Xiaomi Mi 5 launched at MWC 2016

Xiaomi announces Mi 5 at MWC 2016

Xiaomi just dived straight into the international convention scene with its first ever global stage handset announcement. This, of course, is the eagerly-anticipated Xiaomi Mi 5.
The device is a flagship offer through and through, definitely worthy of rubbing shoulders with the likes of the LG G5 or the Samsung Galaxy S7, so also taking into account the growing international interest towards the brand, we can expect global announcements like this one to become a trend.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 comes with a trendy curved design on the back much like the Xiaomi Mi Note. In fact, the exterior of the Mi5 is heavily inspired by the Mi Note, which is very popular among fans.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 is equipped with a 5.15-inch IPS display with a 1080p resolution, ultra-bright 16-LED backlighting (as opposed to 12LEDs), and almost no side bezels for an exquisite look. Sunlight Display technology is upgraded as well and promises contrast adjustment on a per-pixel level.

Below the screen there is a physical home button, which is also a fingerprint reader. This is actually a first for Xiaomi.

The elegant body of the Mi 5 measures exactly 69.20 x 144.55 x 7.25mm, so it's just a tad thicker than the Mi Note. It is also surprisingly light, tipping the scale at 129g with a 3D glass back and including the fairly big 3000 mAh battery.

While the regular version will have a glass back, there will also be a higher-end ceramic back option called Xiaomi Mi5 Pro.
But, according to VP Hugo Barra, who led the presentation himself, the main treat hides under the hood of the Mi 5.

A recurring theme during the presentation was speed. The phone is allegedly fast on a whole different level. In part, this is thanks to Qualcomm's top of the line Snapdragon 820 SoC. This is backed up by 3GB or 4GB of fast LPDDR4 RAM for a snappy Android experience. Interestingly enough, the entry level 32GB one has a clock speed of 1.8 GHz and 3GB of RAM, the 64GB has the same amount of memory and a processor speed of 2.15GHz. The Pro simply adds another gig of RAM. Storage has also received a major upgrade with a focus on speed. Instead of using eMMC, the Xiaomi Mi 5 can be picked up with up to 128GB of UFS 2.0 memory, which promises significant increases of 80% and more over eMMC 5.0 (think what Samsung did with the Galaxy S6). The Snapdragon 820 chip also supports Quick Charge 3.0.

There is also a significant increase in network connectivity. Thanks to technologies like 3x Carrier aggregation, the onboard 4G+ or 4G Advanced is capable of theoretical Cat.12 LTE speeds of up to 600 Mbps. VoLTE is also included. NFC is now also smarter with card virtualization and write mode.
The camera setup on the Xiaomi Mi5 is also very impressive at 16MP with an aperture of f/2.0 and 4-axis optical image stabilization, which is a brand new technology as well. The sensor itself is the Sony IMX 298, which comes with phase detection auto focus and deep trench isolation technology. It is a worthy shooter for a 2016 flagship, and interestingly enough, Xiaomi has managed to fully tuck it inside the body, so there is no camera bump. Naturally, in combination with the powerful Snapdragon 820 chip, it can record 4K video as well. On the front, we have a 4MP UltraPixel camera - lifted from the Mi Note.
On the software side, the Xiaomi Mi 5 is running on the company's famous and quite popular MIUI 7 OS. It is still based on Android, but it is now version 6.0 Marshmallow.

Xiaomi Mi 5 Comes in three variants, priced at Rs 21,000

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has officially unveiled Mi 5 in China, priced at around Rs 21,000.

Xiaomi Mi 5, the new and much-awaited flagship from the Chinese-tech start-up has been launched at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain today. Even before its public unveiling in Spain, the company co-founder Lei Jun showcased it for media in Beijing.

Watch: Xiaomi Mi 5 Launch at MWC 2016 in under 4 minutes

Live Updates:
2.54 PM: As we noted earlier too, the company is launching the Mi 5 Pro variant with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It is priced at 2699 Yuan in China.

2.53 PM: Hugo Barra briefing the media with a quick look at everything announced today

2.50 PM: Xiaomi is also announcing Mi Video app with Mi 5 smartphone

2.48 PM: Xiaomi Mi 5 ships with MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The smartphone comes with five default themes and has access to 15,000 more in store.

2.45 PM: Xiaomi Mi 5’s display is 17 percent less power consuming. NFC is coming back to Xiaomi devices with Mi 5 supporting NFC functions like mobile payments. The smartphone also supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 which makes charging 20 percent faster.

