If you’re looking to get yourself a flagship Android this year, you’ll have to go either with an iPhone X clone, or a Samsung phone. And if you think the OnePlus 6 is one of the best iPhone X clones out there, then you’re right. It’s also half the price of an iPhone X, so buying it seems to be a no-brainer.
However, you should know that the most faithful iPhone X clone out there is out, and it’s even cheaper than the OnePlus 6. On top of that, it does things not available on OnePlus devices.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 that we kept seeing in leaks is now official. We’re looking at three distinct versions of the phone ranging from 1,799 yuan ($280) to 3,699 ($577) that will be available in a variety of markets soon, starting with China, which is getting some of them as early as next week.
The Mi 8 Explorer Edition is going to be the most expensive model of the bunch, offering users a bunch of features not available on any other phone – or any Android phone. Yes, there’s a distinction there.
The Mi 8 comes with a notch just like every other Android flagship this year, but the Explorer Edition will be the world’s first Android handset to pack 3D face unlock like the iPhone X. Yes, that means it’s also got iPhone X-like Animoji.
The Explorer Edition version will also be the first phone in the world to use a pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint reader. Dual-frequency GPS for improved location and navigation features is also a world’s first for phones, and it’ll be available on all Mi 8 models.
When it comes to design, the phones do look very much like the iPhone X, although Xiaomi was not able to pull off the edge-to-edge display. The handsets have a bottom bezel. Moreover, Xiaomi uses an aluminum frame rather than stainless steel. The Explorer Edition does feature transparent glass on the back, but there’s no wireless charging. The handset will support Quick Charge 4.0 battery charging tech.
On the back, we’ve also got an iPhone X-like dual camera featuring 12-megapixel shooters, which scored 105 in DxOMark’s tests.
Other specs include a 6.21-inch Full HD AMOLED display made by Samsung, 2.5D glass, Snapdragon 845 processor, 6/8 GB of RAM, 64/128/256 GB storage, 20-megapixel front-facing camera, dual SIM support, Bluetooth 5, 3,400 mAh battery, and USB Type-C connectivity.
The cheaper Mi8 SE will feature a smaller 5.8-inch AMOLED screen, Snapdragon 710 processor, 6GB of RAM, 12-megapixel and 5-megapixel rear cameras.
The Xiaomi Mi8 SE is priced at 1,799 yuan ($280). The regular Xiaomi Mi 8 costs 2,699 yuan ($421), 2,999 yuan ($468), and 3,299 yuan ($514), depending on storage choice, while the Xiaomi Mi8 Explorer Edition is priced at 3,699 ($577). The 256GB OnePlus 6, meanwhile, costs 3,999 yuan ($624), and comes without 3D facial recognition support, in-display fingerprint sensor, or dual-band GPS support.
