Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Specifications

Secondary Camera: 20 MPix f/2.0, 0.9 μm
Price comparison
Average of 39 scores (from 76 reviews)
Reviews for the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
The latest attack on the smartphone elite by Xiaomi is called the Mi 8 Explorer Edition. On paper, the affordable flagship is the total package at a reasonable price. In this review, we will assess the Mi 8 Explorer Edition’s numerous strengths and also the weaknesses that reflect its low price.
Source: Tech Advisor

At significantly less cost the Mi 8 is a tough rival to more familiar flagship phones on the UK high street. It misses a few features such as waterproofing and wireless charging, but there's a gorgeous 18.7:9 AMOLED display, 3D face recognition and some seriously powerful hardware. A beautiful design and high-quality build round off a fantastic deal. We strongly recommend purchasing the Global edition, but it is possible to install Google services even on the Chinese edition via the Mi App Store.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/05/2018
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Android Authority

Xiaomi's Mi 8 uses definitively average hardware to showcase its stellar software. While you won't find any special features or gimmicks in this device, the flagship specs are a great deal at less than $400.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/24/2018
Source: Igeekphone

Shocking worth, crazy execution, wonderful photography, a bigger than any time in recent memory 18.7:9 AMOLED show and a cool new 3D Face acknowledgment highlight are for the most part reasons why you should surge out and purchase the Mi 8. you can easily buy this from Geekbuying with $649.99. for more discount use the Coupon: SLAQIRCM
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/21/2018
Source: Yugatech

Xiaomi once again proves that flagship specs and performance doesn’t have to come at a steep price. The Mi 8 is very much a flagship device by 2018 standards. It has impressive cameras, display, performance, facial recognition, and capable speakers. It is a complete package that offers the best the market has to offer at an understandably affordable price tag to boot — Php 25,990 (6/64GB) and Php 27,990 (6/128GB).
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/25/2018
Source: Unbox

Absolutely. Xiaomi has been very consistent when it comes to releasing budget flagships, and the Mi 8 is the best they’ve had for a while. The company has finally managed to come up with a phone that’s an excellent performer all-around. Aside from the recently announced Pocophone F1, you’d be hard-pressed to find another phone that has the same raw value for money that the Mi 8 has.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/24/2018
Source: Unbox

All in all the Mi 8 managed to impress us with its dual camera performance. We’re on the tail-end of our full review of the device so stay tuned till then.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/21/2018
Source: Igeekphone

Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition is a flagship Smartphone launched by Xiaomi on the 8th anniversary, equipped with Snapdragon 845 chip coupled with 8GB RAM, DxO percent camera, dual-frequency GPS positioning, etc, all are the top configuration of smartphones now, no it’s picky, it’s been explained in the review before, so let’s take a look at its main highlights.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/15/2018
Source: Unbox

Right at the tail end of Xiaomi’s official Redmi 6/6A announcement a few days ago was a surprise: the Mi 8 was coming to the Philippines. The company’s flagship smartphone for 2018 was slated to arrive at the end of the month, along with an almost unbelievable price of Php 25,990 for the 6GB/64GB variant of the smartphone. At that price point, the Mi 8 easily becomes the most affordable Snapdragon 845-equipped flagship in the land, beating out its rivals by nearly 4K.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/20/2018
Source: Tech Advisor

Astonishing value, insane performance, awesome photography, a larger than ever 18.7:9 AMOLED display and a cool new 3D Face recognition feature are all reasons why you should rush out and buy the Mi 8.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/15/2018
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: GSM Arena

What better way, indeed, could there be to celebrate the company's 8-year anniversary than to come out with an excellent high-end phone. Well, with the Mi 8 it appears Xiaomi has done just that.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/27/2018
Rating: Total score: 88%
Source: Android Authority

The Mi 8 comes in three variants: First up, the “regular” Xiaomi Mi 8, then the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition, which is very similar to the Mi 8, but comes with a see-through glass back, pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint scanner, and 3D face unlock. Finally, the Mi 8 SE is a cheaper, smaller variant with a 5.88-inch screen and Snapdragon 710 processor, versus the 6.21-inch/Snapdragon 845 on the larger Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/14/2018
Source: Igeekphone

However, Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition has the problem of applying ecological adaptation. For example, using the 3D structured light for payment mentioned above requires Alipay, WeChat, and other software adaptations. In other words, when technology is in place, it does not mean that you can get a corresponding experience right away. For an Android phone maker, it’s hard to get developer support as soon as Apple launches a new technology.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/01/2018
Foreign Reviews
Source: MobiFlip

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/11/2018
Rating: Total score: 88%
Source: Android Smartphone - 6/18

Single Review, , Very Short, Date: 11/01/2018
Rating: Total score: 90% performance: 98% display: 86% mobility: 79% workmanship: 100%
Source: A1 Blog

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/13/2018
Source: Connect - 10/18

Single Review, , Medium, Date: 10/01/2018
Rating: Total score: 86% features: 85% mobility: 96% ergonomy: 78%
Source: Hartware

