Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi Band 3, Mi VR standalone headset launched: Full specifications, price, features

Along with the Mi 8, Xiaomi also launched Mi 8 SE and Mi 8 Explorer Edition smartphones in China. In addition to product launches, Xiaomi also announced MIUI 10.

Xiaomi Mi 8 comes with 6GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. (Xiaomi)

Xiaomi's flagship event in China witnessed the launch of a ton of products. The flagship smartphone, Mi 8 along with MIUI 10 and Mi Band 3 were already expected at the event. However Xiaomi surprised by launching two other editions of its Mi 8 smartphone as well as Mi VR Standalone headset and Mi TV 4.

Speaking about the highlight of the event, Xiaomi Mi 8 boasts top end specifications such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor and 6GB/8GB of RAM. Xiaomi also joined the growing list of Android players launching phones with a notch display with the Mi 8. Although inspired by Apple iPhone X, Xiaomi, however, has incorporated a bunch of sensors to make the most of the notch on the front.

Xiaomi Mi 8 comes with an Infrared sensor that enables Face Unlock in the dark. Like OnePlus 6, users can also camouflage the notch through a toggle button under the Settings.

In terms of specifications, Xiaomi Mi 8 has a 6.21-inch full screen display with Samsung AMOLED panel, full HD+ 2248 x 1080 pixels resolution, 88.5% screen-to-body ratio, and 600nit brightness. In the camera department, Xiaomi Mi 8 sports 12MP + 12MP dual-rear cameras with AI integration. On the front, the smartphone has a 20-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture and AI Beautify.

Another highlight of Xiaomi Mi 8 is the dual-frequency GPS technology which is said to make navigation faster by eliminating radio interference from buildings. Xiaomi Mi 8 is available in 6GB+64GB, 6GB+ 128GB, and one with 256GB storage variants. The base model is priced at CNY 2,699, which translates to roughly ₹28,000.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes with a similar set of specifications but with in-display fingerprint sensor, 3D face recognition technology and a transparent back panel. The 8GB + 128GB variant of the phone is available for CNY 3,699, which is ₹39,000 approximately.

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is a smaller variant of Mi 8 with stripped-down specifications. It has a 5.88-inch AMOLED full screen display. It sports 12-megapixel and 5-megapixel rear dual cameras. It has a 20-megapixel front-facing camera. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 710 processor.

Mi Band 3
Mi Band 3 features a larger screen and is said to be waterproof up to 50 meters. The wearable comes with motion tracking and health management. Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is said to deliver 20 days of battery life.

Here are the highlights from Xiaomi's annual event in China.

1:50pm: The event has concluded. A recap: Xiaomi launched its flagship smartphone Mi 8 along with a special edition called Mi 8 SE, and another Explorer Edition with transparent back panel. The company also launched Mi Band 3 wearable, Mi TV4, and a standalone VR headset. Stay tuned for our comprehensive report.

1:42pm: Mi Band 3 offers app and call notifications, motion tracking and health management.

1:41pm: Mi Band 3 is also waterproof up to 50 metres of immersion, and offers up to 20 days of battery life.

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is waterproof up to 50 metres. (Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is waterproof up to 50 metres. (Xiaomi)

1:40pm: Another highlight of the event is the launch of Xiaomi's fitness tracker, Mi Band 3. It features a bigger 6.78-inch OLED display as compared to its predecessor.

1:38pm: The VR headset is fuelled by a 2,600mAh battery, and features an intuitive controller.

1:37pm: Xiaomi Mi VR Standalone headset packs a Snapdragon 821 processor along with a 2k fast switch screen, and over 1000 Oculus optimised games.

Xiaomi's Mi VR Standalone headset in collaboration with Oculus. (Xiaomi)

Xiaomi's Mi VR Standalone headset in collaboration with Oculus. (Xiaomi)

1:36pm: Continuing with the product announcements, Xiaomi unveils Mi VR Standalone which has been developed in collaboration Oculus.

1:34pm: Xiaomi Mi TV 4 is powered by a 64-bit quad-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. The smart TV also comes with an integrated voice assistant.

1:32pm: Xiaomi also makes a surprise announcement of a new Mi TV 4 which features a 75-inch 4K HDR UHD display.

1:22pm: An update: Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes with in-display fingerprint sensor, 3D face recognition tech and a transparent back panel.

1:21pm: First look at Mi 8 Explorer Edition with transparent back panel.

Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes with in-screen fingerprint sensor (Xiaomi )

Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes with in-screen fingerprint sensor (Xiaomi )

1:19pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 710 SoC.

1:18pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 SE base model is priced at CNY 1,799 ( ₹19,000 approximately).

1:17pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 SE comes with 12-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual-rear camera.

1:13pm: Xiaomi launches Mi 8 SE with a smaller 5.88-inch screen.

1:11pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 8GB + 128GB model is priced at CNY 3,699 ( ₹39,000 approximately).

