Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Hands-On

Recently, Xiaomi launched its Redmi Note 8 series in the Philippines. The lineup consists of the standard Note 8, and a more premium version called the Note 8 Pro. As we’ve already delved into the Note 8 Pro, it’s now time to turn the spotlight towards the vanilla Note 8. Check it out.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 comes in three colors, namely Space Black, Neptune Blue, and Moonlight White. The unit we have here on hand comes in the gorgeous, eye-catching Moonlight White. It feels incredibly exquisite in the hands, thanks to its Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, both on the front and the rear. While glass construction is a good thing, it also makes the smartphone quite slippery when held. Apart from that, the smartphone feels robust and light in the hands.

Situated on the upper left corner of the rear are the Note 8’s quad cameras, consisting of 48MP + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP macro + 2MP depth shooters. The lenses are arranged vertically and protrude quite a bit from the device’s body. One can also find the small, circular fingerprint scanner on the rear.

The Note 8 sports a display that measures at 6.3-inches, with slim bezels surrounding it. The chin is slightly thicker than the rest, with the Redmi logo printed across it. Up top is a drop notch, housing the 13MP front shooter.

On the right, one can find the power and volume buttons. They’re quite tactile and are easy to reach.

On the left sits the dual SIM tray slot and a dedicated microSD card slot.

An IR blaster and a mic are located on the top of the smartphone.

The speaker, a USB-C port, a mic, and a 3.5mm earphone jack all reside on the bottom of the Note 8.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 powers up the Note 8, along with 3GB/4GB RAM, 32GB/64GB/128GB storage, expandable up to 512GB. The Note 8 also has a 4,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support and runs on MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie. We’ll be taking this device for a full review, so stay tuned to see how it fares.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 retails at the following prices:

3GB + 32GB: PHP 7,990USD 136INR 11,542EUR 130CNY 992
4GB + 64GB: PHP 8,990USD 153INR 12,987EUR 146CNY 1,116
4GB + 128GB: PHP 9,990USD 170INR 14,432EUR 162CNY 1,240

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 specs:
6.3-inch dot notch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) IPS display, 409ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 2.0GHz octa-core
Adreno 610 GPU
3GB, 4GB RAM
32GB, 64GB, 128GB storage
48MP F1.8 + 8MP F2.2 ultra-wide (120-degrees) + 2MP F2.4 macro + 2MP F2.4 depth quad-rear cameras
13MP F2.0 front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
IR Blaster
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
3.5mm audio port
USB 2.0 Type-C
Fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted)
Loudspeaker w/ Smart PA technology
MIUI (Android 9 Pie)
4,000mAh battery w/ 18W fast charging