As soon as Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 8 Pro, reviewers and users instantly started comparing it to the iPhone XS — and it's no surprise as there are quite a few similarities in both design and functionality. But, the phone does bring quite a lot to the table all on its own. The best part? It's less than half the price of the new iPhone.Let's start from the beginning.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro: the bezel-less notch-friendly look and in-display fingerprint sensor

The Xiaomi 8 Pro follows the bezel-less notch-friendly look of the iPhone X line. However, measuring 6.1 x 2.94 x 0.3 inches, the phone hosts a display that is significantly larger than the iPhone XS and only slightly smaller than that on the iPhone XS Max. You get a beautiful 6.21 inch AMOLED display with 2248 x 1080 resolution.

One of the highlights of the major highlights of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is the presence of the in-display fingerprint sensor. And while the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is not the first phone to come with this feature, it is a definite plus. Additionally, there is the 3D (infrared) facial recognition.

The phone comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa core CPU clocked at 2.8GHz. The processor is known for providing a premium camera experience, supporting sophisticated AI processing, ensuring vault-like security for your personal data and more. With that, you get the option of 6GB or 8GB of RAM in tandem with 128GB of internal storage — unfortunately, external storage expansion is not supported.

On the camera side, the Mi 8 Pro comes with dual 12MP+12MP rear camera combo sporting Sony IMX363 sensors with 1.4μm unit pixel area. In addition to that, you have the support of Dual PD and four axis optical anti-shake function for a smoother video experience. On the front, there is the 20MP selfie cam equipped with Xiaomi's signature beautifying functionality.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition: futuristic design that's hard to look away from

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition, though in the same line as the Mi 8 Pro and the Mi 8 Lite, is quite different visually — and you will see it right away the second you turn the phone over. Instead of the shiny plastic or metallic cover, you will see the phone's insides through a transparent panel — well, in a way. The Mi 8 EE's back cover has cause quite a bit of controversy in the smartphone world when it has been confirmed that the phone's motherboard that you can see on the back is actually "decorative". This means that you are not seeing what truly has the Mi 8 EE running — but rather a "beautified" simulation. This may be a bummer for some, but from a purely aesthetic perspective the phone does look very interesting, which, in turn may discourage potential users from covering the back of the phone with a case.

On the inside, though, the Mi 8 Explorer does not differ much from the Mi 8 Pro version. You get the same Snapdragon 845 processor — but, this time, paired with 8GB of RAM, which, understandably, gives the operation a significant boost.

The rest has mostly remained the same: 12MP + 12MP dual rear cameras and a 20MP selfie cam, the same 3000mAh battery, 128GB of non-expandable storage, etc.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro vs. Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition: summing things up

Let's sum up the differences and similarities of the two models:

	Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro 4G Phablet English and Chinese Version
	Notices submitted

	Xiaomi Mi 8 4G Phablet Explorer Edition - DARK GRAY
	$829.5 $729.99	(6 reviews)

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro vs. Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition: which one to go for?

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition is definitely a cool phone to look at: it's futuristic on the outside and powerful on the inside. But there is a price to pay — some $729.99, to be exact.

The Mi 8 Pro, on the other hand, though in a more modest format, does offer most of the same functionality when it comes to display quality, processing power, storage and camera functionality — and promises to be available for much (much) less $881.78.

Which phone would work best for you? Quite honestly, we don't think a great number of users would be ready to pay double for good looks and a bit more RAM. But the Mi 8 EE's back panel is seductive — and we are eager to be proven wrong.