Xiaomi Mi 7 to be launched as Mi 8? Key features leaked

After OnePlus gave a reason to "settle" for its OnePlus 6 flagship, another flagship rival is set to arrive soon. Xiaomi is going to officially launch its 2018 flagship smartphone on May 23, bringing solid competition to the newly-launched OnePlus 6 and others. New evidence has appeared online, giving anticipated fans a peek into what's brewing ahead of the official launch.

Mi 7 or Mi 8

Xiaomi Mi 7 has been at the center of rumors and speculations, but a new report suggests that we might have got the name wrong.

Commemorating Xiaomi's eighth year anniversary in the business, the company is likely to name its upcoming flagship Mi 8, skipping the version 7 completely.

Another reason to go with Mi 8 is the number being lucky in Chinese culture, which is a significant deciding factor among Chinese companies.

There are several teasers making the rounds on China's social networking site Weibo, which show a giant "8" for a smartphone with Snapdragon 845, in-display fingerprint scanner and 3D face scanning. The company is also likely to run a contest to giveaway 100 Mi 8 phones, GSMArena spotted.

Flagship-worthy features

It is possible that Xiaomi could launch the Mi 7 alongside the Mi 8, which will be the high-end anniversary edition. As far as the rumors go, Mi 8 could boast an in-display fingerprint scanner and iPhone X-like 3D facial recognition technology, which are supreme features even for a flagship.

While some might find it hard to believe, a new video has leaked online showing the Mi 8's under-display fingerprint scanner in action. The video shows just how quickly and accurately the in-display fingerprint scanner works on the handset.

There's no visual evidence of how Xiaomi's 3D facial recognition is going to work, but if it can be as good as the iPhone X then the Mi 8 is going to do some real damage in the premium smartphone market.

Most probable features of Mi 7/Mi 8

Xiaomi is going with top-notch features for its 2018 Mi flagship. According to reports, the Mi 8 could sport a 6.01-inch Full HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio, Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB/8GB RAM, 64GB/128GB/256GB storage, a dual 16MP+16MP cameras on the back, a 4850mAh battery with fast charging (& wireless charging) capability, Bluetooth v5.0, dual-SIM slot, Type C USB port and other standard connectivity features.

With its pricing of around ¥2,999 (approx. $471/€393/Rs 31,499), the Mi 7 could challenge OnePlus 6 in its home market until the company decides to introduce the handset in the Indian and other markets.