Xiaomi Mi 8 vs Samsung Galaxy A8s Specs Comparison – Who Reigns At $500?

With the midrange Samsung Galaxy A8s expected to retail for $500 or Php26,000 — it puts it close to Xiaomi’s flagship phone — the Mi 8. Will the Infinity-O Display effort be enough to knock out Xiaomi’s affordable offering?

Samsung Galaxy A8s and Xiaomi Mi 8 Differences

Samsung Galaxy A8s Advantages

1. no notch = higher screen-to-body ratio
2. Always-on Display
3. IPS LCD (wide viewing angles, natural colors)
4. Android 9.0 Pie
5. microSD slot support of up to 512GB
6. triple-main camera setup
7. 24MP selfie camera

Xiaomi Mi 8 Advantages

1. Snapdragon 845
2. Gorilla Glass 5, 7000 Series aluminum frame
3. up to 8GB/256GB
4. HDR10 and DCI-P3 compliant
5. Super AMOLED (deep blacks, battery saver)
6. telephoto lens
7. up to 2160p @ 30fps video recording, 1080p @ 240fps
8. aptX HD codec support
9. infrared face recognition
10. Quick Charge 4+

Samsung Galaxy A8s and Xiaomi Mi 8 Similarities

1. metal and glass build
2. 1080p+ resolution
3. single selfie camera
4. no audio jack
5. NFC
6. USB Type-C
7. rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
8. 3400mAh battery

Which is a better buy between the Samsung Galaxy A8s and Xiaomi Mi 8?

With the arrival of Samsung’s new display technology, the Galaxy A8s sports slimmer bezels all around but you’ll be missing the use of a notch from the Mi 8 as it houses its own infrared facial scanner for quick and secure face biometric. Also, expect a better build from the Xiaomi flagship with its Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and 7000 Series aluminum frame.

The quality of the display will fall under preference as it’s an IPS LCD versus Super AMOLED, however, it’s not that simple. The Mi 8’s Super AMOLED display supports HDR 10 content and is DCI-P3 compliant to provide that accurate color rendition and better contrast ratio.

Performance-wise, the Snapdragon 845 from Xiaomi will prevail. But in terms of camera, it’s a different story.

The Galaxy A8s sports a triple-main camera setup featuring 24MP + 10MP + 5MP depth sensor. But the Mi 8 provides a more reasonable setup with its 12MP + 12MP sensors with the second unit acting as a telephoto lens. It’s also capable of shooting up to 4K resolution and slow-motion @ 1080p.

When it comes to selfies, however, the Galaxy A8s might look sharper with its larger 24MP camera.

Although we’re seeing Bluetooth 5.0 on both devices, only the Mi 8 has support for aptX HD codec that allows playing Hi-Fi audio wirelessly.

Both again will come with 3400mAh battery but expect faster top-up on the Mi 8 with its better and more recent Quick Charge 4+ technology.

Currently, the Xiaomi Mi 8 starts at 6GB/64GB for Php25,990 while the Galaxy A8s might come around Php26,000 which already provides a generous 6GB/128GB configuration. Overall, Xiaomi’s flagship offers better value for the money as Samsung’s latest midrange device lacks the advantages to make up for its weaker SoC.

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