything you need in terms of connectivity.
If you’re picky, you can criticize the missing headphone jack and the notch, but not much else in my eyes. It’s not a perfect smartphone and in no discipline the best on the market. But it hardly does anything wrong, there is still room for improvement in every aspect. If you have more money at your disposal, then go for the Pocophone F1. But in direct comparison to the Xiaomi Mi A2, the Mi 8 Lite is clearly ahead in my eyes. This closes the gap between Redmi Note 6 Pro and Pocophone F1.
If you still have questions, suggestions or criticism, please write it in the comment area. And what do you think of the Mi 8 Lite?
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Review – Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Let’s start from the beginning. Here we have the brand new Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite that was launched not too long ago. The Mi 8 Lite is – of course – within the Mi 8 family of smartphones – but aimed towards the mid-range market with a price to match.
ПОКУПКА XIAOMI MI 8 В 2022 ГОДУ
The question here is this – is the Mi 8 Lite worth the price? What does the Mi 8 Lite has that separates itself from the sea of mid-range smartphones that are currently in the market now?
Let’s find out in this in-depth review of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite. We had to delay this review because while we’re finalizing the review, an update came and upgraded the Mi 8 Lite to MIUI 10. Hence, we’re redoing the entire review.
We’ll be comparing the Mi 8 Lite with the Xiaomi Mi A2 that we reviewed here since both of these phones are very similar in specs and price.
Unboxing
Upon first look, the Mi 8 Lite’s box is certainly eye-catching. This gradient color actually reflects the color of the Mi 8 Lite’s back – which we’ll get into later.
At the back of the box is where the list of specs is found. Nothing particularly special here.
Opening the lid reveals the accessories box first. We have seen a few smartphones that come in such a packaging hierarchy. The phone itself is underneath the accessories box.
Digging out everything, we get a standard charger, a USB-C cable, a TPU case for the Mi 8 Lite, and the Mi 8 Lite itself alongside with some documentation. Also, we’re getting a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle here since the Mi 8 Lite does not have a headphone jack.
In terms of contents of the packaging itself, it’s quite similar to the Mi A2.
[nextpage title=”Design”]
This is where the Mi 8 Lite actually stands out from other smartphones in the market. It’s not entirely flashy or out of the ordinary in terms of design. However, the back is immediately eye-catching as it has this gradient effect.
We’ve been seeing more and more smartphones with this gradient color effect for the past few months – and I think we’re only going to see more of it since more smartphones have gradient colors too.
The Mi 8 Lite we have here is in the Aurora Blue color, which has a color gradient that is dark blue at the top, and shifts to purple at the bottom. It is quite a subtle gradient, but noticeable for sure since it’s highly reflective.
The geometry of the Mi 8 Lite is rather boxy, to be honest. Even though it does have a little roundness at the frame, the phone feels like the it’s using a rather big phone to be its foundation instead.
The Mi 8 Lite isn’t particularly nice to hold due to its boxy design – especially when using the phone one-handed with the included TPU case installed.
Speaking of the included TPU case, it’s actually quite decent in terms of quality. It is rather thick and yet flexible, provides enough protection for the overall phone and has the little dots inside the case as well.
The only two concerns I have is the lack of a lip around the camera at the back and the case sits flat with the screen. These two issues make the rear-facing cameras and the screen to be scratched easily.
Even though the TPU case is a rather basic one, I recommend all users of the Mi 8 Lite to use case since the highly reflective back will give everyone an eyesore with fingerprints and potential scratches.
[nextpage title=”Connectivity Ports”]
The Mi 8 Lite is pretty standard in this aspect as well. However, there are a lot of unnecessary compromises done here.
Firstly, as you might have already realized, the Mi 8 Lite does not have a 3.5mm audio jack – and that’s why Xiaomi included a dongle in the box. It does, however, use a USB-C port at the bottom. There’s a microphone grill and a loudspeaker grill at the bottom – which is something that I appreciate after seeing the Huawei Mate 20 Pro removing these grills.