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/05/2018
Source: Allround-PC.com

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/20/2018
Source: Android Pit

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/13/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Curved

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/05/2018
Rating: Total score: 90% performance: 92% display: 92% mobility: 90%
Source: ChinaMobileMag

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/03/2018
Source: Chinahandys.net

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/21/2018
Rating: Total score: 90% performance: 100% display: 90% mobility: 80% workmanship: 90%
Source: WinFuture

Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/13/2018
Source: Computerhoy

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/08/2018
Rating: Total score: 77% features: 90% display: 80% mobility: 80% workmanship: 80%
Source: Movil Zona

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/08/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Hipertextual

Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/08/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Xataka

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/13/2018
Rating: Total score: 88% performance: 95% display: 90% mobility: 90% workmanship: 90%
Source: FAQsAndroid

Positive: Good price; nice design; large battery capacity.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/09/2018
Source: El Androide Libre

Positive: Stylish design; good price; decent hardware.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/08/2018
Source: Tuexperto

Positive: Powerful hardware; premium design; solid workmanship; high autonomy.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/08/2018
Source: El Sabio Informatico

Positive: Stylish design; good hardware; nice performance; fast system.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 07/26/2018
Source: Mi Mundo Gadget

Positive: Slim size; light weight; large screen; nice display; good hardware; face ID. Negative: No microSD slot; the location of the fingerprint sensor.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/06/2018
Source: Kelisto.es

Positive: Nice design; large screen; good display.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/31/2018
Source: AndroidWorld.it

Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/13/2018
Rating: Total score: 85%
Source: Tutto Android

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/19/2018
Rating: Total score: 87% price: 83% features: 97% display: 87% mobility: 78% ergonomy: 76%
Source: Smartphone Italia

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/14/2018
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 90% features: 80% display: 80% mobility: 80% workmanship: 90% ergonomy: 90%
Source: Andrea Galeazzi

Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/10/2018
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 73% display: 85% mobility: 70% workmanship: 90%
Source: Tutto Android

Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/29/2018
Rating: Total score: 86% price: 83% features: 94% display: 87% mobility: 87% ergonomy: 76%
Source: Andrea Galeazzi

Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/26/2018
Rating: Total score: 75% price: 75% display: 85% mobility: 89% workmanship: 75%
Source: Chimera Revo

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/20/2018
Rating: Total score: 87% price: 90% performance: 85% features: 90% display: 89% mobility: 84% workmanship: 82% ergonomy: 82%
Source: HDblog.it

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/14/2018
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 65% features: 90%
Source: AndroidPit.it

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/08/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: AndroidWorld.it

Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/10/2018
Rating: Total score: 85% price: 80% features: 85% display: 85% mobility: 80% workmanship: 80% ergonomy: 80%
Source: AndroidPit.it

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/07/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Pianeta Cellulare

Positive: High autonomy; elegant design; nice performance.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/26/2018
Source: Leonardo.it Tech

Positive: Good price / performance ratio; decent hardware; nice cameras; long battery life.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/21/2018
Source: Androidiani

Positive: Good price / performance ratio; decent hardware; nice cameras; stylish design.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/08/2018
Source: Smartphone Italia

Positive: Large screen; good display; decent hardware; nice dual cameras; long battery life.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/13/2018
Source: Pianeta Cellulare

Positive: Nice display; long battery life; decent cameras.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/28/2018
Source: Clubic

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: Total score: 80% performance: 90% display: 70% mobility: 90% workmanship: 70%
Source: 01Net

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/17/2018
Rating: Total score: 94% performance: 100% mobility: 100%
Source: Frandroid

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/14/2018
Rating: Total score: 80% performance: 90% display: 90% mobility: 80% workmanship: 80%
Source: Phonandroid

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/14/2018
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: CNet France

Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/08/2018
Rating: Total score: 78%
Source: CNet France

Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/08/2018
Rating: Total score: 78%
Source: Phonandroid

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/17/2018
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: AndroidPit.fr

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/12/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Top for Phone

Positive: Nice screen; great built quality; high performance; decent cameras; long battery life; good price. Negative: No microSD card slot; no stereo speakers.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/22/2018
Source: Android.com.pl

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/12/2018
Rating: Total score: 69% display: 60% mobility: 60%
Source: Antyweb

Positive: Nice cameras; long battery life; decent display; good price.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 08/14/2018
Source: Komputerswiat

Positive: Stylish design; nice display; good price.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/06/2018
Source: Ferra.ru

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/02/2018
Rating: Total score: 83%
Source: Hi-Tech Mail

Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/02/2018
Rating: Total score: 71% performance: 90% display: 70% mobility: 70% workmanship: 60%
Source: Zoom

Positive: High autonomy; nice performance; decent cameras; stylish design.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/31/2018
Source: DGL.ru

Positive: Good price / performance ratio; fast system; great built quality. Negative: No wireless charging; unsupported waterproof.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/20/2018
Source: Mobileimho.ru

Positive: Good price; nice display; decent cameras. Negative: Unsupported waterproof.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/15/2018
Source: Hitech Vesti

