During these weeks we have had the opportunity to get to know various mid-range phones, but also some important top of the range. In fact, in our reviews we have often emphasized how, in a given price range, it is important to expect some performance. The same applies to all smartphones in the device category low-cost. This is because more and more frequently some users are looking for some essential performances, not having to exploit their device too stressfully. Here, then, that this redmi 8 can find its own dimension within this category of people. How will he have behaved, however, throughout the trial period? Will he really be able to meet our demands? Find out better in ours Full review!
Review Redmi 8
Index
Unboxing
This is not a sales package other than those we can find on the market. On the front, in fact, it presents several images of the device, without any specific detail being indicated. Inside we find:
- Redmi 8;
- short instruction manual, also in Italian;
- USB / USB Type-C cable;
- wall power supply, with European socket;
- soft transparent TPU cover;
- pin to remove the SIM slot.
Design & Materials
Taking a first look at the external shell, it seems clear that the whole structure is built in plastic. Although this is still of good quality, it seems to have been completely integrated even with the whole side profile. There is no sense of discontinuity, so the impression is that of being in front of a rear monocoque. In my opinion, however, it is simply a treatment applied above all this structure that provides a sense of continuity, but which in reality does not exist. Going beyond this aspect, however, we are talking about a device that is quite manageable that measures 156,4 x 75,4 x 9,4 mm, showing a weight of 188 grams. It is therefore a phone that is not so difficult to use even with one hand and, indeed, not as slippery as one might think.
In any case, inside the sales package you will find one cover soft in TPU which, along the corners, has a slightly reinforced surface. When the rear profile becomes dirty beyond a certain limit, the smartphone could certainly become more slippery. In spite of this, on the right side there is a key ON / OFF and volume balance. On the opposite profile, instead, there is the SIM slot, able to hold simultaneously two nano SIM 4G and a microSD. At the top, then, we have the according to microphone for suppression of environmental noise, while the hole is located below mini jack for the headphones, the main microphone, the entrance USB Type-C and system speaker.
Looking at the rear profile, however, we see how Redmi 8 presents a single LED flashaccompanied from two photographic sensors and from a fingerprint reader in place poco further down, always along the central axis. There is also the company logo. This color is also one of the three available at the launch of the device. Is called Ruby Red, while the others are Sapphire Blue and Onyx Black.
Display
On Redmi 8 there is an LCD display IPS da 6,22 inches diagonal with resolution HD + (1520 x 720 pixels), density of PPI 270 and NTSC ratio equal to 70,8%. It is therefore a unit that has not completely satisfied us. We would not have expected, however, a better quality than the one proposed. From the chromatic point of view, in fact, this panel is able to return colors quite vivid, but poco faithful to reality. With slight inclinations of the smartphone, therefore, whites tend too easily to gray, while blacks really are poco deep. All in the norm, however, considering the price range occupied by this device.
There is not a oleophobic treatment Noteworthy, so under direct sunlight it is a bit difficult to see all the contents on the screen. Despite this, the sensor of brightness it behaves quite well, while maintaining a profile that is always too conservative. If you had not noticed, then, on the top is a notch to drop, containing the selfie camera da 8 mega-pixels. In general, however, the frames are not so limited, so that on the lower chin the company has decided to print its own logo.
Taking advantage of this device during our work days, we have accused some problems with the touch screen, which does not always prove so reactive. We think, however, that this problem is due to a limit imposed by the hardware, which in all operations shows response times longer than normal. We do not feel, therefore, to penalize this panel too much, although in the process of writing some symbol is lost too often.
Hardware & Performance
A Qualcomm SoC is on board this smartphone Snapdragon 439, then a chipset with configuration 4x 1.95 GHz Cortex-A53 + 4x 1.45 GHz Cortex-A53. To accompany this processor, we find a GPU Adreno 505 with 650 MHz frequency. There are two versions of this smartphone on the market. One of these presents 3GB RAM e 32GB of internal memory, while the other reaches up to 4GB RAM LPDDR3 e 64GB di XMMUM eMMC memory. This last variant, therefore, is precisely the one we have had in trial, thus being able to take advantage of the best possible experience on this smartphone.
