Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 8 First Impressions: HDR display on a budget

Xiaomi India has just launched two new smartphones, the Redmi Note 8 and the Redmi Note 8 Pro. While the latter gets all the bells and whistles, the former cuts down on a few things in order to achieve the lower price tag. Even though both devices run on MIUI 10 powered by Android 9, here's how your experience is going to be different.

Redmi Note 8 Specifications

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor coupled with the Adreno 610 GPU. It features a 6.3-inch fullHD+ IPS LCD display. The dual-SIM handset packs in up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. It runs on MIUI 10 backed by Google's Android 9 Pie operating system. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh battery, which also supports 18W fast charging.

On the optics front, there is a quad-camera setup at the back consisting of a 48-megapixel primary, 8-megapixel ultra-wide, 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel macro lens.

Redmi Note 8 First Impressions

As soon as I picked up the Redmi Note 8, it felt like most mid-range smartphones of 2019 from the back. However, where most smartphones look the same, the Redmi Note 8 stood out. The company has given a blue effect on the bezels making the phone look attractive even when the screen is off. This is a design feature that not many people will appreciate but it does help the phone to stand out of the crowd.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 comes in three colour variants, Neptune Blue, Space Black and Moonlight White. I personally liked the Moonlight White colour variant as it was looking quite premium over the other variants. Also, the quad-camera array helps the phone stand out in its segment.

I even spent time with the phone's software but it currently feels quite similar to other Xiaomi devices. However, the company has promised that it will soon roll out the MIUI 11 update, which will bring significant changes over the MIUI 10.

Also Read: Redmi K20, Redmi K20 Pro First Impressions: The real deal?

Overall, the Redmi Note 8 brings a significant upgrade over the Redmi Note 7 in terms of design and cameras. However, we will need to test out the phone in order to have a better idea of its performance.

Redmi Note 8 Pro Specifications

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro sports a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio G90T processor. It packs in up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage, which is further expandable using a microSD card. Under the hood, there is a 4,500mAh battery powering everything.

In terms of optics, the smartphone sports a quad-camera setup at the back consisting of a 64-megapixel primary, 8-megapixel ultra-wide, 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel macro lens. Upfront, there is a 20-megapixel selfie shooter.

Also Read: Xiaomi rolls out MIUI 11 update: List of devices getting the update

Redmi Note 8 Pro First Impressions

Out of the two smartphones, it was the Redmi Note 8 Pro that heard the loudest of the cheers when it was launched. The smartphone brings a lot of unique features to the table. One of my favourite things has to be the new HDR display, which is a segment-first. It is also equipped with a 64-megapixel quad-camera array, which the company promises can beat the Realme XT. However, we will need to test that out thoroughly once we get our hands on a review unit.

As for the design, it is quite inspired by the recently launched flagship, Redmi K20 and K20 Pro. The mid-range smartphone looks quite premium with the new design and I personally liked the white colour variant.

There are two major highlights of the Redmi Note 8 Pro, the processor and the quad-camera setup, both of which have to be tested out in the real world before we can give our verdict.