Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite: How many megapixels does the camera have and what does it mean for photo quality?

Why are megapixels not the only choice?

When buying a Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, many users are primarily interested in the camera resolution expressed in megapixels. However, this is only one of many characteristics that affect the final quality of shots. Yes, 12 MP or 24 MP sound impressive, but without good software optimization, lens aperture and stabilization, even high resolution does not guarantee great photos.

In this article, we will look at how many megapixels the Mi 8 Lite main and front camera have, how this relates to real-world shooting quality, and what else to look for when assessing the camera’s photographic capabilities, and compare the smartphone camera to competitors in the same price segment and give practical tips for improving shots.

Technical characteristics of the camera Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite: the main module

The main camera Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is equipped with a dual module, where the main sensor has a resolution of 12 megapixels with an aperture of f/1.9. This is a classic solution for mid-range smartphones 2018-2019, focused on the balance between detail and aperture. The second module – 5 MP – is responsible for collecting data about the depth of the scene, which allows you to create a bokeh (blurred background) effect in portrait mode.

It’s important to understand that the 12 MPs in the Mi 8 Lite use pixel binning technology, which improves light sensitivity in low light conditions. In fact, the sensor physically has more pixels, but software combines them into groups to reduce noise, a solution that is often found in Xiaomi and Samsung smartphones of the period.

• 📸 Primary sensor: 12 MP, Sony IMX363 (analogue), pixel size 1.4 μm
• 🔍 Second module: 5 MP, depth (for portrait mode)
• 💡 Aperture: f/1.9 (chief) / f/2.0 (supportive)
• 🎯 Focus: Phase autofocus (PDAF), contrasting autofocus
• 🔦 LED flash: monotonous, with brightness adjustment

⚠️ Note: In some regions sold version of the Mi 8 Lite with the main camera on 24 MP (Samsung sensor) S5K2X5). It depended on the lot and the market, and you can check the exact model of the sensor through the app. CPU-Z or AIDA64 in the section "Camera".

The front camera: I love myself.

The front camera Mi 8 Lite is a 24-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/2.0. On paper, it looks impressive, especially for selfies, but in practice, high resolution often leads to excessive detail (visible pores, wrinkles), which has to be smoothed out programmatically. Xiaomi used here the Samsung ISOCELL sensor, known for good color reproduction, but not the best work in low light conditions.

An interesting feature: the camera supports artificial lighting for a soft flash screen when selfies are in the dark, but this mode puts the battery heavily and does not always produce a natural result. For comparison, flagship models of the time (for example, the Mi 8) had infrared backlight for the front camera, which worked more efficiently.

• 🤳 Resolution: 24 MP, with support for pixel binning up to 6 MP
• 🔄 Modes: Portrait, Beauty (30 levels of customization), HDR
• 🌙 Night photography: only with screen lighting
• 🎭 Effects: background blur, face correction, real-time filters

💡

To reduce the soap effect of taking a 24 MP selfie, turn off Beauty mode and use manual focusing by touching the screen at the right point.

Comparison with competitors: 12 MP vs 48 MP

In 2018, when the Mi 8 Lite was released, the mid-range smartphone market was moving to 48 MP cameras (such as the Redmi Note 7 or Honor 10i), but the 12 MP in the Mi 8 Lite was not a disadvantage – thanks to large pixels (1.4 μm vs. 0.8 μm for 48-MP sensors), the camera copes better with noise at dusk.

As you can see, Mi 8 Lite loses to competitors in resolution, but wins in the aperture of the main module (f/1.9 against f/1.8 Redmi Note 7 — The main disadvantage is the lack of night mode, which is a 2019 This year has become the standard even in budget smartphones.

Real quality photos: tests and examples

In practice, the 12 MP main camera Mi 8 Lite is enough for most tasks: social networks, printing photos up to 10×15 cm, document capture. During the day, the camera shows good detail and natural colors, especially when shooting landscapes.

• 🌞 Daylight: Good detailing, but sometimes sky overexposure (HDR not perfectly).
• 🌃 Twilight/Night: Severe noises at ISO > 1600, blurry at the edges of frames.
• 👥 Portrait mode: Not always accurately distinguishes the contours of objects (problems with hair, complex backgrounds).
• 🎥 Video: Maximum 4K@30fps, but without stabilization - tremors are noticeable even with a small movement.

The 24MP front camera gives you redundant detail that you have to smooth out manually. In poor light, selfies are noisy and autofocus sometimes misses. In comparison, the Mi 8 of the same year had a 20MP front camera with infrared backlight, which gave more stable results.

⚠️ Note: When shooting a video in 4K on Mi 8 Lite is shutting down electronic stabilization (EIS). If you need a smooth picture, it is better to limit yourself to Full. HD@60fps with the enabled mode "Stabilization" in the camera settings.

Software chips: what does the camera besides megapixels

Besides the hardware, the photo quality on the Mi 8 Lite depends on software algorithms. MIUI Camera with branded modes:

• 🎨 Beauty Mode: 30 levels of customization, including face, eye and lips correction, works on both the main and front camera.
• 🌄 Panorama: Stitches up to 5 frames into one wide image (maximum resolution — ~50 MP).
• 🔍 Macro: Allows you to focus on objects up to 10 cm away (but without a dedicated macro lens).
• 🎬 Automatic shooting of 15-second clips with music and effects.
• 👁️ Scene recognition: AI identifies 20+ types of scenes (food, sunset, text) and adjusts settings.

Another important feature is Documents, which automatically aligns perspective and improves text clarity, which is convenient for scanning pages of books or receipts, but some features (such as the professional mode with manual shutter speed and white balance) are hidden in the depths of the menu and are not always intuitive.

For advanced features, you can install alternative camera apps like GCam (Google Camera port), which add night mode, improved HDR and more accurate color reproduction, but for the Mi 8 Lite, stable versions of the GCam are difficult to find – you need to manually configure configuration files.

💡

Beauty mode on the Mi 8 Lite is turned on at 3/30 by default. For natural selfies, reduce the value to 1-2 or turn off completely.

Frequent Camera Problems and How to Solve Them

Despite the balanced specs, Mi 8 Lite owners often face camera problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

1. Blurred low light photos: Small pixel size (1.4 μm) and no night mode Solution: Use external light sources or manually lower ISO to 400-800.
2. The camera focuses a lot of time The reason is: lens contamination or software failure Solution: wipe your lenses with soft cloth and restart your smartphone. If the problem persists, reset your camera settings to Settings → Apps → Camera → Storage → Clear the data.
3. Green or purple in the photo The reason: color calibration defect (found in early batches) Solution: upgrade to the latest version of MIUI or use GCam with a corrective profile.
4. The reason why the video twitches when moving is: no gyroscopic stabilization. Solution: shoot video in Full HD with software stabilization enabled or use an external stabilizer (for example, improvised from a rubber band and a weight).

⚠️ Attention: If after the fall of the smartphone camera stopped focusing or artifacts (bands, spots) appeared, this may indicate damage to the flexible plume or sensor.In this case, repair is required - self-disassembly without experience often leads to an aggravation of the problem.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions