Xiaomi Mi 8 SE tipped to debut in India soon, but with this moniker

Last month, Xiaomi unveiled three phones—Mi 8, Mi 8 Explorer Edition and Mi 8 SE—in Shenzhen and now reports have emerged that the Chinese company plans to bring at least of the device to India early next month.

Technology blog Beebom citing company insiders has claimed that Xiaomi intends to release the feature-rich mid-range Android phone Mi 8 SE in July. But, it will come with a region-specific moniker Mi 8i, with 'i' indicating India.

Even the official Mi 8 SE page's URL in China to features Mi 8i lending credibility to report. The company has always released phones in the country months after the official debut in China. In the recent past, the release gap has been reduced owing to Xiaomi's growing popularity in India.

And, Xiaomi Mi 8 SE (aka Mi 8i) is a tailor-made phone for price-sensitive Indian smartphone market. Unlike the mid-range and budget segment, the company has not managed to make big bucks in upper mid-range (Rs 25,000 and above).

This will be a good addition to the Xiaomi India's product portfolio, which ranges from Rs 5,999 (Redmi 5A) to Rs 29,999 (Mi Mix 2).

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE features a 5.88-inch full HD+ super AMOLED screen with iPhone X-like notch, Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 octa-core, 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB storage and a 3,120mAh battery, which is more than enough to keep the phone running for a whole under mixed usage. It also boasts Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

 As photography hardware is concerned, it comes with 12MP+5MP dual-camera on the rear side and on the front, it houses a 20MP shooter with face unlock capability similar to Apple anniversary mobile.

Sources have also claimed that Xiaomi plans to release the new Mi Band 3 series in India, as well. It predecessor Mi band 2 and before it, all were a huge hit in the Indian market. Going by the specs and the expected price-range of around Rs 2000, the new fitness tracker is certain to find traction among the consumers in India.

Mi Band 3 comes with a 0.78-inch OLED display that can be used for viewing messages, receiving or rejecting calls or simply checking app notifications. The third-gen fitness tracker has a pulse monitor and usual fitness tracking features such as counting steps and measuring heart rate.

It also boasts 110mAh battery, which is capable to keep the device running for more than 20 days. The company has also improved the Mi Band 3's durability as it now comes with 50m water resistance. It sports a new band design, which the Chinese tech giant claims is more comfortable and secure on the wrist,

Other stipulated features include Bluetooth 4.2 and users can get all the data synced to the phone and ready to view via the Xiaomi Mi Fit app. It costs in ¥169 (about $26/€23/ Rs 1,776) In China. Additionally, there's also a second variant with Near Field Communication (NFC) capability for wireless transaction/pass and costs ¥199 (around $31/€27/ Rs 2,092) in China. It comes in red, black and blue colours.

In a related development, Xiaomi's new budget selfie camera phone Redmi Y2 is all set to release in India on June 12.

The highlight of the upcoming Redmi Y2 is its front-camera. It houses a 16MP front camera with a bevvy of features including Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Beautify 4.0.

On the back, the Redmi Y2 comes with a 12MP + 5MP AI dual camera. The 12MP primary sensor has 1.25µm large pixels, which guarantees brighter images in low light conditions. The 5MP secondary sensor is dedicated to acquiring depth information, producing photos with great Bokeh effects.

Key specifications of Xiaomi Mi 8i aka Mi 8 SE:

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