Xiaomi announces Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE, going all in with the notch

Xiaomi has announced two new smartphones today, including the new flagship Mi 8. The device features a 6.21-inch AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, a 12MP dual camera system (that earned a 105 from DxOMark), a 20MP sensor on the front, and dual frequency GPS. Unfortunately this design also comes with a notch, and it's a big one. In fact, it's shockingly close to the notch on the iPhone X. Even though many Android devices have a notch now, most are still smaller than this behemoth. However, you do get infrared face unlock. There's also a special edition of the Mi 8 called the Explorer Edition, which bumps up the RAM and storage to 8GB and 128GB respectively and adds an in-display fingerprint sensor as well as something Xiaomi calls 3D face unlock. This 3D face unlock should be a lot more secure, much like Apple's Face Unlock and unlike most Android phone's implementation of camera-only authentication. The rear is also transparent, and even though JerryRigEverything has made a few phones like this, it's just so much better when the internals were designed to be seen. The other device is the budget-oriented Mi 8 SE. It has the same notch but launches with a 5.88-inch AMOLED display, a brand new Snapdragon 710, 12MP+5MP rear cameras, and a 20MP front camera. Xiaomi is also the latest company to push AI with the new MIUI 10 software. Part of the focus is on AI photography, which can edit the photos based on the scenery. This is nothing new, but it's a good addition nonetheless. The Mi 8 will go for 2,699 yuan ($421 USD) in 64GB flavor, 2,999 yuan ($468 USD) for 128GB, and 3,299 yuan ($515 USD) for 256GB. The Mi 8 SE will go for a mere 1,799 yuan ($281 USD). Lastly, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition will go for a (still cheap) 3,699 yuan ($577 USD). It's a real shame they likely won't hit the US. Android Match ae http://androidmatch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default