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Xiaomi Mi 5

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Xiaomi Mi 5 is official, Galaxy S7 lookalike features Snapdragon 820, gorgeous design, 4-axis OIS and more for just $300

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Xiaomi has finally unveiled its next flagship phone at a press event this morning, and from the design alone, it would be easy to confuse the device with a Galaxy S7. The seamless glass front surface features a pill-shaped home button, a solid metal frame with sculpted edges, and even the glass back which curves towards the edges. But don’t let that copycat form factor put you off. With a starting price of around $306 USD (¥1999), this smartphone packs in an incredible array of high-end features…


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High-res Xiaomi Mi 5 16MP camera sample shared ahead of launch, by company chief

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Hugo Barra, Xiaomi’s global VP, hasn’t been shy about teasing features for the upcoming Mi 5 smartphone. Xiaomi’s next flagship is being unveiled at an event in Barcelona, at MWC 2016. He’s already told us that the phone will come equipped with Qualcomm’s latest flagship processor, the Snapdragon 820.


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Xiaomi Mi 5 retail packaging leak seemingly reveals design and color options

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Xiaomi has already confirmed that it will reveal its next flagship smartphone, the Mi 5, at a media event in Barcelona during MWC next month. While we know when the phone will be launched, and that it will be equipped with a Snapdragon 820 processor, little else is close to confirmed. Even the design has been something of a mystery since all we’ve seen so far is a couple of sketchy leaks and a supposed render.

Today, further evidence has risen suggesting the earlier render was accurate. Images posted by well-known leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer show what appears to be a warehouse with multiple empty white boxes stacked on a pallet, seemingly ready for shipment to assembly lines.

The boxes themselves show a device almost identical to the previous renders, and shows them in four different fashionable colors: gold, pink, white and black.

Design-wise, the devices look very much like a Galaxy S6 with its rounded metal frame plus the glass front and back panels. The glass curves towards the edges on the back, similar to the design of the Note 5. As a reminder, these are the earlier leaks which claimed to show the Mi 5’s form factor previously:

While the company has been expectedly vague with any details regarding the Mi 5, we are expecting a device with specs to match most of the top flagship phones for 2016. The SD820-powered device is rumored to feature a Quad HD display, as well as an advanced f/2.2 aperture 16MP camera with 4K video recording. If it’s anything like previous Xiaomi devices, it will cost considerably less than the Galaxy S7, which Samsung is allegedly planning to launch during the first quarter of this year.

Xiaomi Mi 5 launch on Feb. 24 will be company’s first at MWC in Barcelona

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A few days ago, Xiaomi’s global VP Hugo Barra confirmed on Twitter that the company would be releasing the next eagerly-anticipated smartphone on February 24. Just a few hours ago, Barra took to Facebook to announce that a media preview for the Xiaomi Mi 5 will take place in Barcelona during MWC while the launch event takes place in Beijing…


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Xiaomi Mi 5 will launch on February 24, company VP confirms

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Following weeks of speculation and leaks, Xiaomi’s global VP, Hugo Barra has confirmed on Twitter that the Mi 5 will launch on February 24. Having already revealed that the Mi 5 will be powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor, it’s clear this device is going to be the company’s flagship smartphone of 2016.

Apart from the processor, we know little about the Mi 5 with certainty. One website’s placeholder suggested the device will ship with specs that should compete head-to-head with the Galaxy S7, although it will undoubtedly be cheaper than Samsung’s next flagship smartphone. The Mi 5 listing claimed the smartphone will have a 5.2-inch Quad HD display coated in 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It also suggested the phone will have a 6-element 16MP camera on the back with f/2.2 aperture and 4K video recording.

Xiaomi is well known for releasing powerful smartphones at competitive prices. The big question for 2016 is whether or not it will launch its upcoming devices in the US and other established western markets. Its biggest competitor, Huawei, made huge strides internationally last year, and will surely extend its lead over Xiaomi if the Mi-makers don’t respond aggressively.

Xiaomi Mi 5 online listing seemingly reveals high-end specs

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Not long ago,  Xiaomi’s co-founder indicated we should expect to see its next flagship, the Mi 5, launch sometime after the Spring Festival (also known as Chinese New Year). The only other fact we knew for sure was that it will be powered by Qualcomm’s newest processor, the Snapdragon 820, which is being built using Samsung’s 14nm FinFET process.

While there’s no guarantee that these are definitive, or accurate, there have been a couple more leaks pointing towards what we should expect from the Mi 5 and when we should expect to see it…


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Snapdragon 820-equipped Xiaomi Mi 5 will launch after Chinese New Year

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Xiaomi’s co-founder and SVP Liwang Jiang has confirmed on Chinese social network, Weibo, that the company is ramping up production of the Xiaomi Mi 5 ahead of a launch sometime after Spring Festival/Chinese New Year. The device will ship with the brand new quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor.

From the loosely translated page, it seems Xiaomi‘s production of the next flagship is hitting peak levels now to ensure that there’s enough stock for when the smartphone is released next month.

We don’t know much else about the Chinese manufacturer’s next smartphone. There have been rumors, as there always are, suggesting we’ll see a device equipped with a QHD resolution 5.2-inch display, giving it a huge pixel density of 565ppi. It’s also rumored to feature a massive 3,600mAh battery with Quick-Charge 3.0 support, suggesting we won’t see USB Type-C. Cameras are allegedly going to be 16MP and 13MP on the rear and front respectively.

As with virtually all of Xiaomi’s products, the Mi 5 is likely to punch above its price point. Pricing is rumored to be around the $300-$400 range, putting it right at the top of Xiaomi’s product line.

Perhaps more interesting than all the claimed specifications is watching to see if this device launches officially in more international markets. With Huawei stealing its thunder in China, Xiaomi needs to hit back and has been rumored to be planning a US launch at some point soon. With the Snapdragon processor inside, the Mi 5 could end up being its first major international handsets. Of course, that’s just speculation and wishful thinking. But it would be great to finally see the brand officially hit international store shelves.

Xiaomi ‘Gemini’ benchmark leaks, suggests Snapdragon 820 will be really fast

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Qualcomm promised when it launched the Snapdragon 820 that it’s next processor would offer a huge jump in performance and efficiency over its predecessor. If a benchmark result on Geekbench is anything to go by, those claims look like they’ll be true. Those worried by the fact it’s ‘only’ quad-core should stop worrying now.


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