Analyzing the PERFORMANCE of the product, therefore, we can say that we have not had too many problems in daily use. Although it is a smartphone low-cost, you can still browse through all the various menus with a decent speed, as well as within the individual applications. You will have to deal, however, with waiting times slightly longer than normal. Furthermore, RAM does not keep a really high number of apps in memory. In fact, the system cleans this the memory rather quickly and systematically, all to the advantage of greater energy savings. It goes without saying, therefore, that this device is not suitable for those who excessively stress their smartphone. Indeed, it will be necessary to have an approach poco hectic and much more relaxed using this device.
From a videogame point of view, you can't hope to get good performances with every title on the Play Store. Forcing the system with Call of Duty Mobile, for example, it will not be possible to compete with all other users at the same level, by finding a low frame-rate and really too much lag.
Benchmark
Software
We will not go into the details of the software installed on this Redmi 8, because with other smartphones of the brand we have already had the opportunity to give an overview of this system. On board, however, we find the MIUI 11.0.1.0 (PCNEUXM) Stable, based on Android 9 Pie and with security patches dating back to 1 November 2019.
We are therefore in front of a very complete software with a high level of customization. Scrolling in the menu of settings you come across some options that have made the history of these devices. In fact, among the many we have the possibility of Cloning some apps and to create a second space within the same system. There is no shortage, then, the security application, through which to monitor the smartphone, as well as a series of proprietary apps that provide immediately everything the user needs. For some time, then, also the function of Digital Wellness, which allows you to keep track of your smartphone use, being able to consciously manage the hours you spend in front of the device.
With one swipe to the right, starting right from the home, you enter a series of shortcuts which, if necessary, can be very useful. In addition to various links, we also have some advanced tools, Note, il program and many other options. We remind you, then, that the information is available gesture when the screen is off, as well as those that allow you to navigate the interface without the use of any lower bar. With full-screen controls, in fact, the same experience that other Redmi users can enjoy, who may have purchased higher-end smartphones, is returned.
Camera
On this product there is a dual rear camera, characterized by the presence of a main sensor Sony IMX363 da 12 mega-pixels, with opening f / 1.8, and a secondary target from 2 mega-pixels for the depth of field calculation. On the frontal profile, instead, we have one selfie camera da 8 mega-pixels, with f / 2.0 opening. Of course, all the features related to the presence of theartificial intelligence, which is able to recognize different 33 scenes well, calibrating the lights and colors of the image accordingly.
in daytime hours the quality expressed by this smartphone is not excellent. Indeed, there is a really marked photographic noise, which tends to ruin the entire image. Many times, then, all the parts most illuminated by the light natural are completely burned, unable to manage this component even with Automatic HDR active. Exploiting the latter in a manual way, we can see how the image is only further lightened, not balancing the general lighting at all. From the chromatic point of view, then, the photographic sector of this Redmi 8 tends to offer colors very hot and poco real. However, we are in the presence of a phone capable of satisfying less demanding users, also given the price range considered.
During the night hours we have the same problem we talked about previously. All sources of artificial light they are burned, significantly ruining the rendering of the entire image. Obviously the photographic noise turns out to be even more marked, which is why many details are lost. These problems also affect the color rendering of the image, which presents colors off and poco close to reality. However, I have never experienced autofocus problems, even in the darkest areas. On this device, unfortunately, one has not been inserted at the software level night mode, which could have had its say.
With the selfie camera it is possible to pull out images that are not entirely sufficient. In fact, even removing the beauty filter, our skin looks smooth. Despite this, however, you have to be careful not to move too much during shooting, because otherwise the image could be affected in terms of stability. This is especially true at night, where quality drops dramatically and the low resolution of this sensor shows all its criticalities. Taking advantage of thebokeh effectanyway, you can get a good result, even if it's really too artificial.
However, there will also be a mode Pro, thanks to which it is possible to manage different camera parameters such as white balance, focus, shutter speed and ISO.
