Continuing its legacy of producing budget smartphones for billions of people in India, Xiaomi has launched new smartphones in its Redmi 8 series — the Redmi Note 8 Pro and the Redmi Note 8.
Both smartphones are feature-rich and try to keep Xiaomi’s name in the budget price bracket high. During the launch event, I got to spend some time with the elder one out of the two — the Redmi Note 8 Pro — and here are my first impressions for the same. So, read onto to know whether or not it impressed me:
Redmi Note 8 Pro First Impressions
Design: Smudge-ily Pretty
The Redmi Note 8 Pro, much like its predecessor (the Note 7 Pro), does well in the looks department. It looks good (actually, better than the Note 7 Pro) and carries with it the premium feels. If you look at the device, you won’t just get to know that it comes for so cheap.
With an Aura design and curved edges, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is available in three color options: Shadow Black, Gamma Green, and Halo White, with Gamma Green proving to be really attractive.
The smartphone is lightweight and feels comfortable in the hands. However, here comes the drawback: Redmi Note 8 Pro is prone to A LOT of smudges, and with every touch, there is a fingerprint on the device (you can see in the images attached as well.)
As for the device’s aesthetics, there is a vertical rear camera setup that has three camera sensors and a fingerprint scanner. Next to the camera, there is the fourth camera sensor along with an LED flash. This totals up to four cameras for the device. The camera setup is followed by the “64MP AI Super Camera” slogan and the Redmi branding.
The front part of the smartphone has minimal bezels coupled with a Dot Notch at the top. The right side of the smartphone has volume controls and a power on/off button, while the left side has a SIM tray and a dedicated microSD card tray, which is specifically for the Indian market.
The color variants clubbed with curved edges, make the Redmi Note 8 Pro a beautiful device, but the smudges prove to be a turn-off.
Display: HDR Enabled!
The Redmi Note 8 Pro has a 6.53-inch Dot Notch LCD panel with a screen resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels. One highlight of the Redmi Note 8 Pro’s display is that it is HDR-enabled, which is a first for Xiaomi. The smartphone comes with various display settings such as Reading mode, among others, and is covered with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection.
During the short period that I used the smartphone for, the display was aptly lit, and the viewing angles appeared fine as well.
While the display seems fine, we need to use it thoroughly for a better review of the same. Hence, stay tuned to this space.
Cameras: 64MP And A Lot More
This department is the main USP of the Redmi Note 8 Pro. There are four rear snappers, a 64MP primary one, an 8MP Ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor for Bokeh effects. The smartphone uses Samsung’s recent ISOCELL GW1 image sensor for its 64MP primary camera. The front has a 20MP shooter.
The device supports various camera features such as AI-backed features, PDAF, Night mode, ultra-wide and macro video recording, slow-motion videos in 960fps, and a dual-tone LED flash.
The rear camera of the smartphone produced decent colors, and the results were decent. The front camera, too, captured a detailed selfie that didn’t appear processed. However, as I had a shortage of time, I couldn’t use the camera in different shooting conditions to find out whether or not the 64MP camera is needed at all. I’ll try to do it in my full review.
Redmi Note 8 Pro Spec-Sheet
| Specifications | Redmi Note 8 Pro |
| Display | 6.53-inch Dot Notch |
| Resolution | Full HD+ |
| Battery | 4,500mAh |
| RAM | 6GB/8GB |
| OS | Android 9.0 Pie |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB |
| Rear Camera | 64MP, 8MP, 2MP, 2MP |
| Front Camera | 20MP |
| Processor | MediaTek Helio G |
| Phone Features | 64MP Quad camera |
| Starting Price (Current) | Rs 14,999 |
Other Highlights
The Redmi Note 8 Pro’s Helio G90T processor is specifically included for an improved gaming experience so that users can enjoy PUBG and the most recent CoD. It also comes with P2i coating and IP52 certification for water and dust resistance.
Additional significant features include Wi-Fi X antenna, LiquidCool technology for easy heat dissipation during heavy gameplay, and the most amazing one — built-in support for Alexa, and I am all excited to use the features with the smartphone.
Conclusion
The Redmi Note 8 Pro tries to raise Xiaomi’s (and even the competition’s) bar as high as it did with the Redmi Note 7 Pro. We get amazingly-configured cameras, a huge battery, attractive design, and a lot more.
Compared to its competition, mainly the Realme X2, the device has features worth a try, and yet again, Xiaomi is proving that no can really dethrone it out of the budget segment. However, it’s still a bit early to declare it as the best in the price range. So stick to this space for more.
Also Read: Are OnePlus 7T’s Features Good Enough For Its Existence?