Xiaomi Announces New Redmi 8 In India, Also Announces Plan For New Redmi Note 8 Pro

Just two weeks after the launch of Redmi 8A in India, Xiaomi has launched another smartphone in the country. The Chinese hardware maker has announced its new Redmi 8 at the company’s official launch event. The new phone boasts a glass body with the Chinese firm’s new Aura mirror design.

It offers similar specs with the previous Xiaomi handset, the Redmi 8A. The only big difference between the two smartphones is the tweaked rear design, the second camera, and the new fingerprint sensor technology.

Features and strengths of the new smartphone model

The new Redmi 8 features a 6.22-inch Dot Notch display with Gorilla Glass 5. Like the others Xiaomi phones, this new handset also gets a P2i coating for splash resistance and a new AI scene detection system with 33 profiles ranging from plants, pets, scenery, and 6 India specific modes.

The new phone brings a 12 megapixel + 2 megapixel AI dual camera setup and an extra second camera. The phone’s 12-megapixel camera is equipped with the sophisticated Sony IMX363 sensor, which was teased previously by Xiaomi. This was the same sensor technology used in Google Pixel 3a, Mi 8 and Mi Mix 3. The rear camera comes with Google Lens integration, which the Chinese firm said will allow users to live translate between 104 languages by just pointing the camera at text.

Powering this new handset is the same octa-core used in Redmi 7A, the Snapdragon 439 processor. The mobile processor is paired with the Adreno 505 GPU. The new mobile device boasts two RAM/storage options; the first one is a 4GB RAM option with up to 64GB of storage and the second one is the 3GB variant with 32GB of storage.

As for the battery power, there's a 5000mAh cell that can support up to 18W fast-charging. However, users will get only a 10W adapter in the box and they need to buy the fast charger separately. For the connectivity, the Redmi 8 brings a USB-C port, a dual SIM slot, a wireless FM radio, a dedicated MicroSD slot, and a rear fingerprint scanner.

General availability and release date

The Redmi 8 comes in three colors: the Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, and Onyx Black. Prices start at Rs 7,999 (~$112) for the Redmi 8 3GB/32GB variant and Rs 8,999 ($126.76) for the Redmi 8 4GB/64GB variant.

As part of the handset’s marketing promotion, Xiaomi has also announced a special offer for the first 5 million units sold. During that special offer period, the 4GB variant of the Redmi 8 will sell at Rs 7,999 ($112.68). As for the general availability and release date, the Redmi 8 will be made available on India on October 12 on Mi.com and Flipkart. The Redmi 8 will also be made available in Ukraine for $181 for the 4GB variant.

In addition to the new Redmi 8 smartphone, Xiaomi also made some surprise announcement during the official launch event. The Chinese manufacturer said that it's planning to launch the Redmi Note 8 Pro in India. This 64 Megapixel camera phone will be officially launched on October 16.