Introduction

From our region, the Chinese domestic market seems like some kind of exotic “with quirks”. But, in fact, there are serious passions going on there. Manufacturers, like gigantic sea monsters, fight tooth and nail, fighting for one of the largest pies on our planet. But only ripples on the water reach us. Here I am holding the Xiaomi Mi5X smartphone in my hands, and I think that Xiaomi could well do without the announcement of this device. And then I look at his competitors, and I understand that I couldn’t.

We also made a video Xiaomi review Mi5X, and have already published on our YouTube channel:

Design and ergonomics

Externally, Xiaomi Mi 5X is very similar to its direct arch-rival Oppo R11, with which it is fighting in the Chinese market, and therefore. That is, this is another adaptation to the design of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, which has already become thoroughly boring. In general, if you needed an illustration of the word “dull design,” you can take the Xiaomi Mi5X as a reference.

In terms of dimensions, Xiaomi Mi5X is also similar to OnePlus 5, but it is a little larger and, therefore, this smartphone is even more difficult to control with one hand. The frames around the screen are quite thick, but the thumb still reaches both the top and the opposite side.

But the smartphone is assembled perfectly, and the aluminum from which the back cover is made is tactilely pleasant. The Xiaomi Mi5X is pleasant to touch, pleasant to hold in your hands, and for many this will be even more important than its appearance and the lack of original ideas in design.

As people say, don’t drink water off your face.

The port layout is standard for Xiaomi smartphones. The infrared port is on top, USB Type-C and the 3.5 mm audio jack are on the bottom. Carriage with SIM cards and control buttons on the sides.

The slot for SIM cards is combined; instead of a second nano-SIM card, you can put a memory card. A standard solution that is used in 99% of budget Chinese smartphones.

Equipment

The equipment is spartan: cable, clip and charger. Please note that the plug is Chinese, you will need an adapter for our format.

Fingerprint sensor

The fingerprint sensor is located on the back cover. It works well, is fast and even reads fingerprints from slightly damp fingers.

Screen

The model has a 5.5-inch 2.5D display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It uses an LTPS matrix with cool colors by default, which can be partially stretched to warm colors using the settings. The screen has a very powerful backlight, which, on the one hand, is very good, but on the other hand, it really hurts the eyes, and when the backlight is at maximum, it’s unpleasant to look at the screen.

Xiaomi has mastered fashion trends: the screen has a reading mode with the ability to set it on a schedule. You can also enable double tap unlocking. If you don't use a fingerprint sensor, this unlocking method is extremely useful.

Performance

On board there is an average Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, four gigabytes RAM and 32/64 GB of permanent memory. In my opinion, this is a completely reliable, proven set of hardware that will be enough for all user requests.

operating system

Despite promises to release the device out of the box, the smartphone is controlled by the MIUI 8 operating system, and this is the firmware for the Chinese market. That is, no Google Apps and Russian language. Seriously, Gapps are not installed even from the Mi App Store.

There is no point in reviewing the shell itself separately; we have already done this many times, including in the review.

But what’s really interesting is whether there will be global firmware and entry into the international market, or will the smartphone remain a Chinese get-together?

Main camera

Xiaomi Mi 5X received two camera modules manufactured by Omnivision (OV13880 + OV12a10) with optics of different distances (F/2.2 + F/2.6). That is, one camera takes portrait shots, and the other takes telephoto shots with 2x optical zoom. A similar photo solution is used in Xiaomi Mi6, a review of which you can watch on our channel. However, Mi 6 uses matrices from more famous manufacturers.

But it looks like Xiaomi did the right thing by putting simpler sensors in the Mi 5X, because the photo quality turned out to be the same as that of the Mi 6, which is certainly very cool for the Xiaomi Mi5X. Still, it’s not every day that a mid-level device comes out with a great price and, at the same time, a flagship camera.

Although, if we ignore comparisons, the Xiaomi Mi5X camera cannot be called the best on the market, although it is very good. For example, algorithms for processing faces in portrait photographs “soap” the skin even with beauty disabled.

And at night there are strong noises in the pictures.

But, in general, if you mess with the settings and lighting, you can get a cool photo.

Shooting video

When shooting video, the difference between the Mi5X and Mi 6 matrices becomes more noticeable. The video of the Mi 5X has worse detail and, which is very sad, the Mi 5X does not have optical stabilization.

