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Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Smartphone Review

Simply good. Xiaomi’s smartphone with the global ROM has finally come to the European market. The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is a good and high-quality smartphone that does not burn a hole in your pocket. Read our review to find out what you can expect from this 270-Euro (~$307) device.
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite

In our review of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition, the flagship smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer received an almost unreserved recommendation. Like many other manufacturers, Xiaomi does not rely solely on the top-end model and uses the designation “Lite” for the cheaper variant of its high-end smartphone.

Our current review device is the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, which offers a little less performance than the Mi 8 Explorer Edition. Moreover, it forgoes the Infrared Face Unlock feature. However, the Mi 8 Lite gets a very good 24 MP front-facing camera and the rest of the hardware is also quite good for a mid-range smartphone.

The combination of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 and the Adreno 512 creates a very responsive system. Furthermore, the Mi 8 Lite features 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of eMMC flash storage. This is why the Xiaomi smartphone offers enough performance for most modern applications. Additionally, with the price tag of 270 Euros (~$307), the smartphone offers a very good price-to-performance ratio. The variant with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage costs 30 Euros (~$34) less.

While there is still no official European release date for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 and Mi Max 3, other smartphones from the Chinese manufacturer such as the Redmi 6Redmi 6A and the Note 6 Pro can be easily acquired in German retail stores. The same applies to the Mi 8 series, which is available in Germany with the global ROM running Xiaomi’s propriety launcher known as MIUI 10.0.

In our review, we compare the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite with other smartphones with a similar price tag and hardware. The competing devices include: The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018), HTC’s U12 Life, the Huawei P Smart (2019), Umidigi’s Z2 Pro and the Nokia 5.1 Plus.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Mi 8 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 8 x 2.2 GHz, Kryo 260
Graphics adapter
Memory
6 GB 
, LPDDR4
Display
6.26 inch 19:9, 2280 x 1080 pixel 403 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
128 GB eMMC Flash, 128 GB 
, 112 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: USB Type-C, Card Reader: microSD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: motion sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM (B2/B3/B5/B8), 3G WCDMA (B1/B2/B4/B5/B8), 4G LTE FDD/TDD (B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28/B38/B40), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.5 x 156.4 x 75.8 ( = 0.3 x 6.16 x 2.98 in)
Battery
3350 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix 12MP/f1.9/1.4µm + 5MP/f2.0/1.12µm (SAMSUNG S5K5E8)
Secondary Camera: 24 MPix f2.0/1.8µm (Sony IMX 576)
Additional features
Speakers: 1 speaker, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, USB charger, USB Type-C cable, USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter, protective case, SIM removal tool, MIUI Global 10.0, 12 Months Warranty, SAR-value (head): 0,749 W/kg, SAR-value (body): 1,585 W/kg, fanless
Weight
169 g ( = 5.96 oz / 0.37 pounds), Power Supply: 64 g ( = 2.26 oz / 0.14 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Xiaomi smartphone with a glass back

The case of the Mi 8 Lite is made of glass and aluminum, which is why the smartphone looks very premium. The Mi 8 Lite is very well-built and feels nice in the hand. However, because the top and bottom sides protrude slightly (by about one millimeter), the screen looks like it has been glued onto the sides. The smartphone is available in two main color schemes: “Midnight Black” and “Aurora Blue”. The back of the Mi 8 Lite comes with a shimmering effect.

The physical buttons are located on the right side. They sit firmly in their housings. The nanoSIM/microSD card tray is found on the left side. There is a charging port at the bottom of the smartphone. The dual-camera system is located on the back in the left top corner and the fingerprint sensor is located in the middle of the top third of the smartphone.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite

Size Comparison

159.8 mm / 6.29 inch 76.8 mm / 3.02 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 168 g0.3704 lbs158.5 mm / 6.24 inch 75.4 mm / 2.97 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs156.4 mm / 6.16 inch 75.8 mm / 2.98 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 169 g0.3726 lbs155.2 mm / 6.11 inch 73.4 mm / 2.89 inch 7.95 mm / 0.313 inch 160 g0.3527 lbs153.4 mm / 6.04 inch 74.4 mm / 2.93 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 165 g0.3638 lbs149.5 mm / 5.89 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 162 g0.3571 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity - Low-priced Android smartphone with good hardware

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Adreno 512, 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of eMMC flash storage. The storage space can be expanded with the help of a microSD card. However, if you choose to use a microSD card, then you will lose the dual-SIM functionality. The Mi 8 Lite also comes in a version with less RAM (4 GB) and less storage space (64 GB).

Data can be transferred through a wired connection with the help of the USB Type-C port. The USB port operates at USB 2.0 speeds. It can also be used for charging and features support for Quick Charge 3.0. Unfortunately, the Mi 8 Lite only supports L3 DRM, which means that HD content from various streaming services is not supported.

