Xiaomi Redmi 8: the year of release, specifications and relevance today

Xiaomi Redmi 8 has become one of the most popular budget models of the Chinese brand, combining affordable price and balanced specs. Many users are still interested in this model – especially those who are looking for an inexpensive device for everyday tasks or a backup phone. But what is the year of release of the Redmi 8, and is it relevant in 2026?

In this article, we will not only answer the question of the release date, but also analyze the key features of the model, its strengths and weaknesses, and compare it with more modern counterparts. You will find out whether this smartphone is suitable for gaming, shooting photos or long battery life, and whether it is worth buying today.

Official release year of Xiaomi Redmi 8

Xiaomi Redmi 8 was announced on October 9, 2019 at the official brand event in India.It was one of the first models of the Redmi series, which received a design with a drop-shaped cutout for the front camera (so-called "dot notch") and a rear panel with a texture that mimics glass, but made of plastic.

Interestingly, Redmi 8 is the successor to Redmi 7, but it has received a number of significant improvements.

• 🔋 The battery has been increased from 4,000 mAh to 5,000 mAh, one of the most capacious in its class at the time.
• ⚡ Added support for fast charging of 18 watts (there was a 10 watt adapter in the kit, but you could buy a more powerful one).
• 📸 The main camera received a Sony IMX363 sensor at 12 MP with pixels of 1.4 microns (versus 1.25 microns in its predecessor).
• 🎮 Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor with 12 nm architecture, which gave a performance increase of 20-25% compared to Redmi 7.

In Russia, the model went on sale in December 2019 at a recommended price of about 9 990 rubles for the version with 3/32 GB of memory, which made it one of the most affordable smartphones with a battery of 5000 mAh at the time.

Redmi 8 technical specifications: what is under the hood?

Despite the budget position, Redmi 8 offered good specs for its time, and let’s look at them in more detail in the table:

The model’s energy efficiency is particularly noteworthy, as the Redmi 8’s optimized processor and large battery life can last up to 2 days with moderate use (social media, instant messengers, calls) and reduced its battery life to 10-12 hours when watching video or games, which is also good for a budgetary.

⚠️ Warning: In 2026, Redmi 8 officially receives no security updates from Xiaomi.The latest firmware version is MIUI 12.5 based on Android 10. This means that some modern applications may run unstable or require manual installation via APK.

Comparison with competitors: how did the Redmi 8 look compared to other budget players?

At the time of its 2019 release, the Redmi 8 was competing with models such as the Samsung Galaxy M10s, Realme 5 and Motorola Moto E6 Plus.

• 🔋 Battery: Redmi 8 (5000 mAh) vs Galaxy M10s (4000 mAh) vs Realme 5 (5000 mAh) – Chinese brands were the leaders here.
• 📸 Camera: The Redmi 8 had a better Sony IMX363 sensor compared to the Samsung GM1 in the Galaxy M10s, but played the Realme 5 with its quad camera (although the latter was more of a marketing ploy).
• 🎮 Performance: The Snapdragon 439 in Redmi 8 was inferior to the Snapdragon 665 in Realme 5, but overtook the Exynos 7884B in the Galaxy M10s.
• 💰 Price: The Redmi 8 was cheaper than the Realme 5 by 15-20%, making it more attractive to budget buyers.

The Redmi 8’s main advantage was the balance between price, autonomy and camera. It wasn’t the best at any of the parameters, but offered the optimal combination for its segment. For example, the Realme 5 had a more powerful processor, but its ColorOS interface was less optimized than MIUI, which affected smooth operation.

Is Xiaomi Redmi 8 up to date in 2026?

4.5 years after the release of Redmi 8 is no longer a modern smartphone, but it can still be useful in several scenarios:

1. Backup phone: For calls, instant messengers and simple tasks (navigator, music), it is ideal because of its long running time.
2. The first smartphone for a child or an elderly person, a simple interface, reliable build and low price in the used market make it a good choice.
3. Software testing device: Developers or enthusiasts can use it to test applications on weak hardware.
4. Budget media player: The big screen and the capacious battery make it comfortable to watch videos or listen to music.

However, there are significant limitations:

• ❌ No support for 5G (even theoretically).
• ❌ A weak processor for modern games (e.g. Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile will lag even on minimal settings).
• ❌ An outdated version of Android (maximum Android 10) limits the performance of some applications.
• ❌ No NFC, which excludes contactless payments.