Front camera

Permission front camera is 5 megapixels, and although Xiaomi itself tells incredible tales about what cool “selfies” you can take with it, the actual quality of the pictures is average. In addition, in the example of front-facing photos, Xiaomi’s love for aggressive facial skin processing algorithms is especially noticeable. Even when you turn off all these Chinese bells and whistles, the face in the photo still looks smooth.

Battery

A 3080 mAh battery combined with an energy-efficient processor should give good results battery life. On firmware without Google services and social networks, the device can easily last two days without recharging. It is clear that with normal global firmware the battery life will be noticeably shorter (and we will return to this in the full review), but you can definitely count on an honest day of work.

And this is great, since fast charging was not introduced into the Xiaomi Mi5X, so most users will be fully charged once a day.

Competitors

In the domestic market, Xiaomi Mi5X will compete with its clone Oppo R11 and Vivo X9. And it is unknown how he will fight these opponents. In the foreign market, the prospects for a smartphone will greatly depend on how quickly global firmware with Google services. But, in any case, the struggle will not be easy, since for the equivalent of 250-280 US dollars you can find many interesting smartphones officially sold in Russia and Ukraine.

For example, the same LG Q6 looks extremely interesting for the same money. Although I still have doubts about the adequacy of the decision to put a 2K display in a smartphone based on the Snapdragon 435 processor. But LG has no problems with localization and warranty service...

And Xiaomi itself has already churned out so many smartphones that they really interfere with each other’s lives. Well, look at the Xiaomi Mi5X and then at the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X, which costs one and a half times less. Is it really worth the overpayment? Despite the fact that Redmi Note 4X has had normal firmware for a long time.

In general, the market success of Xiaomi Mi5X is still a big question mark.

Advantages

• Build quality and body materials
• Good level of performance for its class
• Lots of memory
• Photo quality of the main cameras
• MIUI shell
• Battery life

Flaws

• Completely unimpressive design
• Large sizes
• High price
• Does not support fast charging
• No optical camera stabilization
• No (yet?) international firmware
• No NFC

Where to buy

⇒ You can BUY Xiaomi Mi5X in China here:

• Aliexpress (X-show) - https://goo.gl/vfRqxX
• Aliexpress (Tonke Digital) - https://goo.gl/qogcwD

⇒ Return % of your OnePlus 5 purchase using Cashback - https://goo.gl/n9Q3w4 (Recommended)

Specifications

Net :

2G: 850/900/1800/1900

CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA 

3G: 850/900/1700/1900/2100

4G: LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500 )

Display: 5.5 inches, 1080 x 1920, LTPS IPS;
Platform: Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625, (eight cores of Cortex A53 architecture, 2 GHz, 14 nm) Adreno 506 graphics;
RAM: 4 GB;

Memory: 32/64 GB, MicroSD support;

OS: Android 7.1.1 Nougat Xiaomi MIUI 8 shell (updated to MIUI 9);
2 nanoSIM cards;
Main camera : Two 12 MP sensors Omnivision (OV13880 + OV12a10) with optics of different distances (f/2.2 + f/2.6), double flash;

Front camera: 5 MP;

Communications : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac , USB-C 2.0 Gen 1, GPS, Bluetooth 4.2, IR port,
Battery : 3080 mAh, non-removable
Fingerprint scanner;
Dimensions : 155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm 

Weight: 165 grams.

Resume

I definitely can’t call the Xiaomi Mi5X a bad smartphone. This is a perfectly balanced mid-ranger! Yes, without personality, but well made and copes with its tasks. The problem is different: now such devices are a dime a dozen, and if the Mi5X has nothing to stand out from the host of competitors, it had to be bought at a price. But the price is just too high for us. So, until the release of global firmware and serious discounts, I would not consider the Xiaomi Mi5X as a potential purchase.

