Xiaomi Mi 8 SE Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is a sleek and powerful smartphone that combines style, performance, and affordability. With its glass front and back, aluminum frame, and compact dimensions, this device exudes elegance and durability. The 5.88-inch Super AMOLED display provides stunning visuals, while the Snapdragon 710 chipset ensures smooth multitasking and gaming. The dual 12MP + 5MP rear cameras capture crisp and vibrant photos, while the 20MP front camera is perfect for stunning selfies. The Mi 8 SE also boasts a 3120mAh battery with fast charging capabilities. Available in various colors, including Gray, Blue, Red, and Gold, this smartphone offers incredible value for its price.

Design and Build Quality

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE boasts a sleek and premium design that exudes elegance. With its glass front and back panels protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, the phone feels sturdy and robust in hand. The aluminum frame adds to its overall durability. The device has a slim form factor, measuring 147.3 x 73.1 x 7.5 mm and weighing 164g, making it comfortable to hold and use with one hand.

The Mi 8 SE features a 5.88-inch Super AMOLED display with HDR10 support, providing vibrant colors and excellent contrast. The bezels are minimal, resulting in an immersive viewing experience. The placement of buttons and controls is ergonomic and easily accessible. The absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack may be a downside for some users, but it allows for a sleeker design.

The back panel of the Mi 8 SE showcases a dual-camera setup and a fingerprint sensor, which is conveniently located for quick and secure unlocking. The device is available in various colors, including Gray, Blue, Red, and Gold, offering aesthetic choices to suit different preferences.

In terms of build quality, the Mi 8 SE is well-constructed, and the finishing touches add to its premium look and feel. The use of high-quality materials ensures its long-lasting performance. Additionally, the phone's portability is enhanced by its compact size and lightweight design.

Overall, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE combines aesthetics, durability, and user-friendly design elements to deliver a device that not only looks impressive but also feels reliable and comfortable to use. Whether it's the sleek form factor, robust construction, or the attention to detail, the Mi 8 SE offers a satisfying user experience in terms of design and build.

Display

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE features a 5.88-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2244 pixels and an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, providing durability against scratches and accidental drops. The display offers vibrant colors and excellent color accuracy, thanks to its OLED technology. With a pixel density of approximately 423 ppi, the Mi 8 SE delivers sharp and crisp visuals. The brightness levels are impressive, ensuring good visibility even under direct sunlight. The wide color gamut and HDR support enhance the viewing experience, providing deeper blacks and brighter highlights. The viewing angles are wide, allowing for comfortable viewing from different perspectives. Additionally, the display has an anti-reflective coating, reducing glare and improving visibility in bright environments. The Mi 8 SE also features a notch design, which minimizes the bezels and increases the screen-to-body ratio. It offers an always-on display feature and a blue light filter for reduced eye strain. The display is responsive to touch gestures and supports adaptive brightness for automatic adjustment in different lighting conditions. Overall, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE's display offers a visually immersive experience with its vibrant colors, sharp resolution, and impressive display technologies.

Performance

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE boasts impressive performance thanks to its powerful chipset and optimized system. Equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset, which features an octa-core CPU and Adreno 616 GPU, this device delivers smooth and lag-free performance across various tasks and applications. In terms of CPU benchmarks, the Mi 8 SE performs exceptionally well, as it utilizes 2x2.2 GHz 360 Gold cores and 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360 Silver cores. This configuration ensures efficient multitasking and swift app loading speeds, providing users with a seamless user experience.

When it comes to gaming capabilities, the Mi 8 SE excels in delivering an immersive gaming experience. The Adreno 616 GPU enables high-quality graphics and smooth gameplay, allowing users to enjoy graphics-intensive games without any compromise. The GPU benchmarks of the Mi 8 SE showcase its impressive graphics scores, which contribute to an enhanced gaming experience.

In terms of thermal management, the Mi 8 SE exhibits efficient cooling capabilities, ensuring that the device remains cool even during extended gaming sessions. This helps in maintaining consistent performance and preventing any performance throttling due to overheating. The system optimization of the device further enhances its overall performance, providing a lag-free and smooth user experience.

