Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Review - Fast Performance, Charming Design
Some time ago Xiaomi officially launched a middle-class smartphone called the Mi 8 Lite in Indonesia. This device has almost the same specifications as the Mi A2.
But the matter of design, the Mi 8 Lite is far better than the Mi A2. I fell in love when I first saw the rear body of the Mi 8 Lite that uses a blue-purple color gradation under the name Aurora Blue.
The color gradation that comes with the Mi 8 Lite itself makes it look luxurious compared to the official Xiaomi smartphone that has been present in Indonesia. This time I also had the opportunity to use the device for several weeks.
For this reason, for Gadgets who are curious about the advantages, features, camera capabilities, and the shortcomings of the Mi 8 Lite, you can see the following review articles:
Design
This Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has a rear body made of metal which is coated with glass complete with blue purple gradations that attract attention. Even I was able to reflect on the body behind it.
The combination of glass and color gradation also makes this smartphone look attractive when exposed to light reflections. But due to the use of this glass layer it makes it slippery when held using one hand.
Even my fingerprint is easy to imprint when it touches the body glass behind it. For this reason, I immediately used an additional case provided by Xiami in the sales package.
The metal frame pinned on this smartphone also makes it feel solid when in the grip. On the right side there are volume and power buttons arranged vertically. Turning to the left there is a SIM card and microSD slot in the form of a Hybrid. In other words, I can attach two SIM cards without a microSD or one SIM card and one microSD at a time.
At the bottom there is a USB Type-C port that functions for battery charging and data transfer. The absence of a 3.5mm audio jack port, makes the USB Type-C port also used to connect earphones or headphones with a smartphone. But the condition is that the earphones or headphones already use a USB Type-C port. Still at the bottom there are two speaker holes, but only the right speaker hole serves to make a sound. While the left hole is just a decoration to make it look symmetrical.
Screen
Following the current trends, Xiaomi also has a 6.26-inch IPS LCD screen with Full HD + resolution (2280 x 1080 pixels) and a 19: 9 ratio that meets the front complete with bangs or notches similar to the iPhone X and Huawei P20 Pro.
But if the user doesn't like this bangs, he can hide it by activating the Hide Notch feature in the Settings menu. Next, the bangs will be camouflaged with a black area at the top. With the use of IPS LCD technology, it allows users to still see images, videos, or games clearly up to a 178 degree tilt angle. To protect the eyes from blue ray radiation, Xiaomi has also embed the Reading Mode feature on the screen of this smartphone.
Camera
Of all, Xiaomi also favored the camera from the Mi 8 Lite because it already uses two 12 MP + 5 MP rear cameras, dual pixel Autofocus, and LED Flash that can produce instant and neat bokeh photos (background blur).
While the front camera has a 24 MP resolution with Sony IMX576 sensor and Super Pixel 4-in-1 technology that can produce selfie and wefie photos with a smooth face.
Thanks to the help of artificial intelligence or Artificial intelligence (AI) embedded in the default camera application so that it can help users to produce good photos with scenes or atmosphere that has been adjusted.
By default, I was immediately confronted with Photo mode that uses AI when I first opened the default camera application. If the AI feature is activated, the smartphone will intelligently determine the exact scene when the photo will be taken.
Even when I use Portrait mode on the back camera, I can still edit the level of blur in the background after the photo is taken. Meanwhile, the rear camera is also capable of taking videos with several modes, ranging from Beautify, Slow-motion, to Time-lapse.
For that, for Gadgets who are curious about the quality of photos from the Mi 8 Lite camera, you can see the results of the photos as follows:
Rear Camera
Performance
This Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core chipset with 2.2 GHz speed with AIE (Artificial Intelligence Engine) and 14nm process technology so that its performance is powerful.
Even the GPU Adreno 512 which is present on the chipset is claimed by Xiaomi to be able to process graphics well so that users can enjoy games until high graphics are smooth without lag.
In balancing the Qualcomm-made chipset, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is also equipped with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. If the user feels his internal capacity is less relieved, he can immediately add microSD.
To prove its performance, I also tried running various applications for daily activities on the Mi 8 Lite starting from Phone, SMS, Chat, social networking, video, games, and music.
Mi 8 Lite is able to run applications multitasking smoothly without lag. Furthermore, I tested it with several popular games, such as Garena Free Fire, Mobile Legends, Arena of Valor, and Final Fantasy Pocket Edition.
Mobile Legends and Arena of Valor can be run smoothly using high graphics and high frame rates. While Garena Free Fire, Arena of Valor, and Final Fantasy Pocket Edition can run smoothly with high graphics.
As usual, I benchmarked the Mi 8 Lite using AnTuTu and Geekbench. The results were unexpected because the Mi 8 Lite received an AnTuTu score of 143,668 points. Though the average smartphone with Snapdragon 660 has AnTuTu values ranging from 130 thousand to 138 thousand points. Most likely, Xiaomi also embed features like the AI Boost of Zenfone 5 on the Mi 8 Lite.
Even so, the Mi 8 Lite can still run games and applications smoothly. Furthermore, the Mi 8 Lite also managed to get a score of 1,624 points for Single-core testing and 5,791 points for Multi-core testing. You could say the performance of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite can be relied upon to run applications and play games.
