The question of when exactly the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro came to market is often raised by those considering buying the device in the secondary market or trying to understand the history of the company’s flagship line, which was a landmark event for the brand, as it was the first in the world to introduce a fingerprint scanner built directly into the screen, a technological achievement that set a new standard for the mobile industry for years to come.
The device was unveiled globally on September 27, 2018, at a special event in Berlin, traditionally timed to coincide with IFA. However, Chinese users had access to the new product a few weeks earlier, in late August. The difference in dates is driven by the company's strategy of first testing the product on the domestic market and then scaling sales internationally.
For those looking for an exact date, it is important to understand the context: Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is not just another modification, but a full-fledged flagship with improved performance compared to the basic version of the Mi 8. It has been a long time since its release, and in 2026 it is considered a classic that opened the era of mass use of subscreen sensors in devices of the middle and upper price segment.
⚠️ Note: When buying Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro in 2026, keep in mind that official security updates for this model have long since stopped.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro’s story is inextricably linked to the company’s desire to demonstrate technological leadership. While competitors were only experimenting with placing scanners on the back, Xiaomi engineers took the risk of introducing an optical scanner under the display, an event that occurred at a time when frameless screens were becoming the norm and space for physical buttons was completely exhausted.
The release of the smartphone was accompanied by high excitement, as many experts doubted the speed and reliability of the new unlock technology, but early reviews showed that the sensor’s response rate is comparable to, and in some scenarios even surpasses, capacitive counterparts. This is made possible by the use of OLED-Matrix that allows you to highlight pixels under the user's finger.
It is important to note that the model came during the period of active development of Face technology. ID and 3D-Unlike its competitors, Xiaomi has relied on a combination of infrared face unlock and a subscreen scanner, giving users a choice of authorization methods, an approach that has allowed them to reach audiences that prefer different types of biometrics.
Technical specifications and date of start of sales
The official launch of Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro in China was launched on September 25, 2018, coinciding with the start of pre-orders after the announcement.The global version went on sale in October of the same year.The device was based on the then top-of-the-line Snapdragon 845 processor, which provided the highest performance for any task, including heavy gaming and augmented reality.
One of the main features that influenced the model’s success was the transparent version of the body, which was not just a design move, but a demonstration of internal components, including an NFC chip and a processor hidden under decorative plates, and this boldness in design singled out the smartphone among hundreds of other announcements of the fall 2018 season.
The device’s memory was also a matter of pride for engineers: In the basic configuration, users received 6GB of RAM and 64 or 128GB of internal storage, and the top-end version offered 8GB of RAM. For 2018, these were extra-class metrics that allowed the device to remain relevant even a few years after its release.
☑️ Check the status of Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro when buying
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro was the world’s first smartphone to support dual-frequency GPS (L1+L5), which meant that navigation in urban settings, where the signal reflects off buildings, became significantly more accurate. For drivers and travelers, this was a critical improvement that users around the world appreciated.
Design and materials of the case
The appearance of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro caused a lot of controversy and discussion at the time of release.The flagship received a glass back panel with a glass panel. 3D-In the special transparent version, this effect was enhanced by a stylized image of the motherboard, which gave the device a futuristic appearance.
The frame is made of a 7000 series aluminum alloy, which is more durable and lightweight, and engineers have managed to minimize the gaps between glass and metal, which has positively affected the tactile sensation and dust protection, but the lack of official IP68 moisture protection remained a weak point compared to some competitors of the time.
- 📱 Screen: AMOLED 6.21 resolution 2248×1080 pixel.
- 🔋 Battery: 3000 mAh with Quick Charge 4.0 support.
- 📷 Camera: Dual main camera 12 MP + 12 MP with optical stabilization.
- 🔊 Sound: Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos technology.
The ergonomics of the smartphone are mixed: on the one hand, glass panels are pleasant to the touch, but on the other hand, they require the use of a case, as they slide strongly and collect fingerprints. The weight of the device at 177 grams for a diagonal of 6.21 inches was considered optimal, providing a balance between compactness and battery capacity.