Top side: microphone
Top side: microphone
Left side: microSD/nanoSIM card slot
Left side: microSD/nanoSIM card slot
Bottom side: speaker, USB Type-C port
Bottom side: speaker, USB Type-C port
Right side: volume rocker, power button
Right side: volume rocker, power button

Software - Stable release of MIUI 10.0 for Europe

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite runs Android 8.1. The security patches were last updated in November of 2018. The Mi 8 Lite uses a proprietary launcher known as MIUI Global 10.0. It is very similar to stock Android. The home screen has a few different icons and offers tools such as the calculator, voice recorder, scanner and more. The settings menu has been customized much further. Here, features and functions are sorted in a different way. Despite all this, seasoned Android users should have no trouble navigating through the settings menu. Facebook is the only third-party preinstalled app. It can be easily uninstalled.

In everyday use, the Xiaomi Mi 8 occasionally requires an Internet connection, if it is not already available. For example, the apps that you install manually are checked by a cloud-based antivirus program. Users are also occasionally asked to rate Xiaomi apps. This happened to us while we were using the file manager. Moreover, certain options in the settings menu are grayed out until you insert a SIM card. You also need to create a Mi account to change certain settings.

Software: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite MIUI Global 10.0
Software: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite MIUI Global 10.0
Software: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite MIUI Global 10.0
Software: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite MIUI Global 10.0
Software: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite MIUI Global 10.0
Software: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite MIUI Global 10.0
Software: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite MIUI Global 10.0
Software: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite MIUI Global 10.0

Communication and GPS - Mi 8 Lite with fast LTE and Bluetooth 5.0

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite supports the following mobile communication standards: GSM, 3G and LTE. The LTE module operates at Category 13 speeds (download: 600 Mb/s, upload: 150 Mb/s). We did not encounter any reception problems during our review. Functions such as VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling can be found in the settings menu by searching, but they are grayed out. At the time of writing this review, we do not know whether or not these functions will be made available via a future software update. Moreover, these functions should also be supported by your network provider. Both SIM cards can operate in 4G networks.

For short-distance communication, the Xiaomi smartphone relies on NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi module supports the following wireless standards: a, b, g, n and ac. It also supports WiFi-Direct and WiFi-Display. In our Wi-Fi test, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite achieves a data reception speed of 356 Mb/s and a data transmission speed of 285 Mb/s. Our review device performs just as well as other competing devices and actually manages to land the top spot in our comparison chart. However, when it comes to transmission data speeds, the Xiaomi smartphone fails to take first place.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Umidigi Z2 Pro
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 128 GB eMMC Flash
335 (313min - 342max) MBit/s +18%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7885, 64 GB eMMC Flash
320 (164min - 362max) MBit/s +12%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 32 GB eMMC Flash
312 (121min - 348max) MBit/s +9%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Adreno 512, SD 660, 128 GB eMMC Flash
285 (142min - 294max) MBit/s
HTC U12 Life
Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash
259 (252min - 263max) MBit/s -9%
Huawei P Smart 2019
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 64 GB eMMC Flash
226 (197min - 262max) MBit/s -21%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +6%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Adreno 512, SD 660, 128 GB eMMC Flash
356 (342min - 371max) MBit/s
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 32 GB eMMC Flash
337 (318min - 347max) MBit/s -5%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 128 GB eMMC Flash
336 (200min - 344max) MBit/s -6%
HTC U12 Life
Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash
330 (63min - 342max) MBit/s -7%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7885, 64 GB eMMC Flash
279 (265min - 284max) MBit/s -22%
Huawei P Smart 2019
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 64 GB eMMC Flash
164 (28min - 206max) MBit/s -54%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340360Tooltip
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø356 (342-371)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø281 (142-294)
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test indoors

We use the GPS Test app to examine how well the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite does when it comes to geolocation. The Xiaomi smartphone supports GPS, AGPS, GLONASS and Beidou. Outdoors, the Mi 8 Lite has a margin of error of about three meters. Indoors, the margin of error rises to eight meters.

On our obligatory bike ride, the Mi 8 Lite is compared to our reference-grade navigator Garmin Edge 500. The route that we took was not mapped very well on the Android smartphone. At certain points, the route is mapped very well, but at other points the route is recorded very haphazardly. Some portions of our route were not recorded at all. This is why the Mi 8 Lite can only be used as an occasional navigator.

GPS - Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
GPS - Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
GPS - Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
GPS - Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
GPS - Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
GPS - Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
GPS - Garmin Edge 500
GPS - Garmin Edge 500
GPS - Garmin Edge 500
GPS - Garmin Edge 500
GPS - Garmin Edge 500
GPS - Garmin Edge 500

Telephony and Call Quality - Good connection with the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite comes with a proprietary phone app. It offers direct access to the dial screen. There is also a second tab, which allows easy access to contacts. In the settings menu of the phone app, you can block contacts, change the ringtone and do much more.

The Mi 8 Lite provides a very good call quality. The voices on either end of the call sound loud and clear. The background noise is filtered out successfully and the voices are reproduced without any distortions.

