Xiaomi Kenya is taking advantage of the Black Friday hype to add yet another smartphone to its growing portfolio in the country, the Redmi Note 8.
Unveiled in August and is already selling in various countries, the Redmi Note 8 is the successor to the Redmi Note 7 that has hardly been around.
The phone has a number of improvements over its predecessors to justify its existence, but coming from the Note 7, you wouldn’t notice much difference on the front other than the miniaturized top and bottom bezels.
The screen is the same size at 6.3 inches with a 1080p resolution and Gorilla Glass 5 for protection against scratches and cracks from accidental falls. The slightly more powerful Snapdragon 665 runs the show inside the Note 8 and to keep it alive is a 4000mAh battery, same as the Note 7.
The real game changer is on the back. Instead of two like the Note 7, the Redmi Note 8 has four cameras – a 48MP main shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens (up to 120 degrees), a 2MP depth sensor, and another 2MP lens dedicated to macro photography. With the latter lens, you can capture shots of objects as close as 2 centimeters.
In terms of software, the Redmi Note 8 runs MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie out of the box, at least for the regions that have already picked it up. The stable update to MIUI 11 has already started rolling out in some markets, so I hope the model that comes these sides will have the newer skin pre-installed.
Speaking of MIUI 11, this very update is also rolling out to the Redmi Note 7 units sold in the country. The update is arriving as MIUI 11.0.2.0.PFLMIXM and weighs in at 609MB.
The Redmi Note 8 will be unveiled on November 25 at an event Xiaomi Kenya will hold at Serena Hotel in Nairobi from 9 AM to 11 AM. It’s then that we’ll get details about local pricing.
Below is a summary of the major Redmi Note 8 specs:
- 6.3-inch 19.5:9 LCD screen with 1080p resolution
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC
- 3GB + 32GB, 4GB + 64GB, and 4GB + 128GB memory options
- Quad-lens back camera: 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP
- 13MP selfie camera
- 4000mAh battery
- Android 9 Pie
- Extras: Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack, 18W fast charging, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, dual SIM VoLTE HD calling, IR, etc.
For some reason, the Redmi Note 8 has Bluetooth 4.2 while the Note 7 has the newer Bluetooth 5.0 standard. Quite strange. The phone should be sold in Neptune Blue, Moonlight White, and Space Black paint jobs.
