Xiaomi Mi5 is a very important smartphone for the Chinese company. All previous gadgets from this manufacturer were indeed a very good offer in terms of price and quality ratio - this is why Xiaomi is loved by users around the world. However, the smartphones of this company have always been considered in the context of “for this price...”, “for this money...” and so on. In other words, the price factor was decisive.
The situation with Mi5 is a little different. Yes, its cost in Russia varies from 27 to 35 thousand rubles, depending on the amount of built-in memory (32 or 64 GB) and the place of purchase. For comparison: prices for flagship smartphones other companies now start from 40-45 thousand rubles. However, the cost is lower than that of its classmates - this is not the only advantage of Mi5. What comes to the fore is that this is one of the first mass-produced smartphones with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 on board. From others interesting features You can note the work with LTE Cat. 12, allowing a maximum theoretical data reception speed of 600 Mbit/s in mobile networks, support for two SIM cards and otherwise very decent hardware. We are already intrigued, but what else can Xiaomi Mi5 surprise?
⇡ Technical specifications
| Xiaomi Mi5 | Samsung GALAXY S7 | Sony Xperia Z5 | Google Nexus 6P | LG V10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.15 inches, IPS, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 427.75 ppi, capacitive multi-touch | 5.1 inches, AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 575.9 ppi, capacitive multi-touch | 5.2 inches, AMOLED, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 424 ppi, capacitive multi-touch | 5.7 inches, AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 515 ppi, capacitive multi-touch | 5.7 inches, 2560 × 1440, IPS, 515 ppi, capacitive multi-touch |
| Air gap | No | No | No | No | No |
| Protective glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | Corning Gorilla Glass (version not specified) on both sides | no information | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 (two Kryo cores, | Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa (four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, 2.6 GHz; four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.6 GHz); | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 |
| frequency 1.8* GHz + | frequency 2 GHz + | (four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.55 GHz + | (four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.4 GHz + | ||
| two Kryo cores, | four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, | two ARM Cortex-A57 cores, frequency 2 GHz); | two ARM Cortex-A57 cores, frequency 1.82 GHz); | ||
| frequency 1.36* GHz; | frequency 1.5 GHz); | Supports 32-bit and 64-bit computing | Supports 32-bit and 64-bit computing | ||
| Supports 32-bit and 64-bit computing | Supports 32-bit and 64-bit computing | ||||
| * - U Pro version higher core frequencies (1.6 GHz and 2.15 GHz, respectively) | |||||
| Graphics controller | Qualcomm Adreno 530 | ARM Mali-T880 MP12 | Qualcomm Adreno 430 | Qualcomm Adreno 430 | Qualcomm Adreno 418 |
| RAM | 3/4 GB | 4 GB | 3 GB | 3 GB | 4 GB |
| GB (4 GB for the Pro version) | |||||
| Flash memory | 32/64/128 GB | 32/64 GB | 32 GB | 32/64/128 GB | 64 GB |
| (128 GB for Pro version) | |||||
| Memory card support | No | There is, in the S7 Duos version, a combined slot for a memory card and SIM card | Eat | No | Eat |
| Connectors | USB Type-C, 3.5 mm mini-jack | microUSB, mini-jack 3.5 mm | microUSB, mini-jack 3.5 mm | USB-C, 3.5 mm mini-jack | microUSB, mini-jack 3.5 mm |
| SIM cards | Two nanoSIM | One nanoSIM/two nanoSIM | One nanoSIM | One nanoSIM | Two nanoSIM |
| Cellular connection 2G | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1700 / 1900 MHz | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz | |
| Cellular 3G | HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz | HSPA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz | WDCMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz | HSDPA 850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100 MHz | HDSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz |
| Cellular 4G | LTE Cat support. 12 (up to 600/150 Mbit/s): bands 1, 3, 7, 38, 39, 40, 41 | LTE Cat support. 12 (up to 600/150 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 20 | FDD LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 40 | LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 17, 19, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41 | LTE Cat. 4 (up to 150 Mbit/s), bands 1, 3, 7 |
