Xiaomi MI5

Xiaomi launches its most expensive smartphone , Mi 5 , priced at $415

The Mi 5 is terrific, especially when you consider that Xiaomi's new flagship phone costs significantly less than the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5, without compromising on its most important features. It's fast and has a good camera. 

Actually,there are  three Mi 5 models

Xiaomi's Mi 5 doesn't just come in one flavor -- while all three do look alike, the difference lies mainly in the hardware specs. The most powerful version, dubbed the Mi 5 Pro, has the highest-end parts and a ceramic rear instead of contoured glass. Check out the table below for the key differences.

XIAOMI MI 5 MODEL COMPARISON

	Xiaomi Mi 5 (32GB)	Xiaomi Mi 5 (64GB)	Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro (128GB)
Processor	1.85GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor	2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor	2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
Storage	32GB	64GB	128GB
Rear material	3D Glass	3D Glass	Ceramic
Price	$305	$355	$415

Feature-packed and good looking

The Mi 5 is a beautiful device with a curved backing, a glass or ceramic finish and a premium feel. The rounded rear makes it comfortable to hold and I didn't lose my grip once even while wearing thick gloves. The phone is slightly smaller than the S7, but with a slightly larger 5.15-inch full-HD display. It fits snugly in your pocket. The screen is pretty bright, and a built-in feature adjusted the display to make it readable even in the bright outdoors. It works, and it works marvellously.

Great camera and zippy processor

Photos are never more important than when you're capturing memories of the trip of a lifetime. The Mi 5's 16-megapixel camera didn't let me down. I was impressed with the phone's lowlight performance, though it's not as good as the Samsung Galaxy S7 (I tested both myself in London and Barcelona). The rear camera takes beautifully bright pictures in good lighting, though colors can be a tad too saturated at times.

While the Galaxy S7 camera edges the Mi 5's, this camera can hold its own -- you won't be disappointed. Check out the gallery below for an in-depth look at the camera features and test shots.

To keep costs low on its flagship phones, Xiaomi usually uses a slightly older processor, reserving the newest chip for its top-of-the-line Pro model. That wasn't the case here; all three phones get the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, though the 32GB model isn't quite as fast, with a lower clock speed.

Performance benchmarks

The Mi 5's performance was on par with the Galaxy S7, which you would expect given they have the same processor.

Heavily customised Android 6.0

While the Mi 5 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, it's a heavily customised version of Google's software. Xiaomi usually updates its interface, called MIUI (pronounced "me-you-eye") weekly with bug and security fixes, as well as occasional feature enhancements.

Like Apple's iOS, MIUI puts all your apps on the home screen instead of in an app drawer. MIUI has hidden touches for power users, like holding the home button to turn on the flashlight, or easily moving apps to another page by tapping and holding the app icon with one finger and using another to swipe to the page you want. It's a lot easier than dragging the icon across screens.

Battery life

The phone easily lasted a full day's use, but Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 technology helps to supercharge the 3,000mAh battery, which lets you go from flat to 90 percent in an hour. In our standardCNET Video Labs test, which basically comprises of a looping video played in airplane mode, the Mi 5 averaged 14 hours in three tests, which is pretty decent, though not as long as the S7's 16 hours.

SPECIFICATIONS

NETWORK	Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE

LAUNCH	Announced	2016, February
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2016, April

BODY	Dimensions	144.6 x 69.2 x 7.3 mm (5.69 x 2.72 x 0.29 in)
	Weight	129 g / 139 g (4.90 oz)
	Build	Corning Gorilla Glass 4 back panel
	SIM	Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

DISPLAY	Type	IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	5.15 inches (~73.1% screen-to-body ratio)
	Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels (~428 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
	Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 4
		- MIUI 7.0

PLATFORM	OS	Android OS, v6.0 (Marshmallow)
	Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820
	CPU	Dual-core 1.8 GHz Kryo & dual-core 1.6 GHz Kryo - Standard edition Dual-core 2.15 GHz Kryo & dual-core 1.6 GHz Kryo - other editions
	GPU	Adreno 530

MEMORY	Card slot	No
	Internal	128 GB, 4 GB RAM - Pro edition 32/64 GB, 3 GB RAM - other editions

CAMERA	Primary	16 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, OIS (4-axis), dual-LED (dual tone) flash,check quality
	Features	1/2.8" sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR
	Video	2160p@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps, check quality
	Secondary	4 MP, f/2.0, 1/3" sensor size, 2µm pixel size, 1080p@30fps

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

COMMS	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
	Bluetooth	v4.2, A2DP, LE
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
	NFC	Yes
	Infrared port	Yes
	Radio	No
	USB	Type-C 1.0 reversible connector

FEATURES	Sensors	Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM
	Browser	HTML5
	Java	No
		- Fast battery charging: 83% in 30 min (Quick Charge 3.0) - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.265 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/FLAC player - Photo/video editor - Document viewer

BATTERY		Non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh battery
	Stand-by
	Talk time

MISC	Colors	Black, White, Gold, Ceramic
	Price group	7/10

TESTS	Performance	Basemark OS II: 2444 / Basemark OS II 2.0: 2180 Basemark X: 33110
	Display	Contrast ratio: 1227:1 (nominal), 3.240 (sunlight)
	Camera	Photo / Video
	Loudspeaker	Voice 66dB / Noise 67dB / Ring 74dB
	Audio quality	Noise -95.3dB / Crosstalk -95.4dB
	Battery life	Endurance rating 92h