Battery
This smartphone is equipped with a battery that has a capacity of up to 3350 mAh and claimed by Xiaomi can last a long time because of the efficiency of artificial intelligence or implanted Artificial Intelligence.
As a proof, I run various applications on daily activities, ranging from SMS, chat, telephone, social networking, occasional games, occasional videos, and occasional music. As a result, the Mi 8 Lite can last for 16 hours from 100% to a critical point of 15%.
Although this smartphone supports Quick Charge, the default charger is not supported because it only has 5V / 2A output so the speed is standard. But on a realistic test, the Mi 8 Lite's battery is able to charge for 1.8 hours - 2.2 hours from 0% to 100%. Based on information circulating on the internet, the Quick Charge feature of this smartphone can function when using a charger with 5V / 4.5A output.
Fingerprint
The fingerprint sensor is still presented on the back of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, making it easier for users to be able to unlock it using only their fingerprints in a matter of seconds. You could say this fingerprint sensor can quickly recognize my fingerprint when unlocking a smartphone. Furthermore, the Mi 8 Lite allows 5 different fingerprints to be registered and recognized during the unlock process.
Face Unlock
As an alternative to fingerprint, Xiaomi has also embedded the Face Unlock feature on this smartphone that allows users to unlock only by using their faces. Even artificial intelligence or Artificial Intelligence (AI) present in this smartphone can improve the accuracy of face detection.
When I use it, Face Unlock can detect my face quickly. Even in low light conditions. Meanwhile, users can only register 1 face to recognize the Face Unlock feature.
MIUI 10
Initially Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite uses MIUI 9.6, but Xiaomi itself has provided an official MIUI 10 update in Indonesia for this smartphone which can be downloaded via OTA (Over The Air).
MIUI 10 has an iOS-like appearance, both on the icon, bar brightness, volume bar, and animation that it looks different than MIUI 9.6. Even MIUI 10 feels lighter and faster than MIUI 9.6.
MIUI 10 itself has a variety of features ranging from dual split multitasking which allows two applications to run simultaneously in one screen, dual apps that allow there are two similar applications, up to artificial intelligence or Artificial Intelligence (AI) for performance, camera, and durability battery.
Screenshot 3
Fingers Although there are many smartphones that have a feature of 3 finger screenshots, the presence of MIUI 10 makes it easier for users of the Mi 8 Lite to take screenshots without having to hold down the power and volume buttons for a few seconds. I myself feel the screenshot 3 finger feature is very practical because it only needs to close 3 fingers which are then pulled from the top to the bottom of the screen so that you can take screenshots of the specified area
But the matter of design, the Mi 8 Lite is far better than the Mi A2. I fell in love when I first saw the rear body of the Mi 8 Lite that uses a blue-purple color gradation under the name Aurora Blue.
The color gradation that comes with the Mi 8 Lite itself makes it look luxurious compared to the official Xiaomi smartphone that has been present in Indonesia. This time I also had the opportunity to use the device for several weeks.
For this reason, for Gadgets who are curious about the advantages, features, camera capabilities, and the shortcomings of the Mi 8 Lite, you can see the following review articles:
Design
This Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has a rear body made of metal which is coated with glass complete with blue purple gradations that attract attention. Even I was able to reflect on the body behind it.
The combination of glass and color gradation also makes this smartphone look attractive when exposed to light reflections. But due to the use of this glass layer it makes it slippery when held using one hand.
Even my fingerprint is easy to imprint when it touches the body glass behind it. For this reason, I immediately used an additional case provided by Xiami in the sales package.
The metal frame pinned on this smartphone also makes it feel solid when in the grip. On the right side there are volume and power buttons arranged vertically. Turning to the left there is a SIM card and microSD slot in the form of a Hybrid. In other words, I can attach two SIM cards without a microSD or one SIM card and one microSD at a time.
At the bottom there is a USB Type-C port that functions for battery charging and data transfer. The absence of a 3.5mm audio jack port, makes the USB Type-C port also used to connect earphones or headphones with a smartphone. But the condition is that the earphones or headphones already use a USB Type-C port. Still at the bottom there are two speaker holes, but only the right speaker hole serves to make a sound. While the left hole is just a decoration to make it look symmetrical.
Screen
Following the current trends, Xiaomi also has a 6.26-inch IPS LCD screen with Full HD + resolution (2280 x 1080 pixels) and a 19: 9 ratio that meets the front complete with bangs or notches similar to the iPhone X and Huawei P20 Pro.
But if the user doesn't like this bangs, he can hide it by activating the Hide Notch feature in the Settings menu. Next, the bangs will be camouflaged with a black area at the top. With the use of IPS LCD technology, it allows users to still see images, videos, or games clearly up to a 178 degree tilt angle. To protect the eyes from blue ray radiation, Xiaomi has also embed the Reading Mode feature on the screen of this smartphone.
Camera
Of all, Xiaomi also favored the camera from the Mi 8 Lite because it already uses two 12 MP + 5 MP rear cameras, dual pixel Autofocus, and LED Flash that can produce instant and neat bokeh photos (background blur).
