Top-of-the-line Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition debuts in China, sells out in seconds

The top-of-the-line Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition has a transparent back that seemingly allows you to see the phone's "mainboard" through the back panel (see the image at the top of this story). When questioned at the time, the company said that the board is real and is not just a sticker strategically placed to trick your eyes. But Xiaomi was asked the wrong question, because while the board is real, it is not the one actually used to drive the handset. What you are looking at through the transparent rear panel is a secondary board that doesn't connect to anything, doesn't do anything, and is included in the phone just for your viewing pleasure. Xiaomi sure did go to a lot of trouble to pull the wool over consumers' eyes.

Meanwhile the Mi 8 Explorer Edition launched today in China via a flash sale held on Xiaomi Mall. The phone sold out in seconds, and will go back on sale this Friday, August 3rd, priced at 3,699 Yuan (equivalent to $543 USD). That is a pretty darn good price for a handset with the Mi 8 Explorer Edition's specs.

The phone features a 6.21-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2248 and an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. Under the hood is the Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform, which is equipped with an octa-core CPU and the Adreno 630 GPU. 8GB of RAM is inside along with 128GB of native storage. Adorning the back of the phone is a dual camera setup (12MP + 12MP), with OIS. The 20MP front-facing camera for selfies includes AI portrait mode. Keeping the lights on is a 3000mAh battery, and Android 8.1 Oreo is pre-installed. Users can unlock the device using either the unit's fingerprint scanner, or the 3D facial recognition system that is included with the device.

For those in the states who want this particular model, all we can say is that it's too bad that Xiaomi has yet to make its long-awaited U.S. debut.

source: MySmartPrice