Cameras - Mid-range smartphone with a good dual-camera system

Selfie
Selfie

The camera on the back of the Xiaomi smartphone has a 12 MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a pixel size of 1.4 µm as well as a 5 MP sensor from Samsung known as the S5K5E8 with an f/2.0 aperture and a pixel size of 1.12 µm. The 24 MP front-facing camera features the image sensor from Sony (IMX 576) and has an f/2.0 aperture and a pixel size of 1.8 µm. It takes well-detailed selfies with good color reproduction. Numerous AI functions, which range from skin smoothing and eye-enlargement to virtual make-up, allow further customization of images. Besides various color filters, there is also a special portrait mode that can be activated to produce images with a blurred background, which makes objects in the center appear more prominent.

The front-facing camera does not offer any manual customization. In the settings menu of the camera app, users can adjust the contrast, saturation and sharpness with the help of sliders, each of which offers seven levels of customization. You can also turn on and off HDR and general AI functions as well as set a timer on the main camera screen.

The main camera of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite takes good panoramic shots, which only become somewhat grainy at high zoom levels. Colors appear realistic and the image looks a little too dim when compared to our DSLR. In close-up shots, the main camera surprises with a lot of detail, great colors and good contrast. In low-light conditions, the camera manages to capture objects with an acceptable brightness. However, the image turns out grainy and the objects themselves are hard to tell apart. In Pro mode, you can customize image quality even further. Here you can change the following settings: white balance, focus, shutter speed, and exposure. Plus, you can apply various color filters, enable HDR as well as AI functions and set a timer.

The camera app of the Mi 8 Lite draws a distinction between short videos with a length of up to 10 seconds and long video, the length of which is only limited by the amount of available storage space. While short videos can only make use of color filters, the long videos can take advantage of such features as Time Lapse and Slow Motion. AI enhancements can also be used while filming. In the settings menu, you can choose between 1080p60 and 2160p30. The high frame-rate mode allows shooting video at 720p120, 1080p120 as well as 720p240.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images
ColorChecker Passport
ColorChecker Passport

We use the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport tool to assess the color accuracy of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite’s camera. Most of the colors appear a little overbrightened, including gray tones.

We examine the color reproduction of the Xiaomi smartphone under controlled lighting conditions. Fine details and structures are well-reproduced and do not appear grainy even at high zoom levels. However, the image appears a little washed-out in the lower edges.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite - Test chart
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite - Test chart (Detail)

Accessories and Warranty - Protective case and USB-C to 3.5-mm headphone jack adapter in the box

The box contains a USB charger with an appropriate USB Type-C cable, USB-C to 3.5-mm headphone jack adapter, plastic protective case and a SIM/microSD card ejection tool. There are no other accessories that were specifically designed for the Mi 8 Lite by Xiaomi. However, the Chinese manufacturer offers many accessories, such as headphones and power banks that are compatible with our review device, on its website.

The Mi 8 Lite has a 12-month warranty. In Germany, there is also the vendor's warranty. To learn more about this, please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties article for country-specific information.. If you are interested in importing a smartphone from China, then you should check out our article that deals with this subject. 

Input Devices and Handling - Xiaomi smartphone with a fast fingerprint sensor

The Mi 8 Lite comes with Google’s standard keyboard known as GBoard. It offers a comfortable key size and is easy to type on in both landscape and portrait modes. The display responds to inputs reliably and without any delays. The surface of the touchscreen is very smooth, which is why drag-and-drop motions do not present too much of a problem. The motion sensor reacts to the movements of the smartphone very reliably and adjusts the screen content to the correct orientation without any problems.

There is a fingerprint scanner on the back of the Mi 8 Lite. It unlocks the smartphone quickly and reliably.

Display - 6-inch touchscreen with average brightness

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement

The IPS display of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite measures 6.26 inches diagonally, has a native resolution of 2280x1080 and it comes in the 19:9 aspect ratio. With the average brightness of 389 cd/m² and the brightness distribution of 85%, the Chinese smartphone lands a spot in the middle of our comparison chart. With the ambient light sensor engaged, we measured a peak brightness of 420 cd/m². In the realistically oriented APL50 test, the smartphone managed to achieve 412 cd/m².

During our measurements, we determined that the smartphone uses pulse width modulation for brightness control. The display flickers with a frequency of 2358 Hz at 18% brightness and below. Because of such a high frequency, even susceptible individuals should not experience any adverse effects such as headaches and eyestrain.