⚠️ Warning: When you buy a used Redmi 8 in 2026 year, pay attention to the state of the battery. After 4-5 years of use, its capacity may have dropped to 60-70% of its original capacity, which will significantly reduce the time of operation. Check the battery status through the engineering menu (#4636#) or applications like AccuBattery.

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If you buy a Redmi 8 bpd, ask the seller to show the actual battery life. Run the test: play YouTube videos at 50% brightness and Wi-Fi. Normal result is at least 8-10 hours.

Redmi 8 Frequent Problems and Failures: What to Look for?

Like any budget model, the Redmi 8 had a number of typical "diseases" that showed up over time.

One of the most common complaints users have is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues, such as losing network connection or not connecting to some devices, most often by updating the firmware or resetting the network settings (Settings → System → Settings Reset → Resetting Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth settings).

Another common problem is the proximity sensor failure, which keeps the screen from going out during the call, and in most cases, calibration of the sensor through the engineering menu (#6484## → Proximity Sensor → Calibrate) helped.

Check the case for cracks and dents |

Check all buttons (on, volume) |

Run a screen test for broken pixels (for example, through the Screen Test app)|

Check battery life (must be at least 6-8 hours when in active use)|

Make sure IMEI is not blacklisted (check out *#06# and imei.info)

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Redmi 8 alternatives in 2026: what to choose instead?

If you are looking for a budget smartphone with similar specs, but more modern, look for the following models:

• 📱 Xiaomi Redmi 12C (2023). Similar battery at 5000 mAh, but with a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, support for HD+ 90 Hz and a 50 MP camera. Price: ~10 000 RUB (new).
• 📱 Realme C55 (2023) 90 Hz display, 64 MP camera, fast charging 33 W Price: ~12 000 RUB.
• 📱 Samsung Galaxy M14 (2023). Exynos 1330 processor, battery 6000 mAh, support 5G. Price: ~15 000 rubles.
• 📱 POCO C55. The same Redmi 12C, but with different branding and sometimes a better price (~9000 RUB).

If you need a smartphone strictly up to 7 000 rubles, you can consider used options for more recent models:

• 🔄 Redmi 10C (2022) - improved camera and processor over Redmi 8.
• 🔄 POCO M4 Pro (2022) — AMOLED-screen and support 5G.
• 🔄 Samsung Galaxy A12 (2021) – reliable build and long-term updates (up to Android 13).

The main advantage of modern state-owned employees is the support of current versions of Android (at least until 2026-2026), which guarantees the operation of new applications and security updates.

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If you need a smartphone for gaming or multitasking, it is better to consider models with a processor no lower than the Snapdragon 6xx or MediaTek Helio Gxx. Redmi 8 with its Snapdragon 439 can no longer cope with modern requirements.

How to extend the life of Xiaomi Redmi 8: tips for optimization

If you’re still considering using the Redmi 8 in 2026, these tips will help make it more comfortable:

1. Turn off the animation interface. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 5 times to turn on developer mode). Then to Settings → Additional → For developers, set all animations to 0.5x or turn off completely. This will speed up the system response.
2. Use lightweight versions of apps, replace Facebook with Facebook Lite, Instagram with Instagram Lite, and YouTube with YouTube Go, which will reduce the workload on the processor and memory.
3. Limit background activity. In Settings → Applications → Permissions → Autostart, disable autostart for unnecessary programs. Also in Settings → Battery → Power Saving Mode, turn on Battery mode.
4. Install custom firmware. If the official updates are over, you can flash LineageOS or Pixel Experience on Android 11-12, which will give a more recent version of the OS, but will require unlocking the bootloader and risk losing warranty (if it is still valid).

⚠️ Warning: When installing custom firmware on Redmi 8, be careful with the Redmi 8A or Redmi 8A Pro versions — they have different hardware and can cause the device to "break" (brick). Always check firmware compatibility with the exact model (hw1cn, hw1in, etc.).

Another way to improve performance is to replace the thermopaste, which eventually dries up, leading to overheating and trottling (automatically lowering the processor frequency), and the service center costs about 1000-1500 rubles.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi Redmi 8