1:10pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB built-in storage.

(Xiaomi)

(Xiaomi)

1:07pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 has Face ID. The notch on the front features a bunch of sensors, similar to Apple's 3D facial recognition technology on iPhone X.

1:06pm: Xiaomi showcases Mi 8 in a transparent case.

1:10pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 also comes with in-screen fingerprint scanner, similar to Vivo X21. Xiaomi claims its sensor is faster than Vivo's.

12:56pm: The dual-frequency GPS is said to give more accurate location by eliminating radio disturbances from buildings. It also reduces signal delays, making navigation super fast.

12:52pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 comes with dual GPS technology.

12:46pm: Check out the video below for a closer look at MIUI 10.

12:45pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 also comes with NFC support.

12:42pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 notch comes with an Infrared Face Unlock which lets users unlock the phone by looking at the screen even in the dark. Here's what Xiaomi Mi 8 notch includes:

(Mi Forum)

(Mi Forum)

12:41pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 has 20-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture, 1.8um pixels, AI portrait selfies, and AI Beautify.

12:35pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 also comes with iPhone X-like Studio Lighting mode.

12:33pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 camera specifications: 

12-megapixel + 12-megapixel AI dual camera

Dual pixel autofocus, AI portraits

AI scene detection, and video editing

12:30pm: Just like Redmi S2 and Mi 6X, Xiaomi Mi 8 comes with an AI camera.

12:30pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 is powered by Qualocmm's Snapdragon 845 processor.

12:27pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 camera compared with Apple iPhone X and Huawei P20 Pro.

Xiaomi Mi 8 camera vs rivals (Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Mi 8 camera vs rivals (Xiaomi)

12:23pm: Xiaomi claims its Mi 8 scored 301,472 on AnTuTu benchmarking test.

12:22pm: A closer look at the new Xiaomi Mi 8

Xiaomi Mi 8 has a glass back panel, vertical dual-camera setup (Mi Forum)

Xiaomi Mi 8 has a glass back panel, vertical dual-camera setup (Mi Forum)

12:19pm: Xiaomi Mi 8 has a fingerprint scanner on the back.

12:14pm: As expected, Xiaomi Mi 8 with a slim profile. Xiaomi Mi 8 also comes with a notch display.

Display specifications: 6.21-inch AMOLED display, full HD+ resolution, 600nit brightness, 18:7:9 aspect ratio, and 88.5% screen-to-body ratio.

12:13am: Xiaomi to now unveil the much-awaited Mi 8 flagship phone.

12:10am: MIUI 10: Xiaomi says its new custom ROM can help reduce app load time to zero using AI.

New look of MIUI (Xiaomi )

New look of MIUI (Xiaomi )

12:08am: Here's how the new MIUI 10 interface will look like.

MIUI 10 comes with new gesture features. (Mi Forum)

MIUI 10 comes with new gesture features. (Mi Forum)

12:07am: Users can use also MIUI 10 to control their smart home devices.

11:59am: Xiaomi continues with its focus on AI. The new MIUI 10 comes with deep AI integration.

11:57am: Xiaomi's new voice assistant can read messages and updates on traffic among others.

11:56am: First look at MIUI 10

(Xiaomi)

(Xiaomi)

11:55am: Xiaomi unveils voice assistant, similar to Google Assistant and Apple Siri.

11:49am: MIUI 10 is expected to come with new gesture features. There is also going to be under the hood optimisation to make the UI faster and lightweight.

11:47am: Xiaomi to unveil its new MIUI update. Dubbed as MIUI 10, Xiaomi has already kicked off a closed beta programme for the OS.

11:42am: Xiaomi highlights its meteoric growth this year. The company saw a growth of 87%, higher than the likes of Samsung, Apple, and Huawei.

11:40am: The event has officially begun.

11:28am: The event is expected to start shortly. A quick recap, Xiaomi is expected to launch its latest flagship phone, Mi 8. There are also rumours of a special edition of the phone, dubbed as Mi 8 SE.

11:21am: Ahead of Mi 8 launch, Xiaomi has launched quite a few budget and mid-ranged focused smartphones such as Redmi S2 and Mi 6X.

11:10am: Xiaomi is likely to launch Mi 8 in markets outside China as well. This time around, Xiaomi may launch the phone in India as well. A new promo poster shows India's Taj Mahal as one of the new markets for Mi 8. It's worth pointing out here that Xiaomi didn't launch Mi 6 in India last year. READ: Mi 8: It's time Xiaomi joined India's premium smartphone segment

Xiaomi may launch Mi 8 in India as well. (hi-tech.mail.ru)

Xiaomi may launch Mi 8 in India as well. (hi-tech.mail.ru)

11:02am: The event is scheduled to begin on 11:30am IST. You can catch the live stream here and follow the updates on Xiaomi's official Facebook event page.