386
cd/m²
409
cd/m²
396
cd/m²
364
cd/m²
421
cd/m²
388
cd/m²
358
cd/m²
407
cd/m²
371
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 421 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 388.9 cd/m² Minimum: 0.91 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 421 cd/m²
Contrast: 1276:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.26
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
IPS, 2280x1080, 6.26
Huawei P Smart 2019
IPS, 2340x1080, 6.20
Umidigi Z2 Pro
IPS, 2246x1080, 6.20
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Super AMOLED, 2220x1080, 6.00
HTC U12 Life
IPS, 2160x1080, 6.00
Nokia 5.1 Plus
IPS, 1520x720, 5.80
Screen
19%
-51%
42%
-40%
-8%
Brightness middle
421
458
9%
479
14%
570
35%
468
11%
513
22%
Brightness
389
440
13%
466
20%
565
45%
452
16%
502
29%
Brightness Distribution
85
85
0%
73
-14%
93
9%
90
6%
89
5%
Black Level *
0.33
0.35
-6%
0.27
18%
0.62
-88%
0.36
-9%
Contrast
1276
1309
3%
1774
39%
755
-41%
1425
12%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.4
1.4
59%
8.2
-141%
1.5
56%
6.09
-79%
5.2
-53%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.9
3.8
36%
16.2
-175%
3.6
39%
10.23
-73%
9.8
-66%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.9
2.4
38%
10.5
-169%
1.2
69%
6.8
-74%
4.1
-5%
Gamma
2.26 97%
2.22 99%
2.47 89%
2.07 106%
2.708 81%
2.33 94%
CCT
7330 89%
6235 104%
9193 71%
6504 100%
6972 93%
7423 88%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 2358 Hz ≤ 18 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 2358 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 18 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 2358 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Our measurements show that the Xiaomi smartphone has a contrast ratio of 1276:1 and a black value of 0.33 cd/m². This is why the colors are easy to tell apart. However, the dark tones appear rather grayish.

Users can adjust the color reproduction of the Mi 8 Lite in the settings menu. In addition to the color temperature slider, there are also the following color profiles: "Standard", "Warm" and “Cool”. Our CalMAN analysis reveals that the "Standard" profile suffers from a bluish cast, which gets worse when using the “Cool” profile. The "Warm” color profile provides a rather balanced color reproduction.

CalMAN - Color accuracy, Standard (sRGB)
CalMAN - Color accuracy, Standard (sRGB)
CalMAN - Color space coverage, Standard (sRGB)
CalMAN - Color space coverage, Standard (sRGB)
CalMAN - Grayscale, Standard (sRGB)
CalMAN - Grayscale, Standard (sRGB)
CalMAN - Saturation, Standard (sRGB)
CalMAN - Saturation, Standard (sRGB)
CalMAN - Color accuracy, Warm (sRGB)
CalMAN - Color accuracy, Warm (sRGB)
CalMAN - Color space coverage, Warm (sRGB)
CalMAN - Color space coverage, Warm (sRGB)
CalMAN - Grayscale, Warm (sRGB)
CalMAN - Grayscale, Warm (sRGB)
CalMAN - Saturation, Warm (sRGB)
CalMAN - Saturation, Warm (sRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
32 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 13.2 ms rise
↘ 18.8 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 84 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
60.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 28.8 ms rise
↘ 31.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 96 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite can be used outdoors. The brightness is high enough for screen content to be readable even on sunny days. Moreover, the reflections of the objects in the environment are not overly annoying.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Outdoor use

The IPS panel of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite offers very wide viewing angles. The screen content is legible from any angle without any distortions. This is why the Xiaomi smartphone can be used from unusual positions, as long as there are no strong reflections on the screen.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - Xiaomi smartphone with good system performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 in the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is powerful enough for the smooth operation of Android. This mid-range SoC came out in 2017. It offers eight cores with a clock rate of up to 2200 MHz. Qualcomm’s integrated graphics unit known as the Adreno 512 is responsible for image-rendering. It is powerful enough to run most 3D applications and video games.

