By Samrat Amatya
2018 has been an amazing year for Xiaomi. From their official launch to unveiling a slew of products, Xiaomi has had quite a run. Enter 2019, Xiaomi continues the trend of launching amazing products with the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite. The phone brought in all the craze of a modern smartphone into a compact form factor. But with a price tag of Rs 31,999, is the Mi 8 Lite worth it? Well, let’s find out!
Multi-media
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is a multi-media powerhouse. It packs a 6.26-inches Full HD (1080 x 2280 pixels) IPS display, with a 19:9 aspect ratio. The notch makes an appearance residing in the top center of the display. Getting into the details, the media-consuming experience on the Mi 8 Lite has been amazing. Watching movies, catching up on some YouTube videos, and playing games have been an enjoyable experience on the device.
Speaking of gaming, the Mi 8 Lite with its 4GB RAM and Adreno 512 GPU are remarkable. I tried out a slew of games like PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9, N.O.V.A Legacy and others. They all ran very well on the phone. I faced no lags or shutters during my gaming sessions.
Photography
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite packs a rear dual-camera set up made by an f/1.9 12MP and an f/2.0 5MP sensor. This combo makes for quite a photography experience. The two sensors work in conjunction to produce some amazing pictures. Photos taken from the camera are breathtaking with great details, depth, and vibrancy. That said, I do feel that the images are a bit soft especially in low light situations.
The phone also has an f/2.2 24MP front camera for all your social media ready selfies. Just like its rear counterpart, the camera takes some amazing selfies with a layer of beautification added. The performance too was very similar, as the shooter took some great self-portraiture in optimal lighting conditions. Overall, the performance of the cameras is great especially considering their price.
Day-to-day
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is an amazing smartphone that was able to keep up with all my day-to-day needs. Performing tasks like scrolling through Instagram and browsing the web was no problem for the phone. The octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor makes a mark.
Another area worth mentioning is the phone’s in-hand feeling. Made with metal sandwiched by two glass sheets, the phone feels very premium. It also is ergonomic making wielding the device a joy. Everything is where it should be including the fingerprint scanner. Embedded into the back panel of the device, the sensor was easily able to unlock the phone. Besides the digit scanner, the phone also has a Face Unlock feature that you can turn on. I personally prefer the Face Unlock feature over the physical biometric sensor. You can use either or a combination of both!
Besides performing and looking great, the Mi 8 Lite has amazing battery life. The 3350mAh non-user removable battery easily provides an all-day battery life. The phone also supports Qualcomm’s Quick charge technology but with a caveat. You will need to buy a compatible fast charger yourself! The one that comes with the phone doesn’t support the necessary technology.
Software
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite runs MIUI 10 based on Android 8.1.0 Oreo. MIUI has always been one of my favorite custom UI! And the MIUI version on the phone just proves why that is. Everything works seamlessly with no signs of lags or stutters. Even visually, the UI looks more modern than any of the custom skins available on other phones.
Talking about the features, the phone comes with a slew of them. Everything from the second space to the more interesting theming capabilities is here. Overall, the UI on the Mi 8 is one of its strongest suits.
Verdict
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is an amazing piece of technology that redefines the mid-tier smartphone category. It just shows why you don’t need to break the bank to get a great smartphone. It has one of the best displays, cameras, design, and feature set for the price. The Mi 8 Lite is a great option for anyone looking for a daily driver under Rs 35,000 in Nepal.
