After the Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 Pro, the Chinese manufacturer is launching its Mi 8 Lite. As its name suggests, this model, released at the end of 2018, is a lighter version of the two top-of-the-range models. Marketed at 270 euros, it is a direct competitor of the Huawei P Smart and Honor 10 Lite. Does Xiaomi have the shoulders to fight these two masters of good value for money?
With the Mi 8 Lite, Xiaomi is tackling the hugely competitive smartphone segment for under 300 euros. Launched at the end of 2018, it is facing (at the time of writing) the Huawei P Smart and Honor 10 Lite in particular. Two excellent smartphones on many levels.
Design
In 2019, it will be possible to buy a beautiful smartphone for less than 300 euros. The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is one of those affordable models with an elegant design. On the condition, of course, that you don’t make too much of a fuss about the details. Out of the box, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite seduces. Our blue test model is particularly successful. The glass back (of lower quality than the top-of-the-range models) is reminiscent of the Honor smartphones. The reflection effects are comparable to those found at the Chinese manufacturer. It’s pretty, flashy, efficient. If Xiaomi is aimed at a young audience, the result is guaranteed.
Screen
Don’t expect to find an OLED display on a smartphone for less than 300 euros. The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is equipped with a 6.26 inch IPS LCD panel with Full HD+ definition (2280 x 1080 pixels). Like most manufacturers, Xiaomi has given in to the trend of the notch. Very small on this model, it allows to enjoy a better comfort. However, Xiaomi forgot to optimize its software to adapt it to this particular format. I will come back to this in the “performance and interface” section.
Good performance overall
Xiaomi opts for the classic combo of the smartphone at 250 euros: Snapdragon 660 processor and 4 GB of RAM (our test version). It completes the package with 64 GB of storage. There is also a 6GB/128GB version, more expensive (310 euros). Xiaomi is not taking any risks by adopting Qualcomm’s processor. It has proven its worth on other models sold at the same price.
Autonomy
With a 3350 mAh battery, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is a very durable smartphone. Although it is not among the best on the market, it still ranks in the high average. For heavy use, it will withstand the stresses of a little more than a day. Less connected users can expect an autonomy of one and a half days.
Quality amera
Like most smartphones on the market, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite comes with a dual photosensor. This model has a 12-megapixel main sensor and a second 5-megapixel sensor. It is only present to manage the depth of field and thus take portraits. Xiaomi has also added artificial intelligence to improve photo quality. It is useless, the clichés being identical with or without this AI.