Video
With Redmi 8 we will have the possibility to shoot videos in 720p to 30fps or 1080p to 30fps. Therefore, there are no other relevant settings. In this respect, therefore, the images turn out to be poco stabilized but, fortunately, they enjoy one auto focus (PDAF) of good quality and fairly fluid. On a qualitative level, however, nothing obviously changes with respect to what we have already mentioned above.
In case you want to push the performance of this sector to the maximum, then you could also use the mode time-lapse.
Connectivity
On board this Redmi-branded device there are several important modules but, unfortunately, many others are also missing. Within its characteristics, therefore, we can include the presence of Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11 Wi-Fi b / g / n with frequency support from 2,4GHz, GPS / A-GPS / GLONASS / Beidou, support to dual SIM 4G, with the possibility of simultaneously exploiting a microSD, technology Volta.
I have to say that with the Wi-Fi of this smartphone I didn't find it at all bad, although the coverage is quite limited. In the most difficult corners of the house, where usually several devices struggle to connect, this product has shown some difficulties. Despite this, on the outside I never had any problems with the 4G of Fastweb, managing to sail at maximum speed in almost every point of the city where it is generally possible to receive this signal. Even with navigation through GPS, then, beyond some slight delay in coupling to the satellites, I didn't find any great criticality, always managing to exploit Google Maps in a rather fluid manner.
Therefore, theNFC.
Unlocking Systems
On this smartphone we find two main unlocking systems: biometric sensor and facial recognition. Looking at the first of these two, we see how this component was added to the rear profile, just below the two cameras. Although the dimensions of the product are not excessive, it is quite easy to reach this point. Despite this, this player is not very fast, still showing a good precision and unlocking the device about 8 times on 10.
With the company face unlock, only in 2D, you will have the certainty of being recognized only during daylight hours. When the light goes down, in fact, the selfie camera can no longer properly detect our face, forcing us to use the biometric sensor. I therefore recommend disabling this release system, since it also has a lower security level than the impression reader.
Audio
We are not in the presence of a device with stereo audio. Only it lower speaker, in fact, it is in charge of this function, releasing all the power at its disposal. At maximum volume, therefore, the case does not scratch and this is already an excellent result for a product of this type. It must be admitted, however, that the quality is fairly low, given that i bassi they are completely absent. This sets the stage for a sound poco full-bodied and which inevitably favors high frequencies. With a couple of coupons earphoneshowever, you will enjoy better sound, although even from this point of view the quality is not exceptional.
Taking advantage of the smartphone in call, instead, I have to say that I didn't feel any problems, being able to converse quite easily. In fact, I have not detected any sudden disturbances or disconnections, finding a fairly clean and clear audio. Even in the most crowded areas, therefore, it was possible to hear the other person speaking distinctly, without major problems.
Autonomy
Taking a look at the specifications of this device, we see how the battery is a unit from well 5.000 mAh. Therefore, it is a component that is able to offer a record-breaking autonomy in this price range. Taking a look at the graphs collected during these days, it is clear that in a stressful day he managed to overcome without problems 7 hours and 30 minutes of active screen, on a basis of approx 17 hours of continuous use. At this point, therefore, I still had a good one 40% of residual charge to spend the next day. With a mixed use of Wi-Fi and 4G, several hours on social media (especially Instagram for the publication of content), four continuously updated emails, some videos on YouTube and various messaging apps, I have totaled these numbers.
As for the charging time, it must be specified that the power supply in the package offers an output from 5V / 2A, able to pass by 10 to 100% in around 2 hours (with device turned on but without any interaction with it).
Price & Conclusions
Beyond what may be the list price of redmi 8, here in Italy is already proposed with some telephone operators a 169,90 €. A figure that in my view is still slightly too high for what is actually offered. So much so that, after a quick tour on the web, it was possible to see how this smartphone is also sold to less than 150 euros. We are, in this case, at a level more suited to the product.
Redmi 8 works well in almost every part, while not excelling in any sector. If you are, therefore, looking for a device without too many pretensions, that is able to carry out all the main daily functions in a rather fluid and fast way, this smartphone could do for you.
![Xiaomi Redmi 8 4GB + 64GB Onyx Black / Black [EU version]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41pJEVreXZL._SL160_.jpg)
