Xiaomi’s delayed Mi 5 flagship smartphone will launch some time after the Chinese New Year in February, according to a social media posting by the company’s cofounder Liwan Jiang on Wednesday (link in Chinese). Jiang also confirmed the Mi 5 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, as expected.
Xiaomi fans were left disappointed in November when the Chinese smartphone maker unveiled a slew of new devices — including the Redmi Note 3 and Mi Pad 2 — and at the same time confirmed there would be no further announcements in 2015, calling it the the “perfect ending to the year.” Qualcomm has been blamed for the delay.
Above: Xiaomi Mi 5 leak (via TechnoBuffalo)
Image Credit: weibo.com/webthinker123
Rumours and leaks of the upcoming Mi 5 have been closely followed by the tech industry at large, with Xiaomi now well established as one of the top five smartphone makers in China (and increasingly recognised globally). Other rivals in the country include Apple, Samsung, Huawei (which today became the first Chinese smartphone maker to ship more than 100 million units in a year), and Lenovo.
Speculation around specs still vary from report to report — some predict the full-metal device’s screen size coming in at 5.2 inches, while others put it closer to 5.5 inches. The Mi 4’s screen measured in at 5 inches, so it’s likely this one will be slightly larger. I’d be very surprised if it didn’t ship with Xiaomi’s latest skinned version of Android, MIUI 7, which runs on top of 6.0 Marshmallow and began rolling out this month.
Above: Xiaomi Mi 5 leak (via TechnoBuffalo)
Image Credit: weibo.com/277550967
Generally held spec predictions have it at 5.1mm thick, with 4GB of RAM, and a roughly 3,500mAh battery. Coming back to the display, it’s expected to pack a resolution of 1440 x 2560, which gives it a pixel density of somewhere around 550-600 ppi. A 16MP main rear-facing camera is likely, along with a fingerprint scanner and non-expandable internal storage available in 32/64GB versions (some put that at 16/64GB). Prices are yet to be confirmed, but it’s likely to retail at below $400. Quick Charge 3.0 and USB Type-C are expected.
Xiaomi will need the Mi 5 to sell like hotcakes after some raised concerns in mid-December that it sales may be slowing as China’s smartphone market cools and domestic competition increases. The company had previously set itself a target to ship 80 million units in 2015, but that may not have been hit. We’ve reached out to Xiaomi for further comment on the Mi 5 launch, and will update you if we hear back.
Above: Liwan Jiang’s posting on Weibo confirming the February launch and Snapdragon 820
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