Xiaomi Redmi Note 8, Note 8 Pro launched, price starts at Rs 9,999

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro phones in India on Wednesday. The Redmi Note 8 Pro and Redmi Note 8 are follow ups to the Redmi Note 7 Pro and Redmi Note 7S/Redmi Note 7 launched earlier in the year. Both the phones pack attractive glass design and some really good specs – and in typical Xiaomi fashion, they don’t cost a bomb to own. While the Redmi Note 8 starts at Rs 9,999, the Redmi Note 8 Pro starts at Rs 14,999. Both the phones will be available for buying in India from October 21. 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 8 specs and features 

Let’s start with the Pro – because well, it’s pro alright. The main highlight of the Redmi Note 8 Pro is its four-camera setup on the rear. It has a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP depth camera, and a 2MP macro lens. That main camera uses Samsung’s 64MP GW1 sensor which works on the same principle as its 48MP GM1 and 32MP GD1 sensors – effectively producing sharper, more detailed 16MP photos in low light, and using software interpolation to produce high resolution 64MP photos as and when required.  

Speaking of core specs, the Redmi Note 8 Pro has a 6.53-inch 1080p+ IPS LCD display with Xiaomi’s dot-notch – which also houses a 20MP selfie camera. There’s Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front as well as on the back, and IP52-certification for limited water and dust resistance. Under the hood, the Redmi Note 8 Pro has a MediaTek Helio G90T processor paired with up to 8GB RAM and up to 128GB storage which is also expandable via a dedicated micro-SD card slot. There’s also liquid cooling for seemingly cooler extended gameplay. Software inside is Android 9 Pie-based MIUI 10 – the phone will be updated to MIUI 11 in December. The Redmi Note 8 Pro India variant also answers to hands-free Alexa – in addition to another voice assistant. The Redmi Note 8 Pro further comes with a 4,500mAh battery with 18W fast charging through USB Type-C. Xiaomi will be bundling a fast charger in the box this time. 

The vanilla Redmi Note 8 tries to bring Redmi Note 8 Pro-like experiences at an even more affordable pricing. A quick refresh on the Redmi Note 8 hardware now – the phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor paired with up to 6GB RAM and up to 128GB storage, it packs a 4,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging through USB Type-C (fast charger in the box), a 48MP main plus 8MP ultra-wide plus 2MP depth plus 2MP macro quad rear camera setup, a 13MP front camera, and it has a 6.39-inch 1080p+ display with Xiaomi’s dot notch and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front as well as on the back. 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 8 price, availability 

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 8 Pro in India starting at Rs 14,999 for the base variant with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, while the 6GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB models have been launched at Rs 15,999 and Rs 17,999 respectively. The phone will be available in three colours - Gamma Green, Halo White and Shadow Black.  

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 8 in India starting at Rs 9,999 for the base variant with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, while the top end 6GB/128GB model has been launched at Rs 12,999. The phone will be available in four colours - Neptune Blue, Moonlight White, Cosmic Purple and Space Black. 

The Redmi Note 8 Pro and Redmi Note 8 will be available for buying in India from October 21 from Mi.com, Amazon India and Xiaomi’s Mi Home stores – with broader offline availability to follow.  

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