Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE Review: 5 Differences Will Make Easy That Which One You Should Buy

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi recently has announced its latest flagship devices in the Mi series dubbed as the Mi 8, Mi 8 Explorer Edition and Mi 8 SE at its annual launch event to celebrate its 8th anniversary. While the company also announced the MIUI 10, the newly launched Mi series devices are currently running on MIUI 9 and are scheduled to be upgraded to MIUI 10 in the coming days. Today this article brings the difference between Xiaomi Mi 8 SE and Xiaomi Mi 8 to see which of the two phones are more suitable for themselves.

Xiaomi MI8 (Left) vs MI8 SE (Right)

Xiaomi MI8 (Left) vs MI8 SE (Right)

1, The Difference In Screen Size

The screen, Xiaomi Mi 8 and SE are 18.9 Notch screen and are using well-known Samsung AMOLED screen, the maximum brightness has reached 600nit, the contrast ratio up to 60000:1, the screen quality is basically the same, different only the size of screens. Xiaomi Mi 8 has a 6.21-inch screen, while Xiaomi Mi 8 SE equipped with a 5.88-inch screen, which is slightly smaller but is easier to hold with one hand.

2, Different Performance

In terms of performance, Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is the world’s first Smartphone that equipped with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 710 8-core processor. It is equivalent to an upgraded version of the Snapdragon 660 SoC. It uses the same advanced 10nm FinFET as the Snapdragon 845 with two A75 2.2. GHz large core and 6xA55 1.7GHz small core design, built-in Adreno 616 graphics core with AI support.

MI8 (Left) vs MI8 SE (Right) Antutu

Snapdragon 845 is an 8-core processor with the strongest performance of Qualcomm. It is equipped with four A75 (2.8GHz) cores and four A55 (1.8GHz) cores. It has an Adreno 630 graphics core and has CPU and GPU capabilities with a stronger performance.

Obviously, on the performance, Xiaomi Mi 8 is stronger than Xiaomi Mi 8 SE, but they both are similar in other places, such as 10nm process, support Netcom 5.0, etc. It can be said that Snapdragon 710 is the 2nd-highest processor that is closest to the flagship Snapdragon 845. The performance ranged between Snapdragon 820 and 835.

Of course, the performance of Xiaomi Mi 8 SE also reached the current high-end level, but there is also a certain performance gap compared to Xiaomi Mi 8. However, from now on, Xiaomi Mi 8 SE can now play various types of large-scale 3D games at the moment, but only to lengthen some of the time. In the future, Snapdragon 845 has advantages.

3, Rear Camera Differences

In terms of the camera, the Mi 8 SE front camera and the Mi 8 remain the same, but the rear camera has a significant shrink, the rear camera is different as follows:

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE Rear camera specifications:

• Primary camera: 12MP, 1.4um large pixels, f/1.9 large aperture, Dual PD dual-focus;
• Secondary-camera: 5MP, 1.12um large pixels, f/2.0 large aperture.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Rear camera specifications:

• Primary camera: 12MP, wide-angle lens, 4-axis optical image stabilization, f/1.8;
• Secondary camera: 12MP, telephoto lens, portrait lens, f/2.4.

In terms of camera specifications, the rear dual cameras of the Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE, including the most important sensors and pixels, are different. This is also the picture of Xiaomi Mi 8 scored high on DxOMar, but Mi 8 SE is unable to find the ranking in the front position.

Obviously, on the camera capability, Xiaomi Mi 8 SE main camera, there will be a larger gap compared to the Mi 8, the former is the mainstream mobile phone camera level, the rear is the mainstream flagship camera level.

4, The Battery Is Different

Xiaomi Mi 8 has a built-in battery capacity that is larger than SE, but considering Xiaomi Mi 8 SE’s screen is smaller and more power-efficient, the overall life is basically the same.

In terms of fast charging, these both phones are all equipped with QC3.0 fast charging, and charging is similar. However, as a flagship Smartphone, Xiaomi Mi 8 supports QC4.0 fast charging. In the future, you can purchase QC4.0 charger to experience faster-charging speed.

5, Feature Differences

As a flagship phone, Xiaomi Mi 8 comes standard with NFC function and can experience functions such as bus cards and NFC payment. In this regard, Xiaomi Mi 8 is the world’s first dual-band GPS Smartphone, and its positioning can be more accurate.

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is not a flagship, does not support NFC and dual-band GPS positioning, but there is more than one infrared interface, support for mobile phone remote control for TV, home appliances and etc., which is not in Mi 8.

Read Also: AnTuTu: Top 10 Most Powerful Smartphones In May 2018

Comparison Summary

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE can be seen as a small screen with Mi 8 low version, the main screen is smaller, the performance of a small drop, the main camera shrink, neutered NFC and dual-band GPS support, but the price is cheaper 700-900 yuan, there is a certain the advantage of low prices, and the advantage of infrared remote control, the overall point of view, it can be said that each has its advantages.

For consumers, what is better for Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE? In general, the cost and performance are very high. As for how to choose, it mainly depends on the budget and demand. If the budget is limited, and the pursuit of adequate, Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is also fully enough, and one-handed holding will be more convenient. If the budget is adequate, or the pursuit of a larger screen, top performance, better camera experience, NFC, dual-band GPS and other functions, Xiaomi Mi 8 will undoubtedly be more balanced, no doubt worth considering.

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Update on Nov.15, 2018