It comes with a standard SIM 1 hybrid card slot and that’s the one big difference between the Mi 8 Lite and the Mi A2. Remember – the Mi A2 does not have a microSD card slot but you at least have the option here with the Mi 8 Lite.
At the top of the phone we can see another microphone.
At the right side of the phone is where we can find the power button and the volume rocker.
Nothing out of the ordinary, to be honest. It does support AC Wi-Fi, which we talked about its benefits here. There’s no NFC, though.
[nextpage title=”Display”]
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite comes with a 6.26-inch 2280×1080 pixel IPS LCD screen with a medium-sized notch. I would love it if Xiaomi can trim it down and perhaps opt for the waterdrop notch style, though.
This is also another difference between the Mi 8 Lite and the Mi A2. The Mi A2, although with a lower screen-to-body ratio, does not have a notch.
Upon booting up the Mi 8 Lite for the first time and using the apps that I usually use, I realize one glaring issue with the screen quality – and that’s the color it produces. For some reason the colors just look washed out and a little faded compared to other screens. And yes – it’s still not as good even after the MIUI 10 update.
[nextpage title=”Cameras”]
Another thing that differs drastically between the Mi 8 Lite and the Mi A2 is the cameras. The Mi 8 Lite has these specs for the cameras:
- Dual rear-facing cameras
- 12MP f/1.9 dual-pixel PDAF
- 5MP f/2.0 depth sensor
- 24MP
Let’s take a look at the pictures that I’ve taken with the Mi 8 Lite. You can have a look at the full metadata at our full album at ShutterFly. We’re no longer using Flickr since they changed their terms of service.
Rear-facing cameras
Honestly, the camera is actually quite decent. The depth sensor here separated the subject in FOCUS with the background very nicely, though it does mean you’ll need to be in a brightly lit condition.
Even with a simple point and shoot, the picture turned out to be quite good. White balance is good, color saturation looks quite good as well. The dynamic range is a little wonky as the trees shown here are a little too dark.
Taking pictures indoors prove to be a little difficult as well. The Mi 8 Lite tends to favor long shutter speeds which makes the pictures very susceptible to blur because of an unsteady hand. But if you do get to balance your hands and take a picture, it actually looks good.
Then comes the night shots. There’s no better way to say this but to describe the picture as just noisy, though still very usable for social media.
The AI mode and HDR mode are still mutually exclusive, which means you can manually turn on or off for each modes. We did give it a try and did not realize much of a difference in most modes. The obvious difference here is color saturation when it comes to food. Take a look at my McD fries.
Selfie camera
Camera UI
Still the same as Mi A2 here. Nothing has changed. The Mi 8 Lite does have a proper manual mode here as it has the options to change ISO and shutter speed. It’s quite diverse too, as the ISO ranges from 100 to 3200, and the shutter speed ranges from 1/1000s to 32s. Though, the Mi 8 Lite does not take RAW images in format.
It’s a camera UI that works – and great for point and shoots. My favorite feature, straighten, is still here too.
[nextpage title=”Software – Android 8.1.0 Oreo with MIUI Global 10.0″]
Yes – that is correct. The Mi 8 Lite was originally shipped with MIUI 9. When we’re finalizing the review, we got an update on the Mi 8 Lite. That update brought MIUI 10 – which is why we have delayed this review so long.
New MIUI 10 brings a long a refreshing redesigned UI system-wide – with the most notable change being the notifications bar. The overall look and feel is of MIUI 10 is flatter and definitely more fluid while laced with smooth animations all over.
Even the recent apps menu got a redesigned as well. Older apps will be pushed down further, and newer apps will stack at the top. To close an app, swipe it either left or right.
But what about the performance of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite running on MIUI 10? Let’s take a look at the next section.
[nextpage title=”Performance Gaming”]
We first did the benchmarks for the Mi 8 Lite in MIUI 9, but we also redid the entire test since MIUI 10 was released. With that aside, let’s first take a look at the specs of the Mi 8 Lite.