| WiFi | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| NFC | There is | There is | There is | There is | There is |
| Navigation | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| Sensors | Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer, heart rate | Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer | Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), pedometer | Light, proximity sensor, pressure sensor, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), pedometer | |
| Fingerprint's scanner | There is | There is | There is | There is | There is |
| Main camera | 16 MP, ƒ/2.0, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, 4-axis optical stabilization, 4K video recording | 12 MP, ƒ/1.7, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, optical stabilization, 4K video recording | 23 MP, ƒ/2.0, autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording | 12.3 MP, ƒ/2.0, laser autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording | 16 MP, ƒ/1.8, laser autofocus, LED flash, optical stabilization, Full HD video recording |
| Front-camera | 4 MP, fixed focus | 5 MP, fixed focus | 5 MP, fixed focus | 8 MP, fixed focus | 5 MP, fixed focus, 80° viewing angle + 5 MP, fixed focus, 120° viewing angle |
| Nutrition | Non-removable 11.4 Wh battery (3000 mAh, 3.8 V), support fast charging Quick Charge 3.0 | Non-removable battery 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V), supports Quick Charge 2.0, supports wireless charging | Non-removable battery | Non-removable 13.11 Wh battery (3450 mAh, 3.8 V) | Removable 11.4 Wh battery (3000 mAh, 3.8 V) |
| 11.02 Wh (2900 mAh, 3.8 V) | |||||
| Size | 145 × 69 × 7.3 mm | 142.4 × 69.6 × 7.9 mm | 146 × 72 × 7.3 mm | 159.3 × 77.8 × 7.3 mm | 160 × 80 × 8.6 mm |
| Weight | 129 grams | 152 grams | 154 grams | 178 grams | 192 grams |
| Housing protection | No | IP68 | IP65, IP68 | No | No |
| Up to half an hour at a depth of 1.5 m | |||||
| operating system | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, own MIUI 7.0 shell | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Samsung's own TouchWiz shell | Android 5.1 Lolliipop, Sony Xperia's own shell | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 5.1 Lolliipop |
| Current price, rub. | About 26 thousand rubles for the 32 GB version; | from 49 990 | 49 990 | 49,990-56,990 (depending on memory capacity) | 50 990 |
| About 32 thousand rubles for the 64 GB version |
⇡ Appearance, ergonomics, fingerprint scanner
Xiaomi Mi 5 is a very human-oriented device, so to speak. This is not a “brick” or a “shovel”, but a very neat and nice gadget. It is convenient to use with one hand - the thumb in this case can easily reach any point on the screen. The thickness of the case is an insignificant 7.3 millimeters, and the weight is only 129 grams.
Such small dimensions were achieved due to the fact that Xiaomi decided not to chase fashion and installed a 5.15-inch screen in the Mi5, while many flagships in recent years use a 5.4-5.5-inch display.
The front panel of the smartphone is covered protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass latest, fourth generation. It is resistant to scratches and other minor damage - if the gadget accidentally ends up in the same pocket as keys or coins, nothing bad will happen. The glass here has an oleophobic coating - it can be easily cleaned from fingerprints and other small dirt using any cloth.
At the top of the front panel there is a slot for the earpiece, a front camera lens, sensitive areas for proximity and light sensors, as well as a small LED indicator that reports new events. At the bottom there is a hardware Home key, as well as touch keys for going back and opening the application menu. They are equipped with a pleasant looking white backlight.
The Xiaomi brand still remains one of the fastest growing companies in the smartphone market. It is not surprising that this name is on the pages of our website not only in the news, but also in the laboratory.
Let's remember, for example, the company's bestseller Xiaomi Redmi Note 2, the rational compact Xiaomi Redmi 2 Pro and a very interesting tablet based on Nvidia hardware Xiaomi MiPad. It must be said that this brand produces some of the most attractive models in terms of price/performance ratio. And the build quality only improves over time.
