Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 Pro is the first officially announced smartphone in the world with a 64 MP camera.
The Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro have just been announced as the successors of the impressive Redmi Note 7 series, and the Note 8 Pro is the first officially announced smartphone in the world with a 64 MP camera.
A couple of days ago Realme kind-of-revealed its XT with the same sensor, but Xiaomi has taken the lead by now making a full announcement. This should be fun to debate on who was truly first to come up, announce or reveal the first 64-Megapixel camera smartphone. It’s a tricky one really!
Although from my perspective, Realme can claim credits for soft-launching the first phone with a 64MP quad rear camera setup, while the Redmi Note 8 Pro is notably the first 64MP quad rear camera to launch properly and reach the hands of shoppers, albeit in China at first.
At an event in Beijing, China is where Xiaomi’s Redmi brand launched the Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphones, which are part of its new Note 8 series. The RedmiBook 14 laptop and 70-inch Redmi TV were also launched by the company at the event.
The Redmi Note 8 sports a 6.3-inch dot notch display, while the Redmi Note 8 Pro gets a slightly larger 6.53-inch screen. Both Redmi Notes have four cameras at the back. However, the Redmi Note 8 will have a 48MP primary sensor compared to the 64MP primary camera on Redmi Note 8 Pro.
The other three cameras on the smartphones are the same and include a combination of 8MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP macro lens, and a fourth 2MP camera for portrait shots.
Both phones also have fresh new designs and offer great value for what they cost. The Pro, in particular, stands out due to the 64MP camera of course, which is a first for the manufacturer; the Helio G90T platform, and it has an IP52 rating for protection against rain and sweat.
The first sale for the device will be held on September 17, 2019, in China. While its Indian pricing is expected to vary by a margin and is still unclear if that would be for the better or for the worse.
Redmi Note 8 Series specifications;
| Specifications | Redmi Note 8 | Redmi Note 8 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3″ FHD+ (2340 x 1080) LCD 19.5:9 Waterdrop notch 90% screen-to-body ratio | 6.53″ FHD+ (2340 x 1080) LCD 19.5:9 Waterdrop notch 91.4% screen-to-body ratio |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 665: 4x Kryo 260 @ 2.2GHz 4x Kryo 260 @ 1.8GHz Adreno 610 GPU | MediaTek Helio G90T: 2x Cortex-A76 @2.05GHz 6x Cortex-A55 @2GHz Mali G76 GPU |
| RAM & Storage | 4GB + 64GB 6GB + 64GB 6GB + 128GB | 6GB UFS 2.1 + 64GB 6GB + 128GB 8GB + 128GB |
| Battery | 4000 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| USB & Charging | Type-C 18W charging | Type-C 18W charging |
| Connectivity & Extras | Wi-Fi AC 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 AptX HD LDAC A-GPS 3.5mm headphone jack Rear fingerprint scanner IR Blaster | Wi-Fi AC 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 AptX HD LDAC A-GPS NFC 3.5mm headphone jack Rear fingerprint scanner IR Blaster |
| Rear Camera | 48MP Samsung ISOCELL, f/1.8, 0.8μm 8MP, wide-angle, 1.12μm 2MP, macro, 1.75μm 2MP, depth sensor, 1.75μm | 64MP Samsung ISOCELL GW1, 0.8μm 8MP, wide-angle, 1.12μm 2MP, macro, 1.75μm 2MP, depth sensor, 1.75μm |
| Front Camera | 13MP | 20MP |
| Android Version | Android 9 Pie underneath MIUI 10 | Android 9 Pie underneath MIUI 10 |
| Pricing (China) | 4GB + 64GB: $140 6GB + 64GB: $167 6GB + 128GB: $195 | 6GB + 64GB: $195 6GB + 128GB: $224 8GB + 128GB: $250 |
What’s so unique about the 64-MP sensor?
Samsung’s 64MP ISOCELL GW1 sensor utilizes pixel binning technology for brighter and sharper images. At the same time, it is also able to produce images at a full 64MP if you need to focus on details.
Both the 48-megapixel phones and 64-megapixel phone sensor designs use 0.8μm pixels that are grouped together in fours for better light sensitivity, which’s apparently equal to 1.6μm pixels.
With that technique, a 48-megapixel camera will produce 12-megapixel images, while Samsung’s GW1 64-megapixel sensor will get you 16 megapixels of usable resolution. Considering that the 64-MP sensor is physically larger than others, it’ll capture more light overall.
Realme went ahead and provided sample 64-megapixel images that do indeed resolve a lot of detail in specific areas of the frame, but the processing is rather heavy-handed elsewhere.
The Redmi Note 8 series definitely has lots to offer, and it’ll be interesting to see how much each device will cost in global markets.