Xiaomi spin-off brand Redmi has launched two Note Series smartphones, the Redmi Note 8 and the Redmi Note 8 Pro, two weeks ahead of Diwali in India. With this launch, the complete portfolio of the Redmi 8 Series devices (Redmi 8 and Redmi 8A) are now available for purchase in the country. While the Redmi Note 8 Pro is gaming- and camera-centric handset with Helio G90T processor and 64MP sensor, respectively, the Redmi Note 8 comes with a 48MP quad camera setup and Aura fluid design. The Chinese tech firm also launched the Mi Air Purifier 2C and MIUI 11.
‘Redmi Note series has been a true disruptor since Redmi Note launch in 2014. Each Redmi Note has redefined high value product by pushing the boundaries of technology and challenging the status quo. We are extremely excited to launch our 64MP Quad camera beast - Redmi Note 8 Pro sets a benchmark for gaming and imaging with the world’s first 64MP camera sensor and Helio G90T chipset,’ Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi, and Managing Director, Xiaomi India, said in a statement. At the event, Anuj Sharma, Head Of Marketing - Xiaomi India, claimed that company has sold over 100 million units of Redmi Note series around the world.
The Redmi Note 8 Pro will be available in black, red, blue and white colours for Rs 14,999 (6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant), Rs 15,999 (6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant) and Rs 17,999 (8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant). The Redmi Note 8 will be available for Rs 9,999 (4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant) and Rs 12,999 (6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant). Interested customers can purchase the phones from Amazon, mi.com and Mi Homes starting October 21.
The Redmi Note 8 Pro sports a 6.53-inch full HD+ HDR display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The Dot Notch on the display provides an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 91.4 per cent screen-to-body ratio. The phone features a refreshed Aura Design on the back panel with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top. Xiaomi says that the glass on the back is curved from all four sides that helps users grip the phone better. In a first for a Note device, the Redmi Note 8 Pro comes with a 4500mAh battery with 18W charger in the box. Xiaomi claims the phone can deliver up to 2-days of battery life.
Under the hood, the phone is equipped with an octa-core Helio G90T mobile platform, which is said to be designed for gaming and mobile photography. Helio G90T features a 6+2 architecture comprising of six ARM Cortex-A-55 cores and two Cortex-A76 cores. This is paired with a quad-core Mali G76 GPU to cumulatively deliver an AnTuTu V8 score of 284,872 points. The phone comes with ‘an improved’ LiquidCool Technology to keep the phone’s temperature in check. The phone is offered with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of storage.
Redmi Note 8 Pro is also India's first smartphone with Amazon Alexa built-in. It is also claimed to be the world's first smartphone with Dual Wake which allows Redmi Note 8 Pro to interact with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa simultaneously.
When it comes to the camera, the phone sports a 20MP selfie shooter and, for the first time, a 64MP quad camera setup on the back. The camera stack include a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens with a 120-degree field of view, a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens that allows shooting from as close as 2cm to the subject for photos and videos.
The Redmi Note 8 is a notch lower than the pro variant, however, it sports the same design elements as the costlier device. It comes equipped with a 6.3-inch Dot Notch Display and Aura Fluid Design on the back. Redmi Note 8 offers Full HD+ TÜV Rheinland-certified display with 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio. There is Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front as well as on the back. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 mobile platform, is backed by a 4000mAh battery with 18W charging over Type-C out of the box.
The Redmi Note 8 features a quad camera setup on the rear. There is a 48MP primary camera with an f/1.79 aperture lens and 79.4 degree field-of-view. It is coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide camera with 120-degree field-of-view, 2MP macro lens, and 2MP depth sensor like the one in the Pro variant. On the front, Redmi Note 8 boasts a 13MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture lens. The front camera also includes a panorama selfie feature -- a first for the Redmi Note device.
Xiaomi also announced that it will soon start rolling out MIUI 11 with refined features and Dark Mode. MIUI 11 brings new customisations to the popular Always-on display, and introduces new dynamic ambient nature sounds for notifications. Xiaomi also announced the Mint Keyboard for MIUI users, which supports over 25 Indian languages currently. MIUI 11 also brings utility features such as wireless file sharing, wireless printing, working with documents, and managing tasks which are all available out-of-the-box now. In addition, the new step counter, period tracker, and floating calculator help make routine tasks more convenient.
‘Not just that, we have taken the game forward with MIUI 11 with an even more enhanced user experience, the uber cool Dark Mode and an upgrade across several high utility apps.and features. We are especially thrilled about the Mint Keyboard on MIUI built especially for our Indian Mi Fans, supporting over 25 Indian languages,’ Jain said.
Mi Air Purifier 2C is the third air purifier from the company and will be available at a price of Rs 6,499. Mi Air Purifier 2C features dual filtration technology, which includes a primary filter that takes care of the large particles and a HEPA filter that is claimed to eliminate up to 99.97 per cent of small particles (up to 0.3 micron). It is said to have a high CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 310m³/h allowing clean air circulation for a 21metre square room in just 10 minutes.
