Samsung Galaxy A8 Star vs Xiaomi Mi 8 SE

A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star and the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.

Head to head

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
Our rating7/107/10
Battery3,700 mAh3,120 mAh
Wired charging15W18W
RAM (max)6 GB6 GB
Storage (max)400 GB128 GB
Screen size6.3 in5.88 in
Main camera24 MP12 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)191 g164 g
ReleasedJun 2018Jun 2018
Summary: Samsung Galaxy A8 Star is ahead on battery, storage (max), screen size, main camera. Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is ahead on wired charging, weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy A8 Star is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.

Display

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
TypeSuper AMOLEDSuper AMOLED
Size6.3 inches, 100.7 cm2 (~80.6% screen-to-body ratio)5.88 inches
Resolution1080 x 2220 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~392 ppi density)1080 x 2244 pixels
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 5Corning Gorilla Glass 5

Platform

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
OSAndroid 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie), One UIAndroid 8.1 (Oreo), MIUI 9.5 (upgradable to MIUI 12, Android 10)
ChipsetQualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660 (14 nm)Qualcomm SDM710 Snapdragon 710 (10 nm)
CPUOcta-core (4x2.2 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver)Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360 Silver)
GPUAdreno 512Adreno 616

Memory

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - up to 400 GBNo
Internal64GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 6GB RAM64GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM

Main Camera

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
ModulesDual 24 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.9µm, PDAF; 16 MP, f/1.7, PDAF—
FeaturesLED flash, panorama, HDRDual-LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps, 720p@120fps
Dual—12 MP, f/1.9, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF + 5 MP, f/2.0, depth sensor

Selfie Camera

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
ModulesSingle 24 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.9µm—
FeaturesHDRHDR
Video1080p@30fps1080p@30fps
Single—20 MP, f/2.0

Battery

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
TypeLi-Ion 3700 mAh, non-removableLi-Po 3120 mAh, non-removable
Charging15W wired fast charging18W wired, Quick Charge 3.0

Body

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
Dimensions162.4 x 77 x 7.6 mm (6.39 x 3.03 x 0.30 in)147.3 x 73.1 x 7.5 mm (5.80 x 2.88 x 0.30 in)
Weight191 g (6.74 oz)164 g (5.78 oz)
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame
SIMSingle SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)—

Comms

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEOGPS, GLONASS, BDS
NFCYesNo
RadioFM radioNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0USB Type-C 2.0, OTG

Launch

Samsung Galaxy A8 StarXiaomi Mi 8 SE
Announced2018, JuneMay 2018
StatusAvailable. Released 2018, JuneAvailable. Released June 2018

Frequently asked questions

Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy A8 Star or Xiaomi Mi 8 SE?

Samsung Galaxy A8 Star — 3,700 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star versus 3,120 mAh for the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE.

Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy A8 Star or Xiaomi Mi 8 SE?

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE — 191 g for the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star versus 164 g for the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE.

Is the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star or the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE rated higher?

We rate the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star 7/10 and the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE 7/10.

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