In our benchmarks, the Xiaomi smartphone with 6 GB of RAM achieves results that earn it a spot in the middle of our comparison chart. In the gaming benchmarks, the Chinese smartphone often performs better than the rest of the competition.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
1621 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
1527 Points -6%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
Points -100%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1525 Points -6%
HTC U12 Life
1338 Points -17%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Points -100%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1431 - 1646, n=11)
1598 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +212%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
5893 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
5407 Points -8%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
Points -100%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
4429 Points -25%
HTC U12 Life
4914 Points -17%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Points -100%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (4895 - 5913, n=11)
5694 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +130%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
5640 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
3157 Points -44%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
4026 Points -29%
HTC U12 Life
4465 Points -21%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
Points -100%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (4983 - 5811, n=9)
5524 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +88%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
6274 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
7078 Points +13%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
9893 Points +58%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
5625 Points -10%
HTC U12 Life
6412 Points +2%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
9065 Points +44%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (6274 - 7026, n=11)
6676 Points +6%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +141%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
6052 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
5951 Points -2%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
7384 Points +22%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
5387 Points -11%
HTC U12 Life
5730 Points -5%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
7021 Points +16%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (5789 - 6426, n=13)
6050 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +80%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
26605 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
16754 Points -37%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
21538 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
15167 Points -43%
HTC U12 Life
19777 Points -26%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
17082 Points -36%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (22145 - 26731, n=12)
25633 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
29116 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
19510 Points -33%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
20991 Points -28%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
15567 Points -47%
HTC U12 Life
20778 Points -29%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
16820 Points -42%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (25561 - 29496, n=12)
28454 Points -2%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
20437 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
11212 Points -45%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
23697 Points +16%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
13914 Points -32%
HTC U12 Life
16924 Points -17%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
18065 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (15088 - 21016, n=12)
19093 Points -7%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2062 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
812 Points -61%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1273 Points -38%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
960 Points -53%
HTC U12 Life
1479 Points -28%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1118 Points -46%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1825 - 2104, n=13)
2021 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points +69%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
1929 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
683 Points -65%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1112 Points -42%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
845 Points -56%
HTC U12 Life
1336 Points -31%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
983 Points -49%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1711 - 1986, n=13)
1893 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points +99%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2719 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
2381 Points -12%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2587 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1829 Points -33%
HTC U12 Life
2364 Points -13%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2159 Points -21%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (2383 - 2834, n=13)
2672 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points +10%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2142 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
1379 Points -36%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1595 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1071 Points -50%
HTC U12 Life
1540 Points -28%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1309 Points -39%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1887 - 2161, n=13)
2062 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9014 Points +321%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2015 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
1225 Points -39%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1423 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
954 Points -53%
HTC U12 Life
1403 Points -30%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1159 Points -42%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1734 - 2033, n=13)
1942 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15728 Points +681%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2751 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
2459 Points -11%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2765 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1871 Points -32%
HTC U12 Life
2343 Points -15%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2388 Points -13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (2238 - 2815, n=13)
2695 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4327 Points +57%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
1365 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
834 Points -39%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
959 Points -30%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
741 Points -46%
HTC U12 Life
951 Points -30%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
777 Points -43%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1124 - 1374, n=15)
1328 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points +95%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
1193 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
703 Points -41%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
815 Points -32%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
634 Points -47%
HTC U12 Life
815 Points -32%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
657 Points -45%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1061 - 1206, n=14)
1172 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points +123%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2759 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
2392 Points -13%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2512 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1821 Points -34%
HTC U12 Life
2281 Points -17%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2149 Points -22%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1883 - 2759, n=14)
2587 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points +13%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
1438 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
966 Points -33%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1007 Points -30%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
737 Points -49%
HTC U12 Life
1012 Points -30%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
853 Points -41%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1270 - 1442, n=14)
1400 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (317 - 20131, n=175, last 2 years)
6514 Points +353%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
1265 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
838 Points -34%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
881 Points -30%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
629 Points -50%
HTC U12 Life
869 Points -31%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
721 Points -43%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1134 - 1268, n=14)
1237 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (267 - 33376, n=174, last 2 years)
9281 Points +634%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2758 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
2085 Points -24%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2013 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1845 Points -33%
HTC U12 Life
2386 Points -13%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2377 Points -14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (2121 - 2797, n=14)
2662 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (938 - 8480, n=174, last 2 years)
4150 Points +50%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
47 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
36 fps -23%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
31 fps -34%
HTC U12 Life
35 fps -26%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
40 fps -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (42 - 59, n=14)
48.1 fps +2%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +77%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
50 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
39 fps -22%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
37 fps -26%
HTC U12 Life
36 fps -28%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
30 fps -40%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (43 - 51, n=14)
48.4 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +388%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
21 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
19 fps -10%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
18 fps -14%
HTC U12 Life
15 fps -29%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
29 fps +38%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (19 - 40, n=14)
22.6 fps +8%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +238%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
22 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
21 fps -5%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
20 fps -9%
HTC U12 Life
16 fps -27%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
16 fps -27%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (20 - 23, n=14)
22.1 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +527%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
14 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
13 fps -7%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
11 fps -21%
HTC U12 Life
9.8 fps -30%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
20 fps +43%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (12 - 30, n=15)
14.7 fps +5%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +328%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
15 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
14 fps -7%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
12 fps -20%
HTC U12 Life
10 fps -33%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
9.6 fps -36%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (8.2 - 15, n=14)
13.6 fps -9%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +545%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
8.4 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
6.8 fps -19%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
6.7 fps -20%
HTC U12 Life
6 fps -29%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
7.4 fps -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (7.5 - 18, n=15)
9.13 fps +9%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +411%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
9 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
7.7 fps -14%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
7.1 fps -21%
HTC U12 Life
6.3 fps -30%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
5.8 fps -36%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (8 - 9.1, n=14)
8.84 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +551%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
8.1 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
6.4 fps -21%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
6.6 fps -19%
HTC U12 Life
5.7 fps -30%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
8.6 fps +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (7.5 - 15, n=9)
8.86 fps +9%
Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 123, n=219, last 2 years)
43.2 fps +433%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
8.5 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
7 fps -18%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
7.2 fps -15%
HTC U12 Life
6 fps -29%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
6.2 fps -27%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (7.9 - 8.8, n=9)
8.57 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 229, n=219, last 2 years)
63 fps +641%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
5.1 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
4.1 fps -20%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
4.1 fps -20%
HTC U12 Life
3.6 fps -29%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
6.4 fps +25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (4.7 - 10, n=9)
5.68 fps +11%
Average of class Smartphone (2.8 - 105, n=219, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +531%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
3.2 fps
Huawei P Smart 2019
2.6 fps -19%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2.6 fps -19%
HTC U12 Life
2.2 fps -31%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2.1 fps -34%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (3 - 3.3, n=9)
3.17 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 94, n=219, last 2 years)
25.1 fps +684%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
143551 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
130070 Points -9%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
137018 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
122826 Points -14%
HTC U12 Life
116595 Points -19%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
119367 Points -17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (116346 - 143551, n=10)
137699 Points -4%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
118773 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
104012 Points -12%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
110668 Points -7%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
87728 Points -26%
HTC U12 Life
95287 Points -20%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
91667 Points -23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (105973 - 120479, n=11)
116194 Points -2%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2332 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
2159 Points -7%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2096 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
2009 Points -14%
HTC U12 Life
1978 Points -15%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1830 Points -22%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1905 - 2428, n=12)
2307 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +145%
System (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
5237 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
5074 Points -3%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
3987 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
4506 Points -14%
HTC U12 Life
4563 Points -13%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
3817 Points -27%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (3745 - 5282, n=11)
4927 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +84%
Memory (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2269 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
2972 Points +31%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
2721 Points +20%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
2445 Points +8%
HTC U12 Life
1979 Points -13%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
2150 Points -5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1737 - 2799, n=11)
2349 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +175%
Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
2293 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
1469 Points -36%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1532 Points -33%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1356 Points -41%
HTC U12 Life
1597 Points -30%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1262 Points -45%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1970 - 2332, n=11)
2241 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +506%
Web (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
1086 Points
Huawei P Smart 2019
982 Points -10%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
1161 Points +7%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
1090 Points 0%
HTC U12 Life
1061 Points -2%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
1083 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (1027 - 1334, n=11)
1114 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +37%