- 6.26-inch IPS LCD screen with 2280×1080 pixels in resolution
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset
- 4×2.2GHz Kryo 260 4×1.8GHz Kryo 260
- Adreno 512 graphics
Once again, the specs are very close to the Mi A2. But what does the benchmarks have to say? Let’s take a look at the graphs below.
From what we can see here, the Mi 8 Lite’s performance is about the same with other Snapdragon 660 smartphones in the market even with MIUI 10 update. Nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary here.
Gaming
Whne it comes to gaming, the Snapdragon 660 is quite a powerful chip. It’s meant to be a slightly higher end mid-range chipset that can run quite a number of games smoothly. Let’s not forget that 6GB of RAM actually helps a lot too.
We played our usual games – Honkai Impact 3, Asphalt 9, and also PUBG Mobile.
Honkai Impact 3 once again proved to be the least taxing as the Mi 8 Lite manages to run the game with zero issues at all. Everything is smooth and the game runs well on the Mi 8 Lite at the highest settings.
Then comes Asphalt 9. Upon launching the game first, I saw the texts in game is somehow with jaggy edges. Then I played a race and realized there is no anti-aliasing at all. Everything has jaggy edges – even the cars. Without anti-aliasing, the game will obviously run smoothly even at the highest graphic quality settings.
Then comes PUBG Mobile. It can run smoothly at balanced settings – which is what we have came to know with Snapdragon 660 chipsets.
[nextpage title=”Battery Charger”]
When we first reviewed the Mi A2, we highlighted that the 3,000mAh battery in that phone just isn’t enough for the power hungry Snapdragon 660. Xiaomi listened and improved, but not by much. The Mi 8 Lite only has a 3,350mAh battery – still bigger than the Mi A2’s battery, but not really sufficient.
Take a look at our battery benchmark to know what we mean.
3,350mAh is more in the “meh” territory when it comes to battery life. Should’ve gone for something like 3,700mAh at least.
Charger
The Mi 8 Lite comes with a standard 5V 2A charger which is the bare minimum when it comes to bundled smartphone chargers these days. Here is the charging curve of the Mi 8 Lite.
Takes around half an hour to reach 50% battery, and a total of 52 minutes to reach 75% battery. This is the limitation of 5V 2A chargers – they’re actually quite slow in today’s standard.
[nextpage title=”Wrapping up the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite review”]
Honestly, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite feels like a clone of the Mi A2 with a few tweaks – particularly the software side of things since Mi A2 uses Android One whereas the Mi 8 Lite uses MIUI 10. The upgraded battery isn’t enough to make a significant difference and still mostly require a power bank for day-to-day use.
In terms of design – yeah it’s much more eye-catching than the Mi A2 but it is also less comfortable to hold, in my opinion. However, the Mi 8 Lite does have a microSD card slot.
As for the prices, the Mi 8 Lite is actually priced at RM999 right now for the 4GB RAM 64GB storage version, and RM1,299 for the 6GB RAM 128GB storage version.
As a standalone phone though, the Mi 8 Lite is actually quite good. Comparing to the recent price readjustment of the Mi A2 however, Xiaomi is making the choice between Mi 8 Lite and Mi A2 very difficult.
They both have their own pros and cons – but honestly, it ultimately comes down to two things – which UI you like the most – Android One or MIUI 10? Do you need a microSD card slot? If you answer yes to both questions, then get the Mi 8 Lite.
Or perhaps look into a competitor’s smartphone – the Honor 8X.
Where to buy?
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The Mi 8 Lite Focuses On Taking Photos Of What’s Important: Me
Xiaomi have been particularly busy over the past few months, with a heavy release schedule producing really attractive options that combine good performance levels with compelling price points.
Fitting that mould, they’ve released phones like the Mi 8 SE, the Pocophone F1, and the Mi Max 3 that all circle around the RM900 to RM1,300 region, each with its own unique selling point. Recently, they’ve seen fit to introduce yet another addition to their family of affordable devices—the Mi 8 Lite.