The performance of the Mi 8 SE is further highlighted by its benchmark test results. In synthetic benchmarks such as AnTuTu, the device achieves a commendable score of 169,044, showcasing its processing power. Additionally, in gaming benchmarks like GFXBench, the Mi 8 SE achieves a frame rate of 12fps (ES 3.1 onscreen), indicating its strong gaming performance.

Overall, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE demonstrates excellent performance metrics, with its efficient chipset, powerful GPU, and optimized system. Its processor performance, multitasking capabilities, app loading speeds, and gaming experience are all top-notch. The device delivers a smooth and lag-free user experience, making it a great choice for users seeking a high-performance smartphone.

Software and User Interface

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE runs on the Android 8.1 (Oreo) operating system with the MIUI 9.5 user interface. The MIUI is known for its extensive customization options and user-friendly interface. It offers a smooth and seamless user experience with its intuitive design and smooth transitions. The software also allows for easy navigation and access to various features and settings.

One of the advantages of the MIUI is the ability to customize the device to suit individual preferences. Users can personalize the home screen layout, icon styles, and even choose from a wide range of themes to change the overall look and feel of the device. This level of customization adds a personal touch to the user experience.

In terms of pre-installed apps, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE comes with a range of useful applications that cater to different needs. However, some users may consider some of these apps as bloatware, as they may not find them necessary or prefer using alternative apps. Fortunately, MIUI allows users to easily uninstall or disable these pre-installed apps, providing a more streamlined and clutter-free experience.

Overall, the software of the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE offers a user-friendly interface with extensive customization options. The MIUI enhances the user experience by providing a smooth and intuitive interface, while also allowing users to personalize their device to their liking. Whether it's the ease of navigation or the ability to customize the device, the software of the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE offers a pleasant and user-friendly experience.

Camera

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE boasts a dual camera setup on the rear, featuring a 12-megapixel primary lens with a wide aperture of f/1.9 and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. This combination allows for stunning image quality with impressive sharpness and natural colors. The camera performs exceptionally well in daylight photography, capturing detailed and vibrant images. The dynamic range is commendable, ensuring that both highlights and shadows are well-balanced.

In indoor photography, the Mi 8 SE continues to deliver satisfying results. The camera's low-light performance is notable, thanks to its larger sensor size and low-light sensitivity. The device excels in capturing well-lit images with minimal noise, even in challenging lighting conditions. For those interested in night photography, the Mi 8 SE offers a dedicated night mode that further enhances low-light sensitivity and reduces noise, resulting in brighter and clearer images.

The camera features on the Mi 8 SE are diverse and cater to different photography styles. Portrait mode effectively blurs the background, creating professional-looking bokeh effects. HDR mode ensures that photos have balanced exposure in high-contrast scenes. Panorama mode allows for capturing wide-angle shots with excellent stitching. Additionally, the device offers a pro mode for manual adjustments, AI scene recognition for optimized settings based on the subject, and various video recording options.

When it comes to video recording, the Mi 8 SE supports 4K video capture, allowing for high-resolution footage. Video stabilization ensures smooth and steady recordings, even in motion. Slow-motion video and time-lapse features add creativity to your videography. The device supports various video formats, giving users flexibility in sharing and editing their captured videos. Overall, the camera on the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE provides a compelling photography experience with its impressive image quality, low-light performance, and versatile features.

Battery Life

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is equipped with a non-removable Li-Po 3120 mAh battery, which offers decent battery life for everyday usage. The device supports 18W wired charging, allowing for quick charging times. With its power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset and optimized software, the Mi 8 SE offers good battery performance. It also features battery optimization features that help extend battery life by managing background processes and reducing power consumption when the device is idle. The battery capacity is sufficient for a day of moderate usage, but heavy users may need to recharge before the day ends. Unfortunately, the device does not support wireless charging, which could have been a convenient addition. Overall, the Mi 8 SE's battery provides reliable backup and offers satisfactory endurance for most users.