Considering the above, it is not surprising that the new top-segment Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, which enthusiasts and simply lovers of lightning-fast smartphones have been waiting for so long, was one of the first to be installed in devices of this brand. This situation is especially aggravated by far from the most successful predecessors in the form of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 and the “six-core” Snapdragon 808.
Thanks to our partner, the online store Cheap-mobile, we have to find out whether the new SoC is as good as Qualcomm itself assures us, whether there is any point in switching to new models from previous generations and, most importantly, how much faster they are than competitors.
Technical characteristics of Xiaomi Mi5
| Model | Xiaomi Mi5 | Xiaomi Mi5 "Standard Edition" | Xiaomi Mi5 Pro |
| Device type | Smartphone | Smartphone | Smartphone |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820L, 2 x 1800 MHz + 2 x 1360(?) MHz, Kryo | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 2 x 2150 MHz + 2 x 1590 MHz, Kryo |
| Video processor | Adreno 530 @ 624 MHz | Adreno 530 @ 510 MHz | Adreno 530 @ 624 MHz |
| operating system | Android 6.0 | Android 6.0 | Android 6.0 |
| RAM, GB | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Internal memory, GB | 32/64 | 32/64 | 128 |
| Screen | IPS, 5.15", Full HD (1920 x 1080) | IPS, 5.15", Full HD (1920 x 1080) | IPS, 5.15", Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Cameras, Mpix | 16.0 + 4.0 | 16.0 + 4.0 | 16.0 + 4.0 |
| Net | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Number of SIM cards, pcs. | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| MicroSD support | No | No | No |
| Data transfer | Wi-Fi, WAP, GPRS, EDGE, NFC, HSDPA, 3G, LTE | Wi-Fi, WAP, GPRS, EDGE, NFC, HSDPA, 3G, LTE | |
| aGPS/GPS/GLONASS/Beidou | Is/Is/Is/Is | Is/Is/Is/Is | Is/Is/Is/Is |
| Battery, mAh | 3 000 | 3 000 | 3 000 |
| Dimensions, mm | 145.0 x 69.0 x 7.0 | 145.0 x 69.0 x 7.0 | 145.0 x 69.0 x 7.0 |
| Weight, g | 129 | 129 | 129 |
| price, rub. | ~32 000 / ~36 500 | ~32 000 / ~36 500 | n/a |
It’s difficult to talk about the balance of the device, since we still know little about the power consumption of the new chip - will it have enough battery capacity? It’s a little strange to see in the case of the most massive modifications of the device “only” 3 GB of RAM, whereas even inexpensive smartphones of the past are already ready to offer 4 GB, and at the beginning of 2016 there was an “upstart” Vivo Xplay5 Elite, equipped with as much as 6 GB of RAM.
As for everything else, the weight and size characteristics are quite typical for 2016 flagships, the thickness of the device is small, the weight is more than comfortable, and the price is pleasantly pleasing compared to the flagships of famous brands.
Packaging and equipment Xiaomi Mi5
Xiaomi Mi5 comes in a regular cardboard box with a nice design that we have long been accustomed to.
On the reverse side are brief specifications And legal information. The most important thing here is to find the operating frequency of the single-chip system if you want a “full-fledged” version of the Snapdragon 820.
The following delivery package awaits us inside:
- Charger;
- USB Type-C cable;
- Documentation.
Unfortunately, there are no “goodies” in the form of a protective film for the display or a case. And the gadget itself does without a protective film on its screen.
The charger is of medium size and weight. It’s convenient to use if you have an adapter, of course.
Xiaomi Mi5 supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology, so the charger is capable of delivering current with a voltage of up to 12 V and a power of 1.5 A.