Hardware Specs
Hardware
The Mi 8 Lite comes built like most other smartphones released in 2018—with a notched display and a glass back sandwiching its internals.
Interesting to note here is the very premium build quality on offer. The glass panel on the back comes in a very striking gradient of blue/purple or orange/yellow depending on which you choose, and when looked at in detail, everything appears built securely and precisely. In the hand it feels like a phone worth quite a bit more, and when you consider that it also comes with a USB-C port for charging (something many phone within this price range lack), it makes it all the more noteworthy.
The rest of the phone is pretty much what you’d expect, with a fingerprint scanner and dual-lens camera at the back complemented by the usual volume rocker, power button, and dual SIM/MicroSD card tray at the sides.
The only letdown here is the lack of expandable storage, and more importantly a headphone jack, but with many other phones also following in the trend, something like this is kind of expected anyway (I still feel that phones that choose to incorporate a headphone jack have a major advantage over others).
Usability
In regards to usability, the Mi 8 Lite’s mid-to-high range Snapdragon 660 processor produces speed and performance on levels that will more than satisfy most users where everyday tasks are concerned. Multitasking between YouTube, emails, and light gaming were no problem at all, and there were no noticeable slowdowns or lag issues encountered, which I considered pretty impressive for a phone below RM1,000.
I also quite enjoyed consuming media on the Mi 8 Lite, with its 6.26 inches of IPS screen doing a more than okay job reproducing vibrant colours even when compared to other more expensive devices with AMOLED displays.
Touching on the subject of battery life, the Mi 8 Lite does a pretty alright job lasting until the end of the day on most cases. But while 3,350mAh of power is decent for 2018, it’s clear that other phones are beginning to adopt bigger sizes and that said, the one on this phone seems mediocre in comparison.
There are problems with Xiaomi’s MIUI operating system, and some of them can be pretty annoying. The first is to do with the way the system deals with notifications—you won’t see a majority of the alert icons unless you swipe down on the notification slider.
Conversely it must be noted that this extends beyond just the Mi 8 Lite and goes into other Xiaomi devices using MIUI (such as the Pocophone F1), and it would be harsh to single out the Mi 8 Lite for this on its own. While this does count as a point lost against the phone, I feel that this can and probably will be improved in the future with an upcoming over-the-air update.
Camera
When it came down to photography, I was pleasantly surprised with the results. As a point and shoot camera, the Mi 8 Lite actually produced images that I would consider very good for what you pay for.
In both daytime and night shots, there was plenty of detail and clarity all round, and even in low-light conditions, I found there to be minimal noise and grain. The scene detection capabilities were decent enough, although I really do think just shooting unassisted does just fine in most circumstances.
I also had an easy time taking selfies on the Mi 8 Lite. As a person known for not taking selfies all that often, I found it a more enjoyable experience than I’m often used to.
On their website and in their marketing, Xiaomi boasts about the 24 megapixel front selfie camera as something special, and when I put it to the test, I was pleasantly surprised at just how good my photos turned out on both modes (normal and portrait), with colours once again accurate and rich, and edge detection getting a pass on portrait mode.
If I had to nitpick, my only complaint would be that colour contrasts between light and dark aren’t the greatest, although there’s always the option to play around with the HDR settings or use an app to adjust your brightness settings if you see the need to go the extra mile for the ‘Gram.
Verdict
Ultimately, the Mi 8 Lite once again resembles another entrant in a market with so many other similar offerings, except here the key selling point is its above average camera and the polish when it comes to executing the tasks asked of it, and all of it at a price point of I can get behind.
That said, I can’t help but question Xiaomi’s strategy in releasing another phone in this category when it already has the Pocophone F1 and even the Mi 8 SE that kind of compete for the same share of the market.
But really, what do I know? Perhaps they feel that there is enough value in the camera to warrant the introduction of another new device, and perhaps they’re right.