2.41 PM: Xiaomi filed for 3600 patents last year. It filed 21 patents on display tech alone, says Barra

2.39 PM: Same front camera as Mi Note. 4MP Qualcomm Spectra Image processor

2.36 PM: Two new axis better for long shots, says Barra. Important for low light and moving objects. Tech breakthrough. 16MP Sony IMX298 sensor. PDAF autofocus and DTI for pixel to pixel isolation which prevents light from leaking

Xiaomi Mi 5 comes with 16MP rear camera with 4-axis OIS

2.33 PM: Xiaomi Mi 5 comes with four-axis image stabilisation

2.32 PM: Xiaomi Mi 5 will come with 16MP rear camera and 4MP front camera

2.30 PM: Context of what we have been available to achieve, says Barra showing chart.
 

Xiaomi Mi 5 in comparison with Apple iPhone 6s and Samsung Galaxy S6 in terms of design2.27 PM: 7.1mm thick, weighs 129grams, 5.15-inch display, 14 grams lighter than iPhone 6s

2.26 PM: Design comparison with Apple and Samsung. Mi 5 camera is on the corner and does not stick out. Barra calls it a major engineering challenge.
Xiaomi Mi 5 will feature front fingerprint sensor

2.23 PM: Xiaomi Mi 5 features front fingerprint scanner

2.20 PM: High-grade zirconia ceramic body which is hard to crack. Ceramic is 75percent more expensive than high-grade glass. Also difficult to get it right.

2.15 PM: Xiaomi Mi 5 comes in Black, White and Gold colour variants

2.14 PM: Black is understated, but there is white, gold too
 

Xiaomi Mi 5 is the first VoLTE supported smartphone from Chinese tech startup

2.10 PM: Support VoLTE with HD voice calls and faster call connections. So this phone will be popular among Reliance Jio users.
 

 Xiaomi claims Mi 5 takes 30 seconds to download a 1080p movie. This must be subject to internet speed.

2.05 PM: First Xiaomi phone with UFS 2.0 for storage. Supports 4G+ or LTE advanced. Maximum possible download speeds thanks to Cat 12
 

Xiaomi Mi 5 now packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor

2.02 PM: Qualcomm President Derek Aberle says they were thrilled when Xiaomi picked Snapdragon 820 for the Mi5
 

Hugo Barra talks about how insanely fast Mi 5 is compared to Mi 4 smartphone 

Xiaomi Mi 5 packs Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage

1.59 PM: Insanely fast is what Barra calls the new phone
 

Xiaomi is set to launch Mi 5 globally. It has already been showcased in China and will come in three variants

1.55PM: Live mobile OS concept is unique to Xiaomi as it updates almost daily. More important for us to have more active users, that is our business model. Mi ecosystem is a bunch of 50 startups, includes many products. Segway is a portfolio company of Xiaomi now.

1.52 PM: Biggest investment area stays software and services. Staff of 750 people working on MiUi, much larger than hardware team. Barra says it is as big as his Android team at Google.
 

Hugo Barra, Xiaomi Global VP will unveil the Mi 5 at MWC in Barcelona.

1.50 PM: Xiaomi is still a startup at heart, says Hugo Barra. The company sold 70 million phones in 2015. IDC says it was no 1 smartphone brand in China

1.40 PM: Xiaomi has officially detailed Mi 5 in China so it is unclear if anything is gonna change in Barcelona. Here is our best look yet at the 2016 flagship Mi smartphone
 

Xiaomi Mi 5 is launched in China with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. It will feature 5.15-inch FHD display and 3000mAh battery

1.30 PM: Launching in China on March 1, will reach other countries later
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Xiaomi Mi 5 will come in three variants, price starts at 1999 Yuan

1.25 PM: Xiaomi Mi 5 will come in three variants. The company’s China announcement has revealed three versions will be 3GB+32GB model, 3GB+64GB model and 4GB+128GB model. The smartphone starts at 1999 Yuan going all way up to 2699 Yuan

Xiaomi Mi 5 is definitely one of the most leaked smartphones for all of 2015, pretty much in the league of the Samsung Galaxy S7. Of course, this is also a testament to how high the expectations are from Xiaomi, which has produced good flagship devices in the past, at a fraction of the cost of the big tech players.

Now both co-founder Lin Bin, and Xiaomi’s global VP Hugo Barra have revealed pictures shot with company’s upcoming Mi 5 smartphone. Hugo Barra has posted pictures on his Facebook account which revealed the quality of Mi 5’s camera and his post hinted that there might be a manual mode option in the upcoming flagship.

If rumours are anything to be believed, Mi 5 will feature a 5.2-inch display with either full HD or Quad HD resolution. It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset.

Xiaomi Mi 5 is likely to launch in two variants – 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB storage. Xiaomi Mi 5 will also be the showcase device for company’s highly customisable MIUI ROM based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Xiaomi has also promised it will bring the smartphones to India soon, although a delay between the China and India launch is expected.