Xiaomi's latest flagship smartphone Mi 5 is its most expensive smartphone ever launched in India. While it's an one-of-a-kind smartphone, the price tag of Rs 24,999 will test Xiaomi's real traction in the country. The Chinese startup has carved its niche for itself in the price range of between Rs 6000 and Rs 13,000. The budget Redmi series along with the MI4i has found enough takers. But will the mid-premium market respond similarly to the Mi 5?
Looking back to its previous flagship Mi 4, Xiaomi had initially launched it for Rs 19,999. Within five months of its launch, the price dropped to Rs 14,999. Xiaomi was also quick to respond to the initial Mi 4 growth stall with another India exclusive flagship -- Mi 4i for Rs 12,999, thus returning to its comfortable playground.
With the Mi 5 this time, Xiaomi is taking brands like Motorola, Samsung, Lenovo, Huawei Honor, Google Nexus and Sony head on.
Xiaomi Mi 5 offers a unique design backed by good hardware and software. But is it enough to ensure good sales? Here is our review.
Design and display
The Mi 5 has a unique design to offer. The smartphone has enough to attract eyeballs. Unlike other companies, which believe in maintaining a similar design philosophy for their consecutive flagships, Xiaomi has bettered with each of its hero offerings. All flagships- Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 4i and Mi 5- have an individuality of their own and stand apart from the crowd.
The device is lightweight and easy to grip in one hand, thanks to the curved sides. It feels solid in the hands. Despite the glass back, it is not slippery.
The fingerprint scanner is integrated with the oval home button. It is fast and accurate. The button can also recognize a light tap and users do not need to actually press it to go back to the home screen.
This is also the first Xiaomi smartphone in the country to feature a USB Type-C port instead of the regular micro USB. This means, users will have to carry the Type-C cable with them always for charging and data transfer requirements. For a smartphone costing Rs 25,000, Xiaomi should have included its USB Type-C/micro USB adapter which costs around 6 RMB in China or approximately Rs 60.
Two vents at the bottom doesn't mean the Mi 5 has dual speakers. The other one is just to maintain symmetry in the design. Also, the output sound is not loud enough.
Coming to the display quality, it offers 5.15-inch Full HD 1080p IPS LCD display with massive pixel density of 428 ppi along with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. Colours appear bright with good contrast and viewing angles. Sunlight display has to be one of the best features of the display. This makes the display legible outdoors. Overall, the quality is at par with high-end Android flagship phones. Another important feature is Night Mode. It makes a lot of difference while using the phone in darkness.
Camera and performance
There is a 16 MP f/2.0, Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF), 4-axis OIS camera unit with a dual tone LED Flash. For newbies, PDAF boosts the speed of Auto Focus while 4-axis OIS offers more stability to images. This combo means if you are trying to capture a moving object from a moving car or have shaky hands, you will get the best possible stable image.
The rear camera has enough potential to click some stunning images. Overall, the camera quality will woo any user. However, it can sometimes disappoint in some random shots with low detailing and grainy images. The device can record 4K videos without any stutter.
The front camera is good for selfie lovers. The software customization brings out the best in each selfie. Xiaomi has missed out on adding front Flash.
The Mi 5 is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. There is no microSD card slot and users will have to rely on around 25GB storage. As it comes with a USB Type-C port, users will have to buy an adapter to plug in external flash drives to play content.
The device is smooth and users will face no hiccups while running games or multitasking. It is fast and one of most powerful phones in the price range. It does heats up occasionally but it never slows down.
Xiaomi has included good quality antennas in the Mi 5. The signal reception is better than other smartphones. It is capable of holding onto calls in basement areas where other smartphones simply give away.
It is backed by a 3,000mAh battery. It can easily last around 36 hours when fully charged under normal usage.
Verdict
Xiaomi Mi 5 is no doubt a good buy for the price of Rs 24,999. It offers the right value. However, there is some serious competition from Nexus 5X, Huawei Honor 7, Samsung Galaxy A8 along with phones from Motorola, Lenovo and others. In the mid-premium range, just having a good product is not always enough. Consumers tend to prefer bigger brands with the belief that branded smartphones last longer.
While the Mi 5 is a perfect smartphone, the bigger question is- will buyers opt for a Xiaomi phone for Rs 25,000? And this is where Xiaomi's real test begins.
Xiaomi Mi 5 is no doubt a good buy for the price of Rs 24,999. It offers the right value. However, there is some serious competition from Nexus 5X, Huawei Honor 7, Samsung Galaxy A8 along with phones from Motorola, Lenovo and others. In the mid-premium range, just having a good product is not always enough. Consumers tend to prefer bigger brands with the belief that branded smartphones last longer.
While the Mi 5 is a perfect smartphone, the bigger question is- will buyers opt for a Xiaomi phone for Rs 25,000? And this is where Xiaomi's real test begins.
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