Readers regularly asked us about this device and complained that the review had not been published for a very long time. The reason for this is quite simple: we wanted to test the normal PCT version of the model, and not order it from China. Why? The point, of course, is the firmware, since when testing versions of Mi 5s with Chinese firmware and having discovered that there is something wrong with it, we often run into negativity from readers who claim that we need to manually install the global, fixes, etc.
Characteristics
| Specifications | |
| Class | Flagship |
| Form factor | Monoblock |
| Housing materials | Aluminum |
| operating system | Android 6.0 + MIUI 8.0 |
| Net | 2G/3G/LTE (800/1800/2600), two SIM cards |
| Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 |
| CPU | Quad core |
| Video accelerator | Adreno 530 |
| Inner memory | 32 GB |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Memory card slot | No |
| WiFi | Yes, a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 4.2 LE, A2DP |
| NFC | Eat |
| Screen diagonal | 5.15 inches |
| Screen resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Matrix type | IPS |
| Protective covering | Glass |
| Oleophobic coating | Eat |
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, 4k video shooting |
| Front-camera | 4 MP, f/2.0 |
| Navigation | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor |
| Battery | Non-removable, 3200 mAh |
| Dimensions | 145.6 x 70.3 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | 145 grams |
| Price | From $280 / 31,000 rubles |
Equipment
- Smartphone
- Charger
- PC cable (also part of the charger)
Appearance, materials, control elements, assembly
When you look at Mi 5s, you immediately understand that the company was inspired when creating it Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE, rear end the body has the same beautiful curve, only, unlike EDGE, it is made of aluminum rather than glass.
But the glass on the front panel has only a slight bend, and this is actually great. Owners of the same S7 EDGE regularly complain that the edges of their smartphone dig into their hands and because of this it is not very convenient to use. The Mi 5s does not have this problem; thanks to the curve at the back, the device feels thinner and lighter, and the absence of a strong curvature of the screen allows you to hold it with greater comfort.
The smartphone is sold in four colors: silver, dark gray, gold and pink; we tested the first option.
Above the display are located front-camera, earpiece mesh, light and proximity sensors, as well as an indicator light.
Below the screen there are three touch buttons: “ Latest apps", "Home" and "Back". The central button is integrated into the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. I like that the scanner was mounted on the front, but its performance was disappointing. Unfortunately, it only successfully unlocks your smartphone half the time. At first I thought that this was an isolated problem, but readers complained that it was also unstable for them. Just for fun, I read the 4PDA thread on the device, they suggest either installing some special version of the firmware, or driving the same finger four times, or very carefully adding all areas of the finger. In any case, the problem exists, keep it in mind before purchasing.
There is a mini-jack at the top end, and a Type C port, an external speaker grille and the main microphone at the bottom. Keep in mind that the speaker here is not stereo, two meshes are made just for beauty, and a microphone is hidden in the left one.
On the right there is a volume rocker and a power button, and on the left there is a tray for two SIM cards; alas, there is no slot for a memory card.
On the back cover you can see the main camera eye, dual LED flash, laser autofocus and plastic inserts for antennas.
The device is well assembled; after a month of use, I had no complaints about its assembly.
Dimensions
In the comments, readers often ask why I call five-inch devices compact. The fact is that smartphones with a smaller diagonal are practically no longer on sale, and most flagships are gradually moving from 5 to 5.5-inch displays. Therefore, even a smartphone with a 5.15-inch screen already looks and feels compact in the hand.
Compared to Apple iPhone 6
Mi 5s feels great in the hand, it is quite thin and light, and the narrowing at the edges of the body visually and tactilely makes it even thinner.
Screen
To be honest, before I looked at the table with the characteristics, I was sure that this device had an AMOLED matrix installed. The fact is that the contrast of the picture is very similar to AMOLED displays. Moreover, you can even notice red halos along the edges of the letters when scrolling! Surprisingly, for some reason I didn’t see any information about this in other reviews.
The problem with ghosting is solved by switching to the “default” mode. Initially enabled automatic setting, but I recommend turning it off.