Connectivity and Networking

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE offers a wide range of connectivity options for users. It supports various network technologies including GSM, CDMA, HSPA, and LTE, ensuring compatibility with most carriers. The device also features dual SIM capabilities, allowing users to use two different SIM cards simultaneously. In terms of wireless connectivity, the Mi 8 SE supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with dual-band capability, providing fast and stable internet access. It also has Bluetooth 5.0, which offers improved data transfer speeds and better energy efficiency compared to previous Bluetooth versions. NFC is not available on this device, limiting contactless payment options. However, it does come with an infrared port, which can be used to control compatible electronic devices. The Mi 8 SE uses a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer, ensuring faster and more reliable connectivity. Additionally, it supports GPS, GLONASS, BDS, and GALILEO for accurate navigation. Overall, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE provides a comprehensive range of connectivity options that cater to the needs of most users.

Additional Features

• Standout Features: The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE comes with a range of standout features that make it a compelling choice in its price range. One of the key highlights is its compact form factor, measuring 147.3 x 73.1 x 7.5 mm and weighing just 164g. This makes it comfortable to hold and use with one hand. Additionally, the device features a Super AMOLED display with HDR10 support, offering vibrant colors and excellent contrast.
  
  
• Water and Dust Resistance: The Mi 8 SE does not come with any IP rating for water or dust resistance. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the device away from water and dust to avoid any damage.
  
  
• Wireless Charging: Unfortunately, the Mi 8 SE does not support wireless charging out of the box. However, it does come with fast charging support, allowing you to quickly charge the device using the included charger.
  
  
• Advanced Sensors: The Mi 8 SE is equipped with a range of advanced sensors, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and compass. These sensors enable various features and enhance the overall user experience.
  
  
• Motion Sensors: The device also includes motion sensors, which allow for intuitive gesture-based controls. These sensors enable features such as lifting to wake the screen, shaking to rearrange app icons, and flipping to mute incoming calls.
  
  
• Environmental Sensors: In addition to the motion sensors, the Mi 8 SE also features environmental sensors. These sensors can measure aspects such as temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, providing users with useful information about their surroundings.
  
  

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is a mid-range smartphone that offers a compelling set of features at an affordable price. When comparing it to other related devices in the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy A50 and the Huawei P30 Lite, the Mi 8 SE holds its ground quite well.

In terms of specifications, the Mi 8 SE boasts a 5.88-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2244 pixels. This puts it on par with the Galaxy A50 and P30 Lite in terms of display quality and sharpness. However, the Mi 8 SE stands out with its HDR10 support, offering a more vibrant and dynamic viewing experience.

In the performance department, the Mi 8 SE is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset, coupled with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. While the Galaxy A50 and P30 Lite also offer decent performance with their respective mid-range processors, the Snapdragon 710 in the Mi 8 SE provides a slight advantage in terms of raw processing power and efficiency.

When it comes to camera capabilities, the Mi 8 SE sports a dual-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 12MP primary sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. This configuration allows for impressive bokeh effects and overall good image quality. The Galaxy A50 and P30 Lite also offer dual-camera setups, but with different sensor combinations and varying results.

One area where the Mi 8 SE falls behind is in the battery department. With a 3120mAh battery, it lags behind the Galaxy A50's 4000mAh and the P30 Lite's 3340mAh batteries. However, it compensates for this with its 18W fast charging support, allowing for quick top-ups when needed.

In terms of pricing, the Mi 8 SE is a highly competitive option. It offers similar or even better specifications compared to its competitors at a lower price point. This makes it an attractive choice for budget-conscious consumers who still want a feature-packed smartphone.

Overall, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE holds its own against its related devices in the market. With its impressive display, powerful processor, and competitive pricing, it offers a strong value proposition for those looking for a mid-range smartphone without breaking the bank.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE offers a compelling package for potential buyers. With its sleek and premium design, featuring a glass front and back, along with an aluminum frame, it exudes elegance. The Super AMOLED display with HDR10 support provides vibrant colors and sharp visuals. The device is powered by the efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset, ensuring smooth performance. The camera setup delivers impressive results, especially in well-lit conditions. While the absence of expandable storage and a 3.5mm headphone jack may disappoint some, the Mi 8 SE compensates with features like USB Type-C and an infrared port. With its competitive price and decent battery life, the Mi 8 SE is a solid choice for those seeking a mid-range smartphone with excellent value for money.