Xiaomi went head-on with big names this year at MWC and had its first global launch for its flagship Mi 5. Based on its beastly specs, the Xiaomi Mi 5 is in the same class as Samsung S7 and S7 Edge and LG G5.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 looks like a new and improved version of the highly popular Mi Note with its curved back and sleek edges. The Mi 5 measures 69.20x144.55x7.25mm and is also surprisingly light at 129g with a 3D glass back. There is also going to be a Mi 5 Pro version, which will come with a ceramic back. The device has a 5.15-inch IPS display with a 1080p resolution, ultra-bright 16 LED backlighting (usually it is 12 LEDs) and is almost bezel-less. Sunlight display technology is upgraded as well and promises contrast adjustment on a per-pixel level.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 is powered by the Snapdragon 820 processor, which is backed by 3GB and 4GB RAM (Pro version). The entry-level 32GB one has been clocked at a speed of 1.8GHz and 3GB of RAM. The 64GB model has the same RAM but a processor speed of 2.15GHz. The Pro clocks at 2.15GHz with 4GB of RAM.
Xiaomi has also made changes to its storage to prove its focus on speed. Instead of using eMMC, the Xiaomi Mi 5 128GB is UFS 2.0 memory, which promises significant increases of 80 per cent and more over eMMC 5.0. The Snapdragon 820 chip also supports Quick Charge 3.0.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 comes with a fingerprint reader. It has a 3,000mAh battery. It supports 4G+ speeds of up to 600Mbps, VoLTE and NFC. The device runs MIUI 7, which is now based on Android Marshmallow 6.0.
The camera is pretty neatly set up, with a Sony IMX 298 sensor, at 16MP with an aperture of f/2.0 and OIS, which is based on its new four-axis technology. It also has phase detection autofocus and deep trench isolation technology.
Thanks to the Snapdragon 820, it can shoot 4K videos. One impressive feature of the device is that unlike most of its competition, the Mi 5’s camera is completely fused into the body and there’s no camera bump. The front-facing shooter is a 4MP ultra-pixel camera. More importantly, the Mi 5 costs $100 (Dh367) less than most of its competitors.
SPECS
Processor: Snapdragon 820
Operating System: Android Marshmallow
Memory: 3/4GB RAM, 32GB
Cameras: 13MP/4MP
Battery: 3,500MAH
