Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Full Review, Specifications, Prices, Pros and Cons

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite was released in September 2018. So by now, it might look a bit of an old smartphone to some. The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is a smartphone that offers premium design and also comes with some really good features.

I've however never been a huge fan of the MIUI launcher but it's not that bad. You just have to get used to it. The phone is available in many countries including the UK. The Chinese smartphone maker has proven to be a real competitor when it comes to making premium devices in the last few years and I've come to trust and love the brand.

The phone ships in 3 colors; Midnight Black, Aurora Blue, and the Twilight Gold. However, the Twilight Gold is only available in China which kind of sucks. 

Specifications and Features

Display

When it comes to display, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite offers really good quality. The phone utilizes 6.26inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with a 1080 x 2280 screen resolution. This leaves the display with a pixel density of 403 pixels per inch. However, the display features a notch at the top which might be a dealbreaker for some but I didn't mind it.

Maybe you didn't expect an old smartphone like this to offer such screen resolution but I can assure you the display is stunning. The colors are very sharp and vibrant and the viewing angles are great. Even in the direct sunlight, the brightness is high enough for you to use the smartphone.

Hardware

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite runs on Android 8.1.0 out of the box and MIUI  10.0 launcher. The phone runs on a Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660 chipset and an Octa-core 4x2.2 GHz Kyro 260 Gold CPU. As for the GPU, the phone utilizes the Adreno 512.

The hardware combination is actually really good and satisfying for any smartphone user. Who doesn't the Snapdragon chipsets? They're powerful and produce less heat. 

The hardware combination holds really well during the normal operation of the smartphone. Even when gaming, the smartphone runs quite smoothly but it's a bit laggy when it comes to heavy games. But once you reduce the graphics quality just a little bit, you can enjoy a decent gameplay.

Memory

There variety of combinations when it comes to the memory of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite. The phone has 4 combinations; 64 GB 4 GB RAM, 64 GB 6 GB RAM, 128 GB 4 GB RAM and 128 GB 6 GB RAM.

The memory on this smartphone is enough for anyone and it comes down to your budget. Obviously, the one the smaller memory is cheaper than the others. However, if you're into mobile gaming, I'd recommend the 64 GB 6 GB. The extra 2 GB RAM will be essential when it comes to smooth gaming.

Camera

The camera on the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is a bit small compared to today's standards but it holds quite well.

At the rear, the phone utilizes a dual-camera setup. The setup houses a 12 MP main camera and a 5 MP depth sensor. The combination also offers an LED flash. The camera can shoot 4K videos at 30 fps. I'm not a big fan of the AI mode when it comes to mobile photography but the one on the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is really good. However, it is not so good in low light areas and I would suggest turning it off in such places.

At the front, the phone utilizes a 24 MP shooter which is awesome. I didn't encounter any annoying lags of low detailed images. The camera produces really detailed pictures even in dim light. This is perfect for the social media fans, especially Instagram fans. It is also very clear during video calls which is something everyone appreciates.

Battery

I'm not gonna lie, the battery on this phone is not that good. The phone is powered by a 3350 mAh non-removable Li-po battery. It has an 18W fast charging capability and the quick charge 3.0 technology. 

This fairly good but it doesn't offer much. The fast charging feature is really helpful but the battery barely lasts a full day. If you're a heavy smartphone user or a mobile gamer, the battery life will be a big problem for you.

Other Features

Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, proximity sensor, gyroscope, compass GPS, No Radio, Wi-Fi 802.11, loudspeaker, Nano Sim, MicroSDXC slot shared with sim slot.

Pros and Cons

The following reasons are not all out of my own experience. I had to do some research on the internet searching for user reviews from people who have actually spent some good time with the smartphone. 

Pros

• Good cameras
• Smooth performance
• Very good display
• Premium design and quality.

Cons

• Poor battery
• No wireless charging(it's really not necessary)
• weak flashlight
• The notch on the display
• Missing 3.5 mm jack
• Shared SD card slot

Prices As Of June 2020.

UK - 170 Euros

USA - $389

INDIA - 14,999

KENYA -  Ksh 40,000

Conclusion

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite might be an old smartphone, but it offers some really good features. The premium design and quality of the smartphone is really attractive. The performance is perfect and the camera's are really good. However, the poor battery performance is a bit annoying. 

I would recommend this smartphone for someone who's looking for a smartphone with a good camera, high-resolution display,and good performance. This is for the light smartphone users. However, f you're into mobile gaming or mobile photography, you might need to get yourself a power bank.