Positive: High performance; excellent AMOLED display; decent cameras; fast charging. Negative: No microSD card slot; no headphone jack.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/09/2018
Source: Mega Obzor

Positive: Fast system; nice display; excellent cameras. Negative: No wireless charging.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/09/2018
Source: Svet Androida

Positive: High performance; fast charging; good price; fast fingerprint sensor. Negative: Mediocre design; no wireless charging; unsupported waterproof.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/19/2018
Source: The Gioididong

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/10/2018
Rating: Total score: 93%
Source: XT Mobile

Positive: Elegant design; high performance; long battery life; nice display; decent cameras. Negative: Relatively high price.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/23/2018
Source: The Gioididong

Positive: Powerful processor; beautiful design; great built quality; excellent cameras. Negative: Relatively high price.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/02/2018
Source: The Gioididong

Positive: Large screen; powerful hardware; nice dual cameras.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/08/2018
Source: Zing

Positive: Premium design; good price; decent hardware; nice cameras.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/07/2018
Source: Mobil.se

Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/19/2018
Rating: Total score: 78%
Source: Unlimited Tech

Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 07/16/2018
Rating: Total score: 90%
Comment
Model: The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition features awesome high-end specs, great build, improved features and an affordable price tag. Xiaomi's Mi 8 Explorer Edition is the first phone with a pressure-sensitive in-display sensor. The smartphone is available only with one combination of memory which is 8 GB + 128 GB. It is clearly aimed for users who want to try out the latest features on a smartphone. The back is the biggest highlight of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition. It uses a transparent back shell and a ‘decorative’ motherboard. Specifically, the whole ‘decorative motherboard’ uses a copper substrate. Reinforced with steel plate, there are 101 capacitors, 32 resistors, 6 switch ICs, 11 sensor ICs, and 7 signal control ICs. It has a complete flexible circuit board processing technology. In fact, this is not the first smartphone with a transparent back panel. Previously, the HTC U11 and U12 Plus have come with a similar design. But they are completely translucent and most of them are not beautiful. Xiaomi has added red accents to some components such as the camera sensors. The back of the battery is also covered with a layer of carbon fiber textured film to enhance the visual beauty. The bottom PC board is the same as the top board. There is a letter at the bottom “BE THE COOLEST COMPANY IN THE HEARTS OF OUR USERS.” The power button and volume button are on the right-hand side. The power key is also red, forming a contrast color design.
As for hardware specifications, it is a flagship phone that features a Snapdragon 845, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, dual cameras and a 3D face scanner. Unlike the iPhone X’s 3D structured light, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition uses a coded dot matrix scheme to create a 3D facial model by projecting 33,000 coded lattices with an accuracy of up to millimeters. This model is combined with an infrared image to become the ‘Face ID.’ The officials claim that the probability of being cracked can be as low as one in a million. Mi Meng is similar to iPhone X’s Animoji, which can imitate the user’s facial expression to make a corresponding expression. Although it is not the latest technology at the moment, the machine sports a built-in high-sensitivity pressure sensor to support vibration feedback. The screen fingerprint of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition requires a certain amount of pressure to be entered. So once the user gets back a vibration, it will mean the process is done. The pressure sensitivity helps the screen fingerprint sensor to obtain a clearer image. Compared with the simple waiting finger for a period in the fingerprint recognition area, the vibration feedback of the pressure-sensing screen increases the realism of fingerprint recognition. On the front, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition sports a 6.21-inch 1080p screen, using a notch design. This AMOLED screen is supplied by Samsung like the Mi 8. On the bottom, it has a microphone, USB Type-C interface, and speakers. The Type-C interface is also decorated with red elements. In terms of battery capacity, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition sports a smaller battery than the original model. It is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery instead of a 3400 mAh capacity. However, with MIUI10, the battery endurance is not bad.
Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam
Qualcomm Adreno 630: Integrated graphics card in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. According to Qualcomm 30% faster than the old Adreno 540 in the Snapdragon 835 with 30% less power consumption.
Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
SD 845: High-end SoC for smartphones that was introduced in early 2018 and manufactured in 10 nm LPP FinFET at TSMC. Integrates 4x Kryo 385 cores (Cortex-A75) at up to 2.8 GHz (max) for performance and 4x Kryo 385 at 1.8 GHz (max) for efficiency. Furthermore offers an X20 LTE modem, ac-WiFi and a dual-channel 32-Bit 1866 MHz LPDDR4x memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
6.20":
It is a small display format for smartphones. You shouldn't be severely defective in vision, and you won't see much detail on the screen and only have a small resolution available. For that, the device should be small and handy, easy to transport.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Xiaomi:
Founded in 2010, Xiaomi Corporation is a Chinese multinational electronics company and produces consumer electronics and related products, including smartphones, televisions, fitness bands, power banks, headphones, smart devices and accessories. Xiaomi offers its products under the Mi, Redmi and POCO brands.
83.96%: This rating is slightly above average, there are somewhat more devices with worse ratings. However, clear purchase recommendations look different.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.