Xiaomi held its press conference yesterday at MWC 2016 and officially launched its new flagship phone the Xiaomi Mi 5.
The Key Specifications
– Android 6.0 Marshmallow, MIUI 7
– 5.15-Inch Full HD IPS display (600 nits, 1920 x 1080 resolution, 428 ppi)
– Snapdragon 820 clocked @1.8GHz or 2.15GHz depending on model, Adreno 530 GPU
– 3GB/4GB LPDDR4 RAM (depending on model)
– 32GB/64GB/128GB Internal storage (UFS 2.0)
– MicroSD card support
– 16MP Rear camera with 4-axis OIS, f/2.0 aperture, dual-LED flash, Sony IMX298 sensor
– 4MP Front camera with 80-degree wide angle lens
– Fingerprint scanner/Home button
– Dual nano-SIM, 4G/LTE
– Dual WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with MU-MIMO technology and WiFi Display
– Bluetooth 4.2/ NFC/Infrared
– GPS/AGPS/GLONASS
– USB Type-C
– Quick Charging 3.0
– Battery: 3,000mAh
– Dimensions: 144.5 x 69.2 x 7.25mm
– Weight: 129
– Available in black/ white/ gold
Having previously owned and reviewed the Xiaomi Mi4i and Mi Note Pro, Click HERE , to read the review, I was very curious to see what the Mi 5 would look like and what specs would be included. For starters the Mi 5 is a modified look of the Mi Note Pro which was gorgeous in its own right. Xiaomi have tweaked the Mi 5 to look even curvier.
So what you have now is a few options with the new flagship which are mainly dictated by storage required. If you opt for the Mi 5 Pro, you get a Snapdragon 820, 4gb ram, 128gb storage (UFS 2), 16gb Rear Camera for 4 stage OIS, fingerprint sensor, NFC, Quick Charge 3 and a 3,000mAh battery, all weighing 129g. And if you select the ceramic top end finish, you still won’t pay more than $400. Sounds too good to be true.
Well, in my past experience with the Mi4i and Mi Note Pro, both of these phones were well built from a hardware point of view and the software and software support was excellent too. However, the screen is 1080p and not QHD. Despite the camera specs, the camera results will be good but not as good as the Samsung Galaxy S7 or LG G5 or LG G4. That aside, it seems like a stellar phone and when available to purchase I will try and import one to review accordingly. It is companies like Xiaomi that eventually will threaten the big boys Apple and Samsung. Xiaomi also have a huge product eco system too from power supplies, headphones, air humidifiers, routers and so much more.
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 
Hi Gavin,
I am wondering about Mi5’s camera quality. Most blogs avoid mentioning anything about the expected quality level of its camera at this point, which is understandable.
But I think the “brand new” Sony Exmor IMX298 sensor they keep talking about is the same sensor with Huawei Mate 8, which most reviews rated its camera performance as “just ok”.
Of course things like image stabilisation can only improve the final result, but I am not sure how much further can Xiaomi push things with this small-ish sensor at its base.
Any thoughts?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have reviewed the Mate S and it also has OIS. The Mi 5 has the newer 820 processor package which will help the camera take better photos. But in my experience the software integration where Xiaomi lacks. The Mi 5 just due to its hardware and professor will take on the whole reasonable photos. But I don’t expect G5 or S7 standards!!
LikeLike
Mate 8 camera rview from Android headlines
The ois works for low light. But the images are little more softer than expected.
LikeLike
Comparing photos of mi5 & mate 8. They might be using the same sensor but the optics are slightly different. I think the mate 8 has slightly better optics.
LikeLike
Gavin, where would be the best place to buy this phone when available as I’m very interested in it.
LikeLike
At the moment there isn’t a best place. Some of the sellers on Aliexpress are charging a massive premium. I’ll update this thread or do a new post once I have the respective info.
LikeLike