With the Mi 9 now out, we’ve finally got the chance to check out the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro. The Xiaomi Mi8 Pro launched alongside the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite months after the Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer launched.
Now for those who haven’t been following me personally, I recently made the switch from my Xiaomi Mi 5 from 2016 to the Poco F1 and the Poco F1 has been my companion ever since. Now, there are a few major differences between the Poco F1 and the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro. And therefore, I would be highlighting my first impressions of the device, coming from the Poco F1.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is definitely a spectacle for Xiaomi enthusiasts. Following my embarrassing unboxing of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro, Xiaomi confirmed that the Mi 8 Pro is basically a re-incarceration of the Mi 8 Explorer Edition for the global market. This means that the Mi 8 Pro virtually mirrors the Mi 8 Explorer Edition minus a few exceptions.
01 | Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro – The Design
After unboxing the Mi 8 Pro, one of the first things that I noted was how full the phone felt. Not only was it much more premium, but the experience of holding a glass-back phone is unrivaled compared to a plastic-back device.
The next thing that I noticed with the Mi 8 Pro was the subtle, yet neat, hints of red all across the device. On the Mi 8 Pro, not only do you get a red-colored power button, but you also get a hint of red in the USB Type-C port as well as a hit of red at the back on the device surrounding the rear cameras and artificial board.
02 | Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro – That Display Though!
Coming from the Poco F1, I definitely noticed and appreciated the incredible AMOLED display on the Mi 8 Pro. The deep blacks and incredible colors definitely make your phone a whole lot more enjoyable to use, especially for consuming media.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro comes with a 6.21-inch AMOLED display. Like the Poco F1, the Mi 8 Pro comes with a notch on top, housing the IR camera as well as the selfie camera in about the same footprint as the rest of Xiaomi’s lineup so that wasn’t an issue with me.
Aside from that, the Mi 8 Pro did definitely solve one of the dilemmas I had with my Poco F1. The Poco F1 definitely felt awkward when I took a closer look at its display. Aside from the screen leak at the bottom of the Poco F1, that Xiaomi wouldn’t admit, the Poco F1 does feature horrible rounded corners all around the display. With the Mi 8 Pro, not only was that display much better than the Poco F1’s, but it also showcased uniformity in its design around the display’s corners.
03 | Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro – The Cameras Are Impressive
Even though the Mi 9 is out, the cameras on the Mi 8 Pro are no slouch. The Mi 8 Pro shares the same main camera sensor as the one on the Mi 8, Mi MiX 3 and Poco F1. However, compared to the Poco F1, there definitely seems to be a credible improvement, continuing us to believe that the Poco F1’s camera was nerfed just to keep the Mi 8 and Mi 8 Pro appealing.
For those who have been following our reviews, we tested the camera on the Poco F1 running the stock MIUI camera app as well as the Google Camera apk to investigate the nerfs Xiaomi had dug into the MIUI camera app for the Poco F1. Not only did the Poco F1 perform much favorably, but it took on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 toe to toe.
However, after seeing the shots the Mi 8 Pro achieved, we were impressed with the camera Xiaomi has implemented on the Mi 8 Pro. While we aren’t revealing any test shots here, we would definitely be showcasing camera samples from the Mi 8 Pro really soon in a written review here at GeeksULTD.
04 | Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro – Still Looking For The Headphone Jack
One of the things I missed about the Poco F1 as soon as I moved to the Mi 8 Pro had to be the headphone jack. Coming from the Mi 5 to the Poco F1 and now to the Mi 8 pro, albeit temporarily, the 3.5mm headphone is still one of the things that I personally take for granted.
One gripe that most user have with their smartphones ever since the Apple iPhone 7 is how brands have jumped onto idea of removing the headphone jack.
With the Mi8 Pro, you may not have the luxury of simply plugging in your favorite headphones in and gaming for hours in PUBG, that
Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro Review & Plans Moving Forward
Now that we have the Xiaomi Mi8 Pro for review, we should be releasing a review of the Mi8 Pro within the next two weeks.
Despite the recent launch of the Mi 9, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro, at this point, still seems to be a great option for those who aren’t planning to fork out cash for the newly-introduced Mi 9 Transparent Edition. On top of that, a review at this time would also showcase how far Xiaomi has come in 2019 and if their Mi 8 lineup is still a plausible option for the present and future.