Legend

 
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, Qualcomm Adreno 512, 128 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P Smart 2019 HiSilicon Kirin 710, ARM Mali-G51 MP4, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Umidigi Z2 Pro Mediatek Helio P60, ARM Mali-G72 MP3, 128 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 Samsung Exynos 7885, ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC U12 Life Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm Adreno 509, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nokia 5.1 Plus Mediatek Helio P60, ARM Mali-G72 MP3, 32 GB eMMC Flash

In the browser benchmarks, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite takes first place in our comparison chart. The Android smartphone bests the competition in almost all benchmarks and is only beaten in WebXPRT 3 by the Huawei P Smart 2019.

These great benchmark results are reflected in everyday use: Websites and media content load relatively quickly and without any problems on the Xiaomi smartphone.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +268%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
52.9 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (45.3 - 55.5, n=12)
52 Points -2%
Huawei P Smart 2019 (Chrome 70)
49.67 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
47.99 Points -9%
Umidigi Z2 Pro (Chrome 69)
45.79 Points -13%
HTC U12 Life (Chrome 70)
44.31 Points -16%
Nokia 5.1 Plus (Chrome 71)
41.67 Points -21%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +223%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
10378 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (8463 - 10945, n=14)
9973 Points -4%
Huawei P Smart 2019 (Chrome 70)
9708 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
9165 Points -12%
HTC U12 Life (Chrome 70)
9121 Points -12%
Nokia 5.1 Plus (Chrome 71)
8744 Points -16%
Umidigi Z2 Pro (Chrome 69)
8626 Points -17%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
HTC U12 Life (Chrome 70)
4758 ms * -23%
Nokia 5.1 Plus (Chrome 71)
4611 ms * -19%
Umidigi Z2 Pro (Chrome 69)
4309 ms * -11%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
4123 ms * -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (3796 - 4769, n=13)
4115 ms * -6%
Huawei P Smart 2019 (Chrome 70)
3999 ms * -3%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
3880 ms *
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +57%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=119, last 2 years)
131.8 Points +113%
Huawei P Smart 2019 (Chrome 70)
69 Points +11%
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
62 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (47 - 63, n=9)
57.1 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
57 Points -8%
Umidigi Z2 Pro
54 Points -13%
Nokia 5.1 Plus
49 Points -21%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite (Chrome 71)
171 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (159 - 182, n=8)
170.9 Points 0%
Huawei P Smart 2019 (Chrome 70)
169 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
168 Points -2%
Umidigi Z2 Pro (Chrome 69)
167 Points -2%
Nokia 5.1 Plus (Chrme 71)
139 Points -19%

* ... smaller is better

In our storage benchmarks, the Mi 8 Lite performs as well as the rest of the competition. However, with 128 GB, the Xiaomi smartphone offers double the storage space of most devices in this price range. Furthermore, the smartphone supports the following file systems: FAT, FAT32 and exFAT.

You can add more storage space for your photos, videos and files with the help of a microSD card. With our reference-grade SD card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501, the Xiaomi smartphone achieves very good read and write speeds that are comparable to other competing devices. You cannot use the SD card to store apps, because it cannot be formatted as internal storage.