While the front camera has a 24 MP resolution with Sony IMX576 sensor and Super Pixel 4-in-1 technology that can produce selfie and wefie photos with a smooth face.
Thanks to the help of artificial intelligence or Artificial intelligence (AI) embedded in the default camera application so that it can help users to produce good photos with scenes or atmosphere that has been adjusted.
By default, I was immediately confronted with Photo mode that uses AI when I first opened the default camera application. If the AI feature is activated, the smartphone will intelligently determine the exact scene when the photo will be taken.
Even when I use Portrait mode on the back camera, I can still edit the level of blur in the background after the photo is taken. Meanwhile, the rear camera is also capable of taking videos with several modes, ranging from Beautify, Slow-motion, to Time-lapse.
For that, for Gadgets who are curious about the quality of photos from the Mi 8 Lite camera, you can see the results of the photos as follows:
Rear Camera
Performance
This Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core chipset with 2.2 GHz speed with AIE (Artificial Intelligence Engine) and 14nm process technology so that its performance is powerful.
Even the GPU Adreno 512 which is present on the chipset is claimed by Xiaomi to be able to process graphics well so that users can enjoy games until high graphics are smooth without lag.
In balancing the Qualcomm-made chipset, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is also equipped with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. If the user feels his internal capacity is less relieved, he can immediately add microSD.
To prove its performance, I also tried running various applications for daily activities on the Mi 8 Lite starting from Phone, SMS, Chat, social networking, video, games, and music.
Mi 8 Lite is able to run applications multitasking smoothly without lag. Furthermore, I tested it with several popular games, such as Garena Free Fire, Mobile Legends, Arena of Valor, and Final Fantasy Pocket Edition.
Mobile Legends and Arena of Valor can be run smoothly using high graphics and high frame rates. While Garena Free Fire, Arena of Valor, and Final Fantasy Pocket Edition can run smoothly with high graphics.
As usual, I benchmarked the Mi 8 Lite using AnTuTu and Geekbench. The results were unexpected because the Mi 8 Lite received an AnTuTu score of 143,668 points. Though the average smartphone with Snapdragon 660 has AnTuTu values ranging from 130 thousand to 138 thousand points. Most likely, Xiaomi also embed features like the AI Boost of Zenfone 5 on the Mi 8 Lite.
Even so, the Mi 8 Lite can still run games and applications smoothly. Furthermore, the Mi 8 Lite also managed to get a score of 1,624 points for Single-core testing and 5,791 points for Multi-core testing. You could say the performance of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite can be relied upon to run applications and play games.
Battery
This smartphone is equipped with a battery that has a capacity of up to 3350 mAh and claimed by Xiaomi can last a long time because of the efficiency of artificial intelligence or implanted Artificial Intelligence.
As a proof, I run various applications on daily activities, ranging from SMS, chat, telephone, social networking, occasional games, occasional videos, and occasional music. As a result, the Mi 8 Lite can last for 16 hours from 100% to a critical point of 15%.
Although this smartphone supports Quick Charge, the default charger is not supported because it only has 5V / 2A output so the speed is standard. But on a realistic test, the Mi 8 Lite's battery is able to charge for 1.8 hours - 2.2 hours from 0% to 100%. Based on information circulating on the internet, the Quick Charge feature of this smartphone can function when using a charger with 5V / 4.5A output.
Fingerprint
The fingerprint sensor is still presented on the back of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, making it easier for users to be able to unlock it using only their fingerprints in a matter of seconds. You could say this fingerprint sensor can quickly recognize my fingerprint when unlocking a smartphone. Furthermore, the Mi 8 Lite allows 5 different fingerprints to be registered and recognized during the unlock process.
Face Unlock
As an alternative to fingerprint, Xiaomi has also embedded the Face Unlock feature on this smartphone that allows users to unlock only by using their faces. Even artificial intelligence or Artificial Intelligence (AI) present in this smartphone can improve the accuracy of face detection.
When I use it, Face Unlock can detect my face quickly. Even in low light conditions. Meanwhile, users can only register 1 face to recognize the Face Unlock feature.
MIUI 10
Initially Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite uses MIUI 9.6, but Xiaomi itself has provided an official MIUI 10 update in Indonesia for this smartphone which can be downloaded via OTA (Over The Air).
MIUI 10 has an iOS-like appearance, both on the icon, bar brightness, volume bar, and animation that it looks different than MIUI 9.6. Even MIUI 10 feels lighter and faster than MIUI 9.6.
MIUI 10 itself has a variety of features ranging from dual split multitasking which allows two applications to run simultaneously in one screen, dual apps that allow there are two similar applications, up to artificial intelligence or Artificial Intelligence (AI) for performance, camera, and durability battery.
Screenshot 3
Fingers Although there are many smartphones that have a feature of 3 finger screenshots, the presence of MIUI 10 makes it easier for users of the Mi 8 Lite to take screenshots without having to hold down the power and volume buttons for a few seconds. I myself feel the screenshot 3 finger feature is very practical because it only needs to close 3 fingers which are then pulled from the top to the bottom of the screen so that you can take screenshots of the specified area