Mi 8 vs Mi 8 Explorer Edition vs Mi 8 SE: Design, Display
In terms of design, all the three devices share a lot in common. All three feature a near bezel-less front with a notch on the top of the display. The main difference, however, is at the rear. While the Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE feature a glass back, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition offers a transparent rear glass panel.
Moving on the displays, Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition feature a 6.2-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with 1080 x 2248 resolution and 18.7:9 aspect ratio. On the other hand, the Mi 8 SE has a 5.88-inch AMOLED panel with the same 1080 x 2248 Full HD+ resolution and 18.7:9 aspect ratio. All three displays are protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on top. The Mi 8 Explorer Edition features an in-display fingerprint sensor, while the Mi 8 and Mi SE smartphones sport a fingerprint sensor on the back.
Mi 8 vs Mi 8 Explorer Edition vs Mi 8 SE: Hardware, Software, Performance
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition and the Mi 8 smartphones run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. While the Mi 8 includes 6GB of RAM, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes with 8GB of RAM. In terms of storage, the Mi 8 features 128GB of internal storage, while the Mi 8 is available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage variants. On the other hand, the Mi 8 SE runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 chipset. It is available in two memory configurations – 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 64GB storage. Memory expansion isn’t supported by any of the three smartphones. When it comes to software, all the three smartphones will ship with the Android 8.1 Oreo-based MIUI 10 out of the box.
Mi 8 vs Mi 8 Explorer Edition vs Mi 8 SE: Battery Life
When it comes to battery life, it is the Mi 8 that has the edge over the other two smartphones. The Mi 8 packs a 3400mAh capacity battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ support for fast charging. On the other hand, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes with a 3000mAh capacity battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ support. The Mi 8 SE is fueled by a slightly larger 3120mAh capacity battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 support.
Mi 8 vs Mi 8 Explorer Edition vs Mi 8 SE: Camera
The Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition smartphones feature a 12MP + 12MP dual-camera setup on the back with the primary sensor boasting 1.4um pixel size, four-axis optical image stabilization, Dual Pixel AF, and an f/1.8 aperture. On the other hand, the secondary 12MP sensor features 1.0um pixel size and an f/2.4 aperture. Thanks to the dual-camera setup, the Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition enable 2x optical zoom as well the Portrait Mode feature. The AI-enhanced portrait mode offers portrait lighting feature as well, similar to the latest iPhones. Since it is a more affordable device, the Mi 8 SE sports a less impressive 12MP + 5MP dual-camera setup on the back. The primary sensor features EIS, dual-pixel AF, and an f/1.9 aperture. In terms of video recording, all the three models can capture 4K videos at 60fps. On the front, all three smartphones feature a 20-megapixel snapper with AI Beautify and AI Portrait selfies. The Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE come with 3D facial recognition technology as well, making them the first Android smartphone to offer Face ID-like facial recognition using an Infrared sensor and Infrared lighting to accurately scan 4096 facial points.