Xiaomi Mi 8 LiteHuawei P Smart 2019Umidigi Z2 ProSamsung Galaxy A7 2018 HTC U12 LifeNokia 5.1 PlusAverage 128 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
40%
1%
-10%
-6%
-4%
32%
613%
Sequential Read 256KB
282.6
288.3
2%
292.9
4%
295.8
5%
272.8
-3%
301.6
7%
283 ?(106.7 - 511, n=73)
0%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
419%
Sequential Write 256KB
172.4
191.4
11%
188.1
9%
104.9
-39%
209.4
21%
88.9
-48%
192.9 ?(72.3 - 314, n=73)
12%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
525%
Random Read 4KB
81.3
45.66
-44%
86.2
6%
84
3%
56.7
-30%
77.7
-4%
82.6 ?(8.63 - 247, n=73)
2%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
196%
Random Write 4KB
18.75
70.7
277%
20.34
8%
15.45
-18%
16.2
-14%
25.65
37%
53.9 ?(3.84 - 159.9, n=73)
187%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1313%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
85.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
76.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-11%
76.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-11%
78.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-9%
82.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-4%
76.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-11%
78.1 ?(29.2 - 153.8, n=34)
-9%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
64 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
66.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
5%
58.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-8%
64.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
60.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-5%
59.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-7%
61.8 ?(26.1 - 81.9, n=34)
-3%

Games - Gaming-capable Android smartphone

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite comes with Qualcomm’s integrated Adreno 512 graphics unit. According to our gaming benchmarks, this GPU can run graphically demanding apps and 3D games on high settings without any problems. Arena of Valor and Asphalt 9: Legends run smoothly on high settings most of the time. In Asphalt 9: Legends, there were occasional frame rate drops to 24-25 FPS on both presets that we benchmarked.

The touchscreen works very well. Longer drag-and-drop and swiping motions are easy to accomplish, thanks to the very smooth glass surface. Your fingers will not get tired during long gaming sessions. The motion sensor reacts precisely and reliably to the movements of the smartphone, which is why it is suitable for gaming.

Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor
Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends

Arena of Valor

051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite; min: Ø59.9 (55-60)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite; high HD: Ø59.5 (49-60)

Asphalt 9: Legends

051015202530Tooltip
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite; High Quality: Ø28.2 (25-31)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite; Standard / low: Ø28.3 (24-30)

Emissions - Chinese smartphone with a good speaker

Temperature

GFXBench - Manhattan 3.1
GFXBench - Manhattan 3.1
GFXBench - ES 2.0
GFXBench - ES 2.0

During our review, the surface temperatures of the Mi 8 Lite reach up to 32 °C (89.6 °F) when idle and a maximum of 33 °C (91.4 °F) under load. Under load, the smartphone feels warm, but never hot.

We run GFXBench for half an hour to see how the Xiaomi smartphone performs under extreme load. Here, the Mi 8 Lite does very well. The fluctuations in performance never exceed 3%, which is why they are negligible. This is why the Chinese smartphone should not run into any limitations caused by thermal throttling.

Max. Load
 31.6 °C
89 F
31 °C
88 F
33.2 °C
92 F
 
 31.3 °C
88 F
29.3 °C
85 F
33 °C
91 F
 
 30.8 °C
87 F
28.5 °C
83 F
32.7 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 33.2 °C = 92 F
Average: 31.3 °C = 88 F
27.2 °C
81 F
29.8 °C
86 F
32.6 °C
91 F
28 °C
82 F
29.5 °C
85 F
32.7 °C
91 F
27.5 °C
82 F
29.9 °C
86 F
31.8 °C
89 F
Maximum: 32.7 °C = 91 F
Average: 29.9 °C = 86 F
Power Supply (max.)  26 °C = 79 F | Room Temperature 20.7 °C = 69 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.3 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.2 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 32.7 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.4 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat distribution - upper side
Heat distribution - upper side
Heat distribution - underside
Heat distribution - underside

Speakers

Pink Noise
Pink Noise

The speaker of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite sounds loud and quite balanced. The mids and highs are somewhat overrepresented. The lows are almost completely missing. Many other competing devices offer a similar sound quality.

The speaker is good enough for occasional media consumption. However, if you intend to use the smartphone for media consumption on a regular basis, then we recommend using external speakers or headphones, which can be connected via the included USB-C to 3.5-mm headphone jack adapter or Bluetooth 5.0. The latter supports A2DP and the Low Energy protocol.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs204035.82528.127.63124.622.94023.425.55035.739.96326.125.48025.9331002534.312521.127.21601742.420016.147.725013.556.731516.259.940014.962.750014.763.963014.262.580014.360.6100013.365.8125014.171.1160013.973.7200013.676.3250014.477.5315014.275.6400014.775500014.172.6630014.370.4800014.570.21000014.873.81250015.369.21600015.451.4SPL26.485.3N0.859.9median 14.5median 65.8Delta0.99.632.830.524.328.818.625.824.325.833.830.221.231.624.829.318.523.916.423.617.138.117.940.716.845.814.947.915.155.714.257.913.963.514.867.514.27014.770.114.468.814.3701473.313.876.914.882.714.478.81571.214.766.114.860.914.853.914.746.526.7870.859.4median 14.8median 63.50.811.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseXiaomi Mi 8 LiteHuawei P Smart 2019
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 27% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 63% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei P Smart 2019 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.3% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 10% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 64% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 79% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life - Mi 8 Lite lasts for over nine hours

Energy Consumption

Charger
Charger

According to our measurements, the Mi 8 Lite draws at least 0.56 watts when idle and a maximum of 8.94 watts under load. Even though it is a rather energy-efficient device, it still only takes a spot in the middle of our comparison chart.