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	69.2 mm (millimeters) 6.92 cm (centimeters) 0.23 ft (feet) 2.72 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	144.55 mm (millimeters) 14.46 cm (centimeters) 0.47 ft (feet) 5.69 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units measurements.	7.25 mm (millimeters) 0.73 cm (centimeters) 0.02 ft (feet) 0.29 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	129 g (grams) 0.28 lbs 4.55 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	72.52 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 4.4 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	Black White Golden
Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body.	Glass Metal

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
CDMA CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) is a channel access method used in communications in mobile networks. Compared to other 2G and 2.5G standards like GSM and TDMA, it provides higher data transfer speeds and the ability to connect more consumers at the same time.	CDMA 800 MHz CDMA 1900 MHz
TD-SCDMA TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) is a 3G mobile network standard. It is also called UTRA/UMTS-TDD LCR. It was developed as an alternative to the W-CDMA standard in China by the Chinese Academy of Telecommunications Technology, Datang Telecom and Siemens. TD-SCDMA combines TDMA and CDMA.	TD-SCDMA 1900 MHz TD-SCDMA 2000 MHz
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38)

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996
Process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	14 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	2x 1.8 GHz Kryo, 2x 1.36 GHz Kryo
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	64 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv8-A
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster as system memory, and other levels of cache memory. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	1536 kB (kilobytes) 1.5 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core performs program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	4
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1800 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 530
Clock frequency GPU Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	510 MHz (megahertz)
Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	3 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR4
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates.	Dual channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	1333 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	IPS
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	5.15 in (inches) 130.81 mm (millimeters) 13.08 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.52 in (inches) 64.13 mm (millimeters) 6.41 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.49 in (inches) 114.01 mm (millimeters) 11.4 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. More high resolution means sharper detail in the image.	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on screen with clearer detail.	428 ppi (pixels per inch) 168ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	73.33% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance
	Display manufacturer - LG Display / Japan Display Inc. /sharp Corning Gorilla Glass 4 16 lamp LED technology 1500:1 contrast ratio 600 cd/m² 95% NTSC

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.

Sensor model	Sony IMX298 Exmor RS
Sensor type	CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
Sensor size	5.22 x 3.92 mm (millimeters) 0.26 in (inches)
Pixel size	1.132 µm (micrometers) 0.001132 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor	6.63
ISO (light sensitivity) ISO indicators determine the level of light sensitivity of the photosensor. A lower indicator means weaker photosensitivity and vice versa - higher indicators mean higher photosensitivity, i.e. best ability sensor work in low light conditions.	100 - 3200
Diaphragm	f/2
Excerpt Shutter speed (exposure time) refers to the amount of time the camera's shutter is open while taking pictures. The longer it is open, the more light reaches the photosensor. Shutter speed is measured in seconds (eg 5, 2, 1) or fractions of a second (eg 1/2, 1/8, 1/8000).	1/1000 - 32
Focal length Focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. The equivalent focal length is also indicated, providing the same field of view with a full frame camera.	4.3 mm (millimeters) 28.53 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame)
Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting.	Double LED
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image.	4608 x 3456 pixels 15.93 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device.	3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP (megapixels)
Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p.	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality.	Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Digital image stabilization Optical image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition Setting White Balance ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode Macro mode
	Phase detection DTI technology (Deep Trench Isolation) 4-axis OIS 6-element lens Sapphire crystal glass lens cover 720p@120fps

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.

Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera.	OmniVision OV4688
Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device.	CMOS BSI (backside illumination)
Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically cameras with larger sensors and lower pixel densities offer more high quality images despite the lower resolution.	5.44 x 3.07 mm (millimeters) 0.25 in (inches)
Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows more pixels per unit area, thereby increasing resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size can have a negative impact on image quality at high ISO levels.	2.024 µm (micrometers) 0.002024 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of the full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the device's photosensor. The indicated number represents the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor specific device.	6.93
Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means the aperture opening is larger.	f/2
Image Resolution Information about the maximum resolution of the additional camera when shooting. In most cases, the resolution of the secondary camera is lower than that of the main camera.	2688 x 1512 pixels 4.06 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with an additional camera.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the secondary camera when shooting video at the maximum resolution.	30fps (frames per second)
	Angle of view - 80° Self-timer

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Browser Information about some of the main characteristics and standards supported by the device's browser.