⚠️ Warning: Glass back panel Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is extremely fragile when falling.When buying a used device, be sure to check the integrity of the glass, as replacing the original transparent panel is almost impossible.
Screen and scanning technology
The main innovation that many people have been waiting for the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is an optical fingerprint scanner built into the screen, which works by highlighting a certain area of the display with bright light that illuminates the finger, and the camera reads the reflected pattern of papillary lines, which removed the physical button and increased the usable area of the screen.
Samsung’s AMOLED matrix provided deep black and high contrast. 2248×1080 pixel resolution with 402 ppi pixel density ensured sharpness. Support for HDR10 technology and DCI-P3’s wide color gamut made video and photos as realistic as possible.
The brightness of the screen reached 600 nits in automatic mode, which allowed you to use your smartphone comfortably in daylight. OLED-screens of that time, at low brightness, some users could observe a flicker (PWM), which is worth considering people with feelings
The screen calibration is an important aspect. The factory setting (color rendering) in the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro was shifted towards cold shades, which is typical for AMOLED-matrixes. Users could adjust this through the display settings, choosing standard or saturated mode, and adjusting the color temperature manually.
Camera and photography capabilities
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro inherited the best of the flagship Mi Mix 2S. The main camera consisted of two Sony IMX363 sensors with optical image stabilization (OIS) and phase autofocus Dual Pixel.
The second telephoto module, with two-fold optical zoom, allowed for high-quality portraits with natural background blur. Real-time AI algorithms recognized scenes and automatically adjusted exposure, white balance and color saturation parameters for the best possible result.
| Characteristics | Main camera. | Front camera. |
|---|---|---|
| Permission | 12 MP + 12 MP | 20 MP |
| Diaphragm | f/1.8 + f/2.4 | f/2.0 |
| Pixel size | 1.4 μm (Dual Pixel) | 1.8 μm (4-in-1) |
| Video | 4K at 60 fps | 1080p at 30 fps |
The software-based nighttime mode allowed for a few seconds of exposure while holding the phone. Thanks to stabilization algorithms and multiple frame addition, photo noise decreased in the dark and dynamic range expanded, a significant step forward for mobile photography in late 2018.
Productivity and gaming opportunities
The heart of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro was the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, made on a 10-nanometer process. the eight-core architecture of the Kryo 385 provided high energy efficiency and powerful performance. the Adreno 630 graphics accelerator coped with any games of the time at maximum graphics settings.
The liquid cooling system incorporated into the smartphone design effectively removed heat from the processor during long gaming sessions, avoiding trotting (reduced processor frequency due to overheating) and maintaining a stable FPS in heavy projects. RAM up to 8 GB allowed you to keep many applications open without downloading them from memory.
Built-in storage like UFS 2.1 provided fast read and write speeds, which not only affected the speed of downloading games and applications, but also the overall responsiveness of the system interface, and even years after its release, the device is showing decent speed in everyday tasks.
- 🚀 AnTuTu Benchmark: about 300,000 points.
- 🎮 Graphics: Vulkan 1.1 and OpenGL support ES 3.2.
- 💾 Memory: LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 ROM.
- 📡 Communication: Support 4G LTE Cat.16 and dual-band Wi-Fi.
Relevance of the model in 2026
In 2026, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro moved into the retro flagship category. Despite its age, it remains an interesting device for collectors and enthusiasts who appreciate the history of technology. The presence of a subscreen scanner and dual GPS makes it functionally more modern than many public sector employees of those years.
But from a software perspective, the device is outdated, and support for Android updates has long been discontinued, and the maximum version of the OS available for it is limited, meaning that there are no new security features and compatibility with some modern applications that require fresh versions of the system.
A critical factor in 2026 is the state of the battery: after 7-8 years of operation, the battery capacity of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro could degrade to 60-70% of the original, which will require a mandatory replacement for comfortable use.
However, as a device for the second SIM-With a map, a music player or a navigator in your car, this smartphone is still capable of surprising with its performance. The quality of the screen and good sound make it an excellent media center, and the transparent design still looks spectacular and unusual.