Xiaomi took the wraps of its latest flagship smartphone, Mi 8, at an event which also saw it update its wearables and VR propositions.

Mi 8 bears more than a passing resemblance to Apple’s iPhone X, including the increasingly ubiquitous “notch” at the top of the front screen and rear camera layout.

The 6.21-inch display is an AMOLED panel supplied by Samsung, with always-on capability, of full HD+ resolution. Xiaomi said the screen-to-body ratio is 86.7 per cent.

Mi 8 has dual 12MP rear cameras with AI scene detection. The company trumpted a DxOMark score of 105, compared with 101 for iPhone X and 101 for its own Mi Mix 2S. On the front is a 20MP selfie camera, again with AI support, and infrared sensors to enable face unlock even in the dark.

It is said to be the first smartphone to support dual frequency GPS, delivering more accurate navigation.

Mi 8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, with 6GB of RAM. Pricing starts at CNY2,699 ($421) for the device with 64GB of storage.

Xiaomi also announced two siblings for Mi 8. Mi 8 Explorer Edition includes an in-display fingerprint scanner, 3D face recognition, and transparent back. It will be available “later”, priced at CNY3,699.

And a lower-spec Mi 8 SE version has 5.8-inch screen, 12MP+5MP rear cameras, and is said to be the first phone powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 710 chip. It is priced at CNY1,799.

Other updates
Xiaomi’s MIUI interface has also been updated to version 10. The company touted features such as AI portraits with bokeh effect on both single and dual camera hardware; and AI preload, which speeds response times by anticipating user actions. It also enables the control smart home devices within the Xiaomi ecosystem.

The vendor’s VR Standalone headset is already a known quantity, due to Xiaomi’s partnership with Facebook’s Oculus to offer hardware internationally. It has a Snapdragon 821 processor, 2K screen, and supports more than 1,000 Oculus-optimised games.

Its latest wearable, Mi Band 3, comes with a bigger screen than its predecessors, giving a “better experience for viewing messages and answering calls”. It is also waterproof up to 50 metres, enabling it to be used for swimming.

Also announced was Mi TV 4, the company’s latest smart TV, which includes a whopping 75-inch screen with 4K resolution and integrated voice assistant.