HTML HTML5 CSS 3

Audio file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital audio data.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	3000 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries most often used in mobile devices.	Li-polymer
2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	33 h (hours) 1980 min (minutes) 1.4 days
2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network.	250 h (hours) 15000 min (minutes) 10.4 days
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	25 h (hours) 1500 min (minutes) 1 days
3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network.	250 h (hours) 15000 min (minutes) 10.4 days
4G latency 4G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 4G network.	200 h (hours) 12000 min (minutes) 8.3 days
Adapter output power Information about the electrical current (measured in amperes) and electrical voltage (measured in volts) that the charger supplies (power output). Higher power output ensures faster battery charging.	5 V (volts) / 2.5 A (amps) 9 V (volts) / 2 A (amps) 12 V (volts) / 1.5 A (amps)
Technology fast charging Fast charging technologies differ from each other in terms of energy efficiency, supported output power, control of the charging process, temperature, etc. The device, battery and charger must be compatible with fast charging technology.	Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery.	Fast charging Fixed

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

Head SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding mobile device next to the ear in a conversation position. In Europe, the maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in accordance with IEC standards, subject to the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998.	0.376 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Body SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in compliance with the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines and IEC standards.	0.798 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Head SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. Mobile devices in the US are regulated by the CTIA, and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values.	0.703 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Body SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest permissible SAR value in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC, and the CTIA monitors mobile devices' compliance with this standard.	1.422 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)

Xiaomi Mi5 is the flagship model from the Chinese brand affordable price, which came to us for review. The smartphone is made as stylish and powerful as possible. It is somewhat similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7, for which it receives reproaches. The fact is that it has the same rounded edges, designed to improve ease of use. Xiaomi Mi5 is quite interesting, so it deserves a full review. Even some electronics stores in Russia became interested in Xiaomi Mi5, presenting it to their customers. This means that the company's products are now official in our country. Well, let's move directly to today's “patient”.

Characteristics

• Android 6.0
• Metal and glass
• 2 nano SIM
• 5.15-inch display, FullHD resolution
• 16 and 4 MP
• Processor: Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
• Graphics: Adreno 530
• ROM: 32, 64, 128 GB
• RAM: 3 or 4 GB
• Battery: 3000 mAh

The model is supplied in a neat cardboard box. There is some similarity with the iPhone packaging. Inside, except for the smartphone, there is only the essentials. There is no particular point in stopping at the Xiaomi Mi5 configuration - everything is according to the standard, so let's move on.

At the first glance at the new product, you can feel a sense of delight. The smartphone is small and pleasant in appearance. It fits perfectly in your hand, just like the developer released the phone especially for you. Xiaomi Mi5 is very pleasant to the touch; the body is made of ceramic. It's lightweight and non-slip, and doesn't feel too thin or thick. An undoubted advantage is the curved sides, which provide even greater ease of use. The smartphone does not try to slip out, as many competitors do.

The controls are similar to those seen on the Galaxy S7. A large mechanical button with a pleasant action is responsible for going back. The on and off key is located on the left side of the smartphone. There is a small decorative frame around the screen. The front and back sides of Xiaomi Mi5 are covered with Gorilla Glass 4. It is, not surprisingly, not slippery and does not collect fingerprints; any dirt is very easy to remove. It is quite problematic to blame the body for anything. All materials are very high quality and feel expensive. The assembly is reliable, the smartphone is non-separable. The battery cannot be removed. The dual tray is located on the left side of the Xiaomi Mi5, however, it does not support MicroSD. By the way, there is also no separate slot for memory cards. The back side is occupied by a slightly recessed camera eye with a dual flash, and the manufacturer’s logo is also present here. The charging port is at the bottom, and the headphone jack is at the top.

As a result, we can say that the design of the smartphone is at a very high level. In addition to its pleasant appearance, it is also easy to work with. It is immediately clear that the developer did not skimp on materials, trying to immediately attract a potential buyer of Xiaomi Mi5.

Of course, next comes a review of the Xiaomi Mi5 screen, where the main attribute of the smartphone would be missing. I’ll say right away that everything here is top notch. The matrix used is IPS type. The diagonal is 5.15 inches. As mentioned above, Gorilla Glass 4 is installed. By the way, it is not 2.5D, which is installed in every model today. The developers decided not to round the screen of their brainchild, making it flat. FullHD resolution with high pixel density provides a clear, rich picture.

The backlight brightness has a high margin. It automatically adjusts and also turns off when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Viewing angles are quite wide. Xiaomi Mi5 has an anti-reflective coating, which allows you to use the phone comfortably even in sunny weather. There is no air gap, which ensures lightning-fast sensor responsiveness.

Cameras

The smartphone received two modules (16 and 4 MP). The front one does not have autofocus or flash, there are no manual settings, but there are several shooting modes. There are no complaints about the quality of the pictures. The main module is 16 MP