If Xiaomi feel that releasing value phones that overlap can serve them, then by all means do that. My verdict remains positive, however, and I still find it hard to really fault the Mi 8 Lite in the aspects that matter. Here I don’t mean that it’s a perfect phone—there are a few nags regarding the OS and how it works, and there are also many options out there that employ some feature or another that bests the Mi 8 Lite.
But for the price it demands, it pretty much does everything you ask of it with polished results, and I think that alone warrants it consideration for those in the market for a device in the affordable mid-range category.
Here are my observed pros and cons at a glance:
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Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite review – Gradient goodness
When I see two of my favourite phone makers go at each other, it leaves a sour and sweet taste in my mouth. One’s good idea is another’s good steal. EMUI lives thanks to MIUI, Huawei Band wouldn’t exist without Mi Band. Huawei P Smart certainly inspired Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite.
Positioning
The smartphone is a competitor to Huawei P Smart, Samsung Galaxy J8, and other strong mid-rangers. The price for the 4/64 GB version is 266, and the 6/128 GB version will cost 320.
What’s in the box
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite box contents infuriate me.
On the one hand, it is excellent – in addition to the smartphone and documentation, there is a silicone case, a USB Type-C to 3.5 mm adapter, and a key for extracting the SIM-card tray…
But when I saw AGAIN the inclusion of Xiaomi charger without Quick Charge technology, I was ready to blow up.
In fairness, this is a two-ampere charger, but who cares when Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite’s system-on-chip supports Quick Charge 4.0! It’s a shame, it really is. Chinese Apple – that’s right.
Design
How is the phone itself? It’s…. wow, it’s beautiful. It really does look similar to Huawei p Smart. The differences are minimal – the block of cameras is horizontal rather than vertical, for example, and the mini-jack is gone.
There’s a notch, although it’s smaller than the rival’s. The display is almost bezel-less, with rounded corners; the volume and power buttons on the right, the SIM slot on the left, on the bottom is the speaker and USB Type-C, on top is the microphone. Dual camera, flash, and fingerprint scanner are on the back.
Ergonomics
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite feels firmly and securely in hands, the finger lies exactly on the fingerprint scanner, without touching the lenses and other erogenous zones. The case of the smartphone is metal on the perimeter, the front and rear is glass. Which is both good and bad.
In the hands the smartphone feels wildly pleasant, the oleophobic coating is almost silky, but because of it, without a case, the smartphone slides off from any inclined surface. Therefore either buy a cover or prepare for the worst.
The back panel is gradient, I got a Midnight Black color for my review, which is a bit boring for my taste. There is also Aurora Blue and Lilac-Blue models. The latter is strongly recommended since it looked fantastic.
The build quality is generally pleasant, the buttons are slightly wobbly, but nothing critical. Problems arise with fingerprints – Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite collects them like crazy. The prints are collected at the both sides. You can wipe the back with a finger, but the front needs a cloth.
The display of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is great. Sizable 6.27″, resolution 2280×1080 pixels, 19:9 aspect ratio, 403 PPI.
The matrix is, of course, IPS. This is no Galaxy J8. If you look at the display at an acute angle, only the prints are clearly visible, no color distortion. Brightness is enough to read on a sunny day without problems. Contrast, saturation, all at a decent level.
over, the last parameters are configured in the options, as well as the color rendition, and the read mode switch, and the night mode with a separate brightness and color tone settings. MIUI has always had tons of settings.
Performance
Xiaomi decided to install inside on the safest option, which is Qualcomm Snapdragon 660. There are eight processor cores, for Kryo 260 up to 2.3 GHz. RAM from 4 to 6 GB (LPDDR4X, by the way), storage varies from 64 to 128 GB. Adreno 512 video core.