It is problematic to check the behavior of the screen in the sun in the current weather, but on the street the picture is clearly visible at about 60-70% brightness and higher. It is also convenient to read from a smartphone, thanks to the wide range of brightness.
In the settings there is also separate mode reading, when it is turned on, the entire color scheme goes into yellow tones. There is also a slider that adjusts the intensity of such a transition. I didn’t like the reading mode; I feel like it makes my eyes even more tired. In general, there are a lot of color settings; I was particularly pleased with the ability to turn on the display with a double tap.
The oleophobic coating is excellent, in no way inferior to flagships from other major brands. The finger glides perfectly on the glass, and swiping is convenient.
To summarize: the screen in the model is excellent, using it is a pleasure.
operating system
The device operates under Android control 6.0 and MIUI 8.0. Once again I promise to tell you about the shell in more detail, I think that the time to do this has come. Below I will list the main features of MIUI, although, in a good way, it deserves a separate review.
Work tables. The launcher in MIUI has not changed much over time; it still uses the display of all applications at once on desktops and oval rims for the icons of some third party programs. Interestingly, the settings are called up here by pinching with two fingers; a long press does not work. I liked the application sorting mode; when you turn it on, you can add as many icons as you like to the bottom panel, and then scatter them across your desktops. Some kind of help in spring cleaning on the desktop.
Dialer. The dialer in MIUI has long become a standard for many users; I myself use the exDialer application, made on its basis. The program supports the Russian language, there is a search on T9, setting up actions for left-right swipes, a separate black list and call recording. Unfortunately, in Russian versions of Xiaomi smartphones, for some reason, the search for Russian contacts does not work, I don’t know what this is connected with.
SMS messages. The application is quite simple, but if you are logged into your Mi account, it automatically makes a backup copy of your correspondence.
Browser. I like that home page browser is presented with shortcuts to popular pages, from here it is easy to go to desired page. Of course, you can add your own links, change their places or delete them. But the separate reading mode does not work well; when it is turned on on our website, the pictures are automatically flattened.
Notification curtain. MIUI 8 abandoned the division of the curtain into two parts, and this is the right decision; when you lower it, you immediately see four shortcuts and a brightness adjustment slider. The transition to the next buttons is made using a horizontal swipe, as in TouchWiz. A long press of the button opens the settings of the corresponding interface, this is convenient.
Screenshots. Now, after taking a screenshot, it hangs in the upper right corner for about three seconds; if you click on it, the settings for editing and forwarding it will open. MIUI can also take long screenshots.
Second space. Possibility to create additional user on a smartphone. This is convenient if you want to use different accounts for the same applications at work and at home, for example.
Dual applications. Well, if you just need to have two accounts in some WhatsApp, then for this you can use this function, which creates a copy of it within one account.
Permissions. MIUI has a very detailed application permissions panel, where you can fine-tune which interfaces and functions you will have access to. specific program, and to which ones it will not.
One-handed control mode. To enter this mode, swipe from center to left touch button, and to exit, tap on the dark area of the screen. In the settings you can specify which diagonal emulation you want to use.
Keys. For the bottom buttons there is fine tuning actions for both short and long presses.
Headphones. MIUI can also customize actions for the buttons on the headset. This is convenient if you want to skip to the previous/next track instead of changing the volume.
In general, the entire MIUI is made in such a way that you can customize anything, and that’s why geeks love it.
Performance
I received several requests from our regular readers regarding testing the performance of devices, in particular, they asked to add results from GeekBench, measure the write speed of a card, and also check the performance of the device in WoT Blitz. I think the Mi 5s review is a great reason to start doing all this.
The smartphone runs on a top-end chipset from Qualcomm and has good speed internal memory, this is felt in all work scenarios: desktops and the browser are scrolled quickly, all games are launched at maximum settings. Now about WoT: Blitz, it also runs at maximum settings, there are no stutters or delays, the picture in the toy is simply amazing.
