We’ve seen quite a lot of new phones announced at MWC 2016 this week, and today Xiaomi added to that list with its new Mi 5 flagship.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 includes many specs that you’d expect from a new Android flagship in 2016, like an quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM. The screen on the Mi 5 measures 5.15 inches and boasts a resolution 1920x1080, and resting right below that display is a pill-shaped combination home button and fingerprint reader that looks similar to the home button on Samsung’s Galaxy phones. There are also capacitive multitasking and back buttons on either side of the home button.
Another big feature of the Mi 5 is its 16-megapixel rear camera. The camera uses Sony’s IMX298 sensor and includes four-axis optical image stabilization to help you take better photos in low light and when you hand is a bit shaky. Meanwhile, the front of the Mi 5 is home to a 4-megapixel camera, and Xiaomi has thrown in Beautify features to make your selfies look better.
Rounding out the Mi 5’s feature set is VoLTE, NFC, a 3000mAh battery, Quick Charge 3.0, USB Type-C and Android 6.0 running beneath Xiaomi’s custom MIUI user interface. The back of the Mi 5 offers curved edges to make it more comfortable to hold, and the body itself will be available in two different versions: The 32GB and 64GB models will have 3D glass back covers, while the Pro model will offer 128GB of storage and a 3D ceramic backside.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 will launch in China on March 1 in black, white, and gold color options. The base model with 32GB of storage will cost 1999 Chinese Yuan ($306 USD), while the step-up 64GB version will be priced at 2299 Chinese Yuan ($352). The 128GB Pro model with a ceramic back will cost buyers 2699 Chinese Yuan ($413).
Xiaomi’s Mi 5 looks like a solid flagship, offering specs that compete with other flagship phones but at a price that’s hundreds of dollars less. Unfortunately, like other Xiaomi phones, the Mi 5 isn’t going to see a Western release. That means that most of us will likely never get to handle one, which is disappointing given its feature set and price point. Xiaomi has said before that it does plan to sell phones in the US, but when it revealed that back in July 2015, it said that it was “no less than a year plus…potentially much more than a year” away from entering the US market. Those of us in the US will just have to continue ogling Xiaomi hardware from afar.