This set can be considered the gold standard for the average gamer. Not Honor Play, of course, but you can count on 140K points in AnTuTu easily. This means that any game at least on the minimum graphics settings will get 60 FPS. A full list of benchmark results:
- AnTuTu: 143013
- GeekBench Single-Core: 1633
- GeekBench Multi-Core: 5850
- 3DMark Sling Shot: 2056
- 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 1360
- 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme: maxed
- 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited: 26266
- PCMark Work 1.0: 6654
- PCMark Work 2.0: 6155
- PCMark Computer Vision: 3419
- PCMark Storage: 3869
Of course, this system is very fast. In many ways, thanks to high-frequency LPDDR4X that takes multi-tasking to a new level.
Cameras
The main camera is dual. The first module is 12 MP, f/1.9, 1/2.55″, 1.4 microns, autofocus dual pixel PDAF. Additional – 5 Mp, f/2.0, 1.12 microns. Front camera – 24 MP, 0.9 microns.
The cameras are great. The detailing is excellent, the noise is minimal, there is no Hyper-saturation and blurring a la Huawei, and if necessary, the AI switch is in place. Among the really tasty things, I note Focus Peaking in Pro mode. : align the photo while shooting, tilt-shift, enhancements, group selfies.
The video is available in 4K 30 FPS with digital stabilization, the quality is nice. In addition, there are quite a few shooting modes, as well as settings. Only slow-mo has three modes, including 120 FPS FullHD (!).
Shell and Software
Out of the box, my copy of Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite runs on Android 8.1 with the MIUI 9.6 shell. This is funny since MIUI 10 is releasing soon. Nevertheless, this neat, elegant skin, with a tribute to Apple in the right places warms my soul, regardless of the version.
The interface, colors, rounded icons, functionality – everything is nice. Navigation in the style of iOS with swipe control from the bottom and from the side; although the abrupt animation of the application manager is unnerving. There is a standard set of tools, like screen recording, compass, optimization manager and QR codes scanner. And the last one, by the way, is NOT soldered in the settings menu, as it sometimes happens.
However, there are some issues. For example, I was surprised to see that MIUI does not support drawing on a deactivated display. It would seem that at the time of fingerprint scanners and face recognition (Mi 8 Lite has all this), this is not particularly necessary, but there is a certain something missing.
You start to notice the charm of the Chinese second-tier brands, which fill the devices with everything they can, hoping that at least some feature will come in handy.
The lack of old gestures, however, does not mean that Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is deprived of their support and other small features. Quick launch of the camera by double pressing the power button, a screenshot with three swipes, quick launch of Google Assistant, fast flashlight, waking up on a double tap – all of these features of Mi 8 Lite are what I miss the most now that I’m back to using my own smartphone. Even the notch can be hidden in the settings.
Data transfer and sound
Everything’s standard for Qualcomm Snapdragon 660. 3G/4G, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi ac dual-Band, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BDS. There is USB Type-C, version 3.1. It would be nice to stand out from the competition with NFC, but no luck. Same goes for IrDA.
A mini-jack is also nowhere to be seen. Adapter, as we remember, comes in the box. The MIUI sound enhancement has not gone away and is activated when wired headphones are connected. There’s the equalizer and dozens of presets for different headphones.
Battery life
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is equipped with a lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 3350 mAh. It supports Quick Charge 4.0 and withstands 5 hours and 15 minutes in the PCMark Work 2.0 stress test with maximum screen brightness and 9 hours and 31 minutes on the average.
Charging with a standard charger takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes, but with more adequate (outputting more than 1.81A) charger, it’s all much faster.
Verdict
Xiaomi now has its own P Smart: a potential hit with a gradient back, a notch, an adequate system-on-a-cheap, great cameras, and battery life.
Still, no NFC or a 3,5 mm audio jack and a second camera module. Things things stop Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite from taking the lead. A serious player, but not a leader.
I write a lot, and sometimes. even on point. Interested in PC building and games. Almost aestetism junkie, I love to like and hate to dislike.
View Комментарии и мнения владельцев
Beside conectivity (3,5mm jack and NFC) Mi 8 Lite kicks EVERYTHING in the market at this price point: better camera, better screen, better hardware etc. In my opinion is the best midranger from 200-300 money can buy.