The included 10-watt charger is powerful enough to charge the Mi 8 Lite under any circumstances.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.11 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.56 / 1.99 / 2.05 Watt
Load midlight 4.62 / 8.94 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
3350 mAh
Huawei P Smart 2019
3400 mAh
Umidigi Z2 Pro
3550 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
3300 mAh
HTC U12 Life
3600 mAh
Nokia 5.1 Plus
3060 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-10%
3%
7%
-1%
21%
-34%
-5%
Idle Minimum *
0.56
0.84
-50%
0.71
-27%
0.71
-27%
0.7
-25%
0.56
-0%
1.052 ?(0.56 - 2.9, n=14)
-88%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-59%
Idle Average *
1.99
2.21
-11%
2.01
-1%
1.36
32%
1.5
25%
1.72
14%
2.62 ?(1.4 - 8.6, n=14)
-32%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
27%
Idle Maximum *
2.05
2.23
-9%
2.03
1%
1.47
28%
2.5
-22%
1.76
14%
2.88 ?(1.54 - 8.9, n=14)
-40%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
20%
Load Average *
4.62
4.2
9%
3.61
22%
5.13
-11%
4.7
-2%
3.11
33%
5.1 ?(3.47 - 9.4, n=14)
-10%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-21%
Load Maximum *
8.94
7.86
12%
7.34
18%
7.89
12%
7.4
17%
5.2
42%
9.08 ?(5.93 - 18.5, n=14)
-2%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
7%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our practically oriented Wi-Fi test, the Mi 8 Lite lasts for more than nine hours. The battery life of the Xiaomi smartphone is comparable to those of other competing devices. However, certain devices can squeeze longer runtimes out of batteries with a similar capacity.

Thanks to Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology, the 3350 mAh battery of the Mi 8 Lite takes about one-and-a-half hours to fully charge with the included fast charger.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
27h 58min
WiFi Websurfing
9h 07min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 02min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 30min
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
3350 mAh
Huawei P Smart 2019
3400 mAh
Umidigi Z2 Pro
3550 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
3300 mAh
HTC U12 Life
3600 mAh
Nokia 5.1 Plus
3060 mAh
Battery Runtime
3%
31%
27%
10%
30%
Reader / Idle
1678
1293
-23%
1269
-24%
1467
-13%
1953
16%
H.264
662
464
-30%
836
26%
WiFi v1.3
547
506
-7%
669
22%
605
11%
603
10%
779
42%
Load
150
257
71%
294
96%
273
82%
198
32%

Pros

+ good system performance
+ very good cameras
+ Bluetooth 5.0
+ a lot of storage space

Cons

- average battery life
- no 3.5-mm headphone jack
- settings are partially restricted via always-online requirements and Mi account
- no NFC
- only supports L3 DRM

Verdict - Very good smartphone with a few weaknesses

In review: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite. Test device provided courtesy of: notebooksbilliger.de
In review: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite. Test device provided courtesy of: notebooksbilliger.de

Xiaomi revealed the Mi 8 Lite with the ambition to establish itself as a major player in the European market and to distinguish itself from the imported Chinese smartphones. The global version of Xiaomi’s proprietary MIUI 10.0 does not lend itself to criticism, except for the fact that you need to create a Mi account. Plus, the occasional pop-ups asking us to rate apps are not something we are excited about.

The system performance of the Mi 8 Lite is superb and on the same level as the rest of the competition. Moreover, the Chinese manufacturer raises the bar of what is expected from a mid-range smartphone by equipping the Mi 8 Lite with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The cameras also deliver a very good image quality. Unfortunately, there is no NFC chip, which is why the smartphone cannot use services such as Google Pay. Those who do not need a 3.5-mm headphone jack and are satisfied with USB 2.0 speeds are not going to be able to get a better smartphone for 270 Euros (~$307). 

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite puts the competition in the European market under pressure and offers a very good price-to-performance ratio.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite - 01/26/2019 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
84%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
87%
Connectivity
44 / 60 → 73%
Weight
91%
Battery
92%
Display
87%
Games Performance
54 / 63 → 86%
Application Performance
60 / 70 → 86%
Temperature
93%
Noise
100%
Audio
62 / 91 → 68%
Camera
67%
Average
76%
85%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Mike Wobker, 2019-01-26 (Update: 2019-02-23)