10 reasons why the Mi5 is an exciting smartphone

Xiaomi made its mark in India with the launch of its flagship model the MI3, two years ago. I am one of the first batch of MI3 buyers in India. Last year in June, I got my hands on MI4. I must say that these two mobile are master strokes from Xiaomi. The MI3 is a power-horse, though it has limited memory. The Mi4 is a powerful smartphone that can go on for 2 days on a single charge. Both these mobiles have great camera. Naturally, I was eagerly awaiting the launch of Mi5 and I must say that I am excited. So what makes the Mi5 an exciting mobile?

Disclaimer: I haven’t tried out the device. This post is based on the demo videos by Hugo Barra and my short time spent with a friend’s Mi5.

1.  Design

Fusion of metal and glass with curvy edges, make the Mi5 stand out of the crowd. It weighs just 129 grams and is very thin at 7.25 mm. The bezels are almost non-existent. This is the first Xiaomi mobile with a physical button. While there is a Mi5 pro variant that is made of ceramic, the unit which I played with, is made of glass. The Mi5 looks a lot like the Mi Note, which never made it to India. It is a 5.15 inch device and that makes it a perfect fit on your hand. Just as I held the mobile with my hands, I instantly felt how sleek and sturdy the mobile was. I felt like a Samurai warrior holding a Samurai sword and that is how much this design makes me go bonkers!

2. Specifications of a beast

The Mi5 is the first mobile to be powered by a Snapdragon 820 in India. Because I have not tried or tested the device personally, I wouldn’t comment on its performance. But an educated extrapolation based on my earlier experience with Mi3 and Mi4, makes me say that the Mi5 armed with S820 should live up to its legacy. The variant that is going to be sold in India will have 3 GB RAM and 32 GB of storage. Though, I would have loved to see the pro variant with which has 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB, even the 64 GB variant with 3 GB of RAM would have made sense. The Snapdragon 820 is based on Kyro CPU architecture and it promises to deliver double the speed and performance compared to S810.

3. Camera Sensor

Xiaomi Mi5 is also the first device to ship with Sony IMX298 camera sensor. It is a 16 MP sensor and can shoot 4K videos. The Snapdragon 820 processor enables the mobile with spectra image processor that can handle 4k video recording. Also the sensor bed features deep trench isolation. DTI seals the pixels from each other and prevents light leakage, resulting in sharp images. Much like HTC ultra pixels, the front facing camera sensor is a 4 MP with each pixels sizing upto 2 microns. So it is clearly evident that Xiaomi has put in a lot of thought to the technology that goes into the Mi5 camera.

4. 4 axis optical image sensor

If you are familiar with DSLRs you would understand the technology that goes inside a Vibration Reduction (VR) or Image Stabilization (IS) mechanisms. If not, just understand that optical image stabilization is a sensor system that senses the vibration and compensates for it. Ideally we have systems which senses shakes along x or y axis. Certain advanced camera systems have 4 axis, which includes x, y, pitch and roll. Top end cameras have 5 axis to include motion due to “yaw” as well. Traditionally the compensation mechanism is fitted on the lens arrangement. But advancements in the imaging field has made it possible to have the IS at the sensor. This results in faster reaction to vibrations. So the Mi5 employs an advanced mechanism of 4 axis optical stabilization at the sensor level. This results in sharper and shake free images and it is more exciting to me than the mega pixel count.

5. Quick charge

The Mi4 is a beast when it comes to battery. It just never dies. So I expect the Mi5 to also have a great battery life. But never before did any MI mobile have quick charge feature. Now the Mi5 can charge the phone from 80-90 per cent in one hour, using the Quick Charge 3.0 technology. That is exciting for sure.

6. Fingerprint sensor

The Redmi Note 3 was the first Xiaomi mobile with a fingerprint scanner. But the Mi5 is the first flagship mobile from Xiaomi with a fingerprint scanner. It is also the first mobile with a physical button which also acts as a scanner. Different people have different preferences when it comes to the location of the scanner, but I prefer the front. If the sensor is on the front, it is easy to unlock the mobile without having to lift it.

7. Display

Xiaomi has been adamant about not having a 2k display. But their Full HD display is good as well. The MiUi 7 is optimized for crispy UI on a full HD screen. I am happy that the Mi5 is having a full HD compared to 2K display, because it can result in long battery life. I like the dynamic contrast level adjustment on direct sunlight, in Mi4 and I am expecting a better performance on direct sunlight with the Mi5. The display should be bright with its 16 LED array which is also power efficient.

8. Android M

I have a full post here on why Android versions doesn’t matter on MiUI. But people do want the latest version on their mobile. So finally we get to see the Andorid M on Mi5 with MIUI skinned on top. Though I am excited that it has the latest version of Android, I will have to experience to comment on any improvement in the MIUI experience.

9. Faster Storage

The Mi5 does not have expandable storage. The internal storage is of UFS 2.0 type. The Universal Flash Storage 2.0 technology offers the fastest read and write speeds on memory. It is almost 90% faster than the prevailant EMMC technology. The speed of storage system will not only affect the read and write speed, but the overall performance of the mobile will also be impacted. With the UFS 2.0 we can expect a lag free, fast response and snappy user experience.

10. VoLTE support

Reliance Jio launch is just around the corner and the voLTE support on Mi5 is perfect on timing. VoLTE is a technology that makes it possible for voice calls to be sent over LTE data network. With this technology, voice calls would cost less and also it need be dependent on the 3G network.

These are top 10 reasons why I am excited about the Mi5. Now will I buy it? I am definitely looking to upgrade my mobile. The only point that is standing on my way is the 32 GB non-expandable storage. Also it is priced at Rs 24999 which feels a bit over-priced. It was Xiaomi who spoiled us with low priced flagship devices and looks like they don’t want to spoil us any more. But if the other aspects of the mobile is exciting, why not? At the end of the day, user experience is what matters and am sure Mi5 will offer a great experience.

Picture Credits: Techraman.com