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite ROM Update
Mi 8 Lite firmware (codename platina ) below are the stock stable MIUI, which can be downloaded as Fastboot ROM, Recovery ROM and OTA Update.
Phone model name corresponds to Global (M1808D2TG), China (M1808D2TE, M1808D2TT, M1808D2TC). Xiaomi ROM are downloaded free of charge from the official website bigota.d.miui.com. We post links to stock Mi 8 Lite flash files and original updates.
Global 12.0.3.0.QDTMIXM
Latest version of the stable Global firmware for Mi 8 Lite by Xiaomi.
Recovery ROM
Version 12.0.3.0.QDTMIXM System MIUI 12 Android Android 10 Release date 2020-09-21 File size 2.08 GB Official Link Download (.zip) Changelog
- New: All-new physically based animation engine with advanced architecture will refresh your device`s look.
- New: Dynamic window technology takes switching screen orientation to a new level.
- Optimization: Animations in selected scenes
- Brand new visual design works for all types of content and languages.
- Magazine-level layouts bring important things into the spotlight and make content structure clear.
- New: Pull down a notification sent by a messenger app to turn it into a floating window.
- New: Floating Windows keep apps running in the foreground even when you pause to do other things.
- New: You can minimize a floating window using a full screen gesture.
- Optimization: Press and hold an app preview in Recents to choose between Split screen and floating Windows.
- New: Swipe down from the upper left corner to open Notification shade and from the upper right corner to open Control center
- New: When Notification shade is open, swipe down from the upper right corner to open Control center
- Optimization: Control center is now closed by incoming calls
- Optimization: Press and hold redirection options
- Fix: Control center wasn`t always displayed correctly in landscape mode
- New: Dark mode support is also provided for third party apps now.
- New: Contrast is lowered automatically in low light conditions to protect your eyes.
- New: Wallpapers can be displayed in darker palette when your device switches to Dark mode.
- Optimization: Brightness and color improvements for wallpapers in Dark mode
- Optimization: Full screen gestures are now ignored on the Lock screen alarm page
- Fix: Home screen went black and started flashing after unlocking in some cases
Status bar, Notification shade
- New: Screen lights up with an animation now
- New: Status bar color gradient animation
- Fix: Stat
Fastboot ROM (Flash File)
Version 12.0.3.0.QDTMIXM System MIUI 12 Android Android 10
Release date 2020-09-14 Flash file size 2.57 GB Official Link Download (.tgz) Changelog
- New: All-new physically based animation engine with advanced architecture will refresh your device`s look.
- New: Dynamic window technology takes switching screen orientation to a new level.
- Optimization: Animations in selected scenes
- Brand new visual design works for all types of content and languages.
- Magazine-level layouts bring important things into the spotlight and make content structure clear.
- New: Pull down a notification sent by a messenger app to turn it into a floating window.
- New: Floating Windows keep apps running in the foreground even when you pause to do other things.
- New: You can minimize a floating window using a full screen gesture.
- Optimization: Press and hold an app preview in Recents to choose between Split screen and floating Windows.
- New: Swipe down from the upper left corner to open Notification shade and from the upper right corner to open Control center
- New: When Notification shade is open, swipe down from the upper right corner to open Control center
- Optimization: Control center is now closed by incoming calls
- Optimization: Press and hold redirection options
- Fix: Control center wasn`t always displayed correctly in landscape mode
- New: Dark mode support is also provided for third party apps now.
- New: Contrast is lowered automatically in low light conditions to protect your eyes.
- New: Wallpapers can be displayed in darker palette when your device switches to Dark mode.
- Optimization: Brightness and color improvements for wallpapers in Dark mode
- Optimization: Full screen gestures are now ignored on the Lock screen alarm page
- Fix: Home screen went black and started flashing after unlocking in some cases
Status bar, Notification shade
- New: Screen lights up with an animation now
- New: Status bar color gradient animation
- Fix: Stat
OTA Update
Version 12.0.3.0.QDTMIXM File size 841.45 MB Apply for 11.0.3.0.QDTMIXM Official Link Download (.zip)
China 12.5.1.0.QDTCNXM
Latest version of the stable Chinese firmware for Mi 8 Lite by Xiaomi.
