This week I tested the Xiaomi Mi8 SE that we purchased at the store for 265 euros. We have had to wait a month and five days to receive it, and now I bring you a review with my impressions.
A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of testing the high-end Smartphone, the Xiaomi Mi8, and it left us with an excellent taste. The expectations I had of this Xiaomi Mi8 SE with reduced features were not so high, but after testing it in depth, I have to say that they have been perfect and will be a mobile that I will recommend. In this review, I will make small comparisons with several smartphones from the manufacturer, such as the new Xiaomi Mi A2 smartphone due to its close price and, of course, its older brother, the Xiaomi Mi8, of which you can find the review on the blog.
There are two versions of the terminal, one with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage and the other with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. However, we still do not know if they will release a Global version of this Smartphone or if it will officially be marketed in our country.
As for the “unboxing,” the main difference between this Xiaomi Mi8 SE concerning its older brother is that it comes in a white box, with the smartphone model on top in various colors. In the back, we can find the most typical specifications and the IMEI of the terminal. Inside the box is another small box with a translucent gray TPU case, the USB type C to 3.5mm audio Jack adapter, the pin to extract the nano SIM cards, and the terminal start-up guides (in Chinese). Below is the Smartphone, the Chinese version 5V to 3A charger (Quick Charge 3.0), and the 1 meter long USB to USB type C cable in white.
I like that Xiaomi has already incorporated a TPU case in practically all its devices; indeed, it is not the one we wanted the most, but when we buy another one, we have the Smartphone protected. I also think it is essential to incorporate the USB type C to 3.5mm audio Jack adapter, since despite not understanding why they suppress the audio Jack of smartphones, at least they give us an alternative without having to spend more money. On wireless adapters or headsets.
Design and Screen
Very similar to its older brother, the Xiaomi Mi8. However, this Xiaomi Mi8 SE has something more characteristic: the back is made solely of glass. It gives you an elegance that only high-end smartphones have; however, it is dirtier because all the fingerprints are left behind.
This Xiaomi Mi8 SE has dimensions of 73.1 mm long x 147.3 mm high x 7.5 mm thick with a weight of 164 grams. It seems relevant to me to comment that despite being somewhat smaller and similar in design, it has a more square shape than the Xiaomi Mi8.
As for the screen, it must be said that it has a good area of 81% and a screen ratio of 19:9. A very iPhone X-style “notch,” which is quite large, and if we hide it by the software, we waste a little more screen, since the strip that covers it is thicker.
The Smartphone has a 5.88-inch AMOLED screen manufactured by Samsung with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080×2244 pixels. The pixel density per inch is around 402. I think it’s a good screen with bright colors, color rendition is good. Regarding the brightness, I would like to say that I have been using it with automatic brightness, and it adjusts well in different lighting situations. It also has “Corning Gorilla Glass 5” protection that provides hardness and can prevent the terminal from breaking in a nasty fall.
In the “notch” (eyebrow) on the front of the Xiaomi Mi8 SE is the call speaker, which is heard loud and clear. A small white notification LED and a powerful LED flash is on the right. To the left of the speaker are the selfie camera and proximity sensor.
On the left side is the slot to insert the nano-SIM tray. And on the right side is the typical button panel for volume up and down, and the lock button is made of metal.
At the bottom, it has the USB type C centered, and the speaker and microphone are on the sides. As you can see, it has the same aesthetics as previous models from Xiaomi and many other manufacturers.
On the upper side, there is only the infrared LED to be able to use our Smartphone as a remote control. The two cameras are placed vertically on the back of the device, in the upper left corner, with a double LED flash between them. In the center is the fingerprint reader, which is very fast and accurate. It is prevalent to find this rear layout in the latest smartphones from the manufacturer, either for the “Redmi” range or the “Mi” range. It seems that they liked it and that it works for them.