After 15 minutes of playing, the smartphone gets very hot, the body temperature rises to 45 degrees. The back cover gets hot, it's noticeable.
At everyday use There are no such problems, the body of the smartphone is only a little warm.
Autonomous operation
Chapter battery life I also changed it a bit. Now, instead of testing the operating time when watching HD video and reading mode, I will measure the operating time when watching an FHD YouTube video and while playing WoT. And, of course, my daily use regimen has not gone away either.
When using Mi 5s, you can safely count on one day of work, there are no super impressive results here.
The smartphone supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 technology, in half an hour the device is charged by 41%, in an hour - by 83%, full time Charging time is approximately 100 minutes. Unfortunately, you will need a separate charger to use this mode.
Camera
I asked Roman Belykh to evaluate the shooting quality of the Mi 5s, below is his detailed comment:
The camera takes excellent pictures during the day, there are practically no complaints, the only thing I would like is a little higher detail. Focus is instant and precise.
Xiaomi Mi5 - flagship model Xiaomi. Naturally, the flagship should have the most powerful hardware on the market, including a camera. One of the largest publications in the field of high technology, AnandTech, decided to test the new product in the PCMark series of computer benchmarks. Let us remind you that it was released in three versions, where basic model received a Snapdragon 820 with a clock frequency of 1.8 GHz, and in the top version, 4 Kryo cores were overclocked to 2.15 GHz. The smartphones used for sparring were Nexus 6P and Samsung Galaxy S6.
Performance Qualcomm processor when working in a web browser, it turned out to be one of the worst among all 4 smartphones. The increase in power became obvious when playing video and writing texts, but even there the smartphone was inferior Huawei Mate 8 with Kirin 950. But in terms of gaming potential and when working with photos, Xiaomi Mi5 is the undisputed favorite. There is no worthy competitor to the Adreno 530 graphics on the market.
In addition to performance, it was decided to compare competitors' cameras. The quality of the images demonstrated that according to the photo Xiaomi capabilities Mi5 is not inferior to the recognized leader Samsung Galaxy S6. Let us remind you that the Chinese equipped the device with a 16 megapixel Sony IMX298 sensor with a 4-axis optical image stabilization system.
Samsung Galaxy S6
Samsung Galaxy S6
GSMarena experts called Xiaomi very thin, light and stylish. The phone's dimensions are 144.6 x 69.2 x 7.3 mm, weight - 129 grams (ceramic version - 139 grams). The size of the smartphone is comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S7, while it is more than 20 grams lighter.
According to the editors of GSMArena, this is one of best smartphones in terms of design. Incredibly thin bezels, sharp profile, curved back and lightweight body make for an impressive appearance For modern smartphone. Among the unusual details - the camera lens is protected by sapphire glass, and the Home button under the display is not simple, but with a fingerprint scanner.
Xiaomi Mi5 is covered with Gorilla Glass 4 on both sides. On the back panel it is curved along the entire length of the body. Unlike other “glass” phones, it does not try to slip out of your hands thanks to the material of the metal frame. It also gives the body strength and is simply pleasant to the touch.
Experts rated the build quality as high, but the black ceramic color of the phone quite actively collects fingerprints.
Xiaomi Mi5 will be available in four colors: white, black, gold.
Display
GSMarena called the phone's screen excellent - clear, bright and contrasty.
Xiaomi Mi5 displays images on a 5.15-inch IPS screen with Full HD resolution (1920×1080 pixels). The pixel density is high at 428 per inch and the display is very clear. As mentioned above, the screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 4. The viewing angles of the Xioami Mi5 turned out to be impressive - colors do not change when tilted, and the image does not lose contrast. The range of brightness changes turned out to be one of the widest on the market - from 0.7 cd/m2 to 628 cd/m2, which will be comfortable both in the dark and in sunlight. The contrast was also above average - 1227:1, but it can be higher. Experts assessed the color rendition of the screen as correct and of high quality.