Recovery ROM
Version 12.5.1.0.QDTCNXM System MIUI 12.5 Android Android 10 Release date 2021-06-25 File size 2.18 GB Official Link Download (.zip) Changelog
OTA Update
Version 12.5.1.0.QDTCNXM File size 540.74 MB Apply for 12.0.2.0.QDTCNXM Official Link Download (.zip)
Older official Chinese firmware for Mi 8 Lite:
MIUI 12.0.2.0.QDTCNXM Recovery (2.27 GB) 2021-03-19 Fastboot (2.92 GB) 2021-03-12 OTA (416.13 MB) for 12.0.1.0.QDTCNXM
Russia 12.0.1.0.QDTRUXM
Latest version of the stable Russian firmware for Mi 8 Lite by Xiaomi.
Recovery ROM
Version 12.0.1.0.QDTRUXM System MIUI 12 Android Android 10 Release date 2020-09-12 File size 2.08 GB Official Link Download (.zip) Changelog
- New: Swipe down from the upper left corner to open Notification shade and from the upper right corner to open Control center
- New: When Notification shade is open, swipe down from the upper right corner to open Control center
- Optimization: Control center is now closed by incoming calls
- Optimization: Press and hold redirection options
- Fix: Control center wasn`t always displayed correctly in landscape mode
- Optimization: Full screen gestures are now ignored on the Lock screen alarm page
- Fix: Home screen went black and started flashing after unlocking in some cases
- Updated Android Security Patch to August 2020. Increased system security.
Status bar, Notification shade
- New: Screen lights up with an animation now
- New: Status bar color gradient animation
- Fix: Status bar wasn`t displayed correctly with color inversion
Fastboot ROM (Flash File)
Version 12.0.1.0.QDTRUXM System MIUI 12 Android Android 10 Release date 2020-09-04 Flash file size 2.57 GB Official Link Download (.tgz) Changelog
- New: Swipe down from the upper left corner to open Notification shade and from the upper right corner to open Control center
- New: When Notification shade is open, swipe down from the upper right corner to open Control center
- Optimization: Control center is now closed by incoming calls
- Optimization: Press and hold redirection options
- Fix: Control center wasn`t always displayed correctly in landscape mode
- Optimization: Full screen gestures are now ignored on the Lock screen alarm page
- Fix: Home screen went black and started flashing after unlocking in some cases
- Updated Android Security Patch to August 2020. Increased system security.
Status bar, Notification shade
- New: Screen lights up with an animation now
- New: Status bar color gradient animation
- Fix: Status bar wasn`t displayed correctly with color inversion
OTA Update
Version 12.0.1.0.QDTRUXM File size 731.29 MB Apply for 11.0.2.0.QDTRUXM Official Link Download (.zip)
The latest MIUI update doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best. Read the reviews on the 4PDA or XDA Developers websites before installing new software update to Mi 8 Lite platina. If you downloaded Flash File, Full ROM or the latest OTA Update and encounter problems with your device after installation, please write about it in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев section, quoting the number of the buggy firmware.
Mi 8 Lite is on the Xiaomi EOS (end-of-support) list. This is similar to EOL (End of Life) status and means that the smartphone is no longer supported. It does not receive software updates and new firmware from Xiaomi, and known security vulnerabilities are not fixed.
Xiaomi releases monthly and quarterly security patch updates for Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO for 2-3 years after market launch. Monthly and quarterly security updates include Android security patches from Google as well as Xiaomi fixes.
Will Mi 8 Lite update get MIUI 13?
No, Xiaomi has stopped releasing updates for it. The latest MIUI version for Mi 8 Lite — MIUI 12.5.
Will Mi 8 Lite update get Android 11?
No. The latest version for this device — Android 10.
