The Redmi Note 8 series is here, and as expected, there are two devices in the series: the standard Redmi Note 8, and the higher-end Redmi Note 8 Pro. Naturally, the latter is the more exciting device, thanks to its 64MP camera sensor and MediaTek Helio G90T chipset under the hood.
In fact, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is the first smartphone to officially debut with the 64MP sensor. On top of that, it is also the first device to be announced with the Helio G90T chipset, which promises good gaming performance for the money. According to MediaTek, the G90T is up to 26% faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730.
As for the 64MP camera, it’s the Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor, which uses pixel binning to output brighter, better-looking 16MP images. Complementing the 64MP sensor are three other shooters: an 8MP wide angle camera, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor.
What about selfies? For that, the Redmi Note 8 Pro has a 20MP front-facing camera housed in the notch at the top of the display. That’s right, this phone has a 6.53-inch 1080p notched display; there’s no hole-punch cutout or all-screen design here, for better or worse.
Rounding out the specifications of the Redmi Note 8 Pro are up to 8GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, a generous 4,500mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging, and even a liquid cooling system for better thermal performance.
Those who want something more affordable can opt for the standard Redmi Note 8 instead. For the most part, it looks relatively similar to the Pro variant, except for the camera sensors, which are placed on the left side of the back panel. On top of that, the primary sensor is a 48MP unit, so only the Pro model gets the 64MP camera.
Other specifications of the Redmi Note 8 include a more compact 6.3-inch 1080p display (still with a notch), a Snapdragon 665 chipset paired with up to 6GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, a quad camera system (48MP primary + 8MP wide angle + 2MP macro + 2MP depth), a 13MP selfie camera, and a smaller 4,000mAh cell.
Now then, let’s get to pricing. Three variants of the Redmi Note 8 Pro are available: the 64GB model with 6GB RAM goes for 1,399 Chinese yuan (about RM825), while the 128GB variants with 6GB and 8GB of RAM retail at 1,599 yuan (approximately RM940) and 1,799 yuan (around RM1,060) respectively.
These are competitive price tags, and the Redmi Note 8 is even more affordable. The 64GB + 4GB model goes for only 999 yuan (about RM590), while the 64GB + 6GB and 128GB + 6GB variants are priced at 1,199 yuan (around RM705) and 1,399 yuan (approximately RM825) respectively.
At the moment, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is set to go on sale in China on 3 September, while the regular Redmi Note 8 will be sold from 17 September onwards in the country. Malaysian release of these two phones are not confirmed yet, but we reckon Xiaomi Malaysia will bring them in soon.