Performance
GSMarena experts called the phone one of the leaders in performance, it is enough for any smartphone tasks, and it does not suffer from overheating.
All modifications of Xiaomi Mi5 are equipped with the new powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset. Despite the fact that it uses “only” 4 cores, they received a new proprietary Kryo architecture. In addition, Qualcomm promises that this processor is twice as powerful as its predecessor, the Snapdragon 810, which was used in many Android flagships in 2015.
All modifications of the smartphone can be divided by the amount of built-in memory; they also differ in performance:
- 32 GB version comes with 3 GB random access memory and received two cores operating at frequencies up to 1.6 GHz and two others - up to 1.8 GHz
- 64 GB version (GSMarena experts tested this one) - 3 GB of RAM, two 1.6 GHz cores and two 2.15 GHz cores
- Pro version 128 GB - 4 GB of RAM, two cores at 1.6 GHz and two at 2.15 GHz.
In most synthetic tests, Xiaomi Mi5 was on par with many competitors or even ahead of them (for example, the same Samsung Galaxy S7). Experts also noted that the smartphone does not overheat while performing heavy tasks.
Camera
GSMarena experts named Xiaomi cameras Mi5 are excellent, capable of producing top-level photos. The only thing they didn't like was the sound quality when shooting video.
The smartphone received a 16 MP main camera and a 4 MP front camera. The set of various features for shooting can be called truly top-end - a four-axis optical stabilization system, phase focusing, dual LED flash and even 4K video shooting. And all this without any protruding “bumps” on a thin body, like the iPhone 6s or.
Experts called the camera interface simple and clear, although it seemed a little strange that in “ Manual mode» Only white balance and ISO settings are available. As for the photo quality, they noted an excellent level of detail in the frames with reasonably low noise. White balance is determined correctly, and the colors in the photo look vibrant. GSMArena experts called the camera one of the best for its resolution; they were only unimpressed with night photography.
As for video, Xiaomi Mi5 can shoot not only in Full HD (1920×1080), but also in 4K resolution (3840×2160 pixels), and by the way, quite high quality.
The front camera has a resolution of 4 MP and copes with taking selfies well - the frames are clear, contrasty and with pleasant colors. In addition, it is capable of shooting Full HD video.
Communications
- The Xiaomi Mi5 smartphone received a top-end, almost complete set of communications:
- high-speed and dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac with support Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA
- Bluetooth 4.2 with A2DP profile
- Fast LTE support
- IR port for controlling home appliances
- NFC chip
- A-GPS with GLONASS support.
In addition, there are two slots for NanoSIM cards. The new USB Type-C connector is used for charging. The smartphone lacks only an FM radio to provide a relatively complete set.
Battery
GSMArena experts estimated the time Xiaomi works Mi5 is great.
The battery has the same capacity as its predecessor - 3000 mAh. It lasts for 12 hours and 50 minutes of browsing or 13 hours and 52 minutes of watching videos. If we talk about calls, experts measured 19 hours and 43 minutes of calls on 3G networks. In general, GSMarena experts found the phone lasted for 4 days of use in its own artificial mode (one hour of talking, one hour of playing games and one hour of watching videos per day).
In addition, they noted support for the QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging function (charges up to 83% in half an hour).
Memory
You can choose a smartphone in several modifications - either 32 or 64 GB of internal memory. There is also a Pro version of Xiaomi Mi5 with 128 GB on board. The phone's built-in storage supports the ultra-fast Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.0 interface, like Samsung smartphones Galaxy S6 and S7. The speed of writing and reading data for it is up to 350 and 150 MB/s, respectively. There is no slot for a memory card.
Peculiarities
In addition to the relatively low price, Xiaomi Mi5 has many features - a camera with optical stabilization and phase focusing, a metal and glass body, a fingerprint scanner, a non-removable battery and no memory card slot.
The smartphone runs the new Android 6.0 Marshmallow and the proprietary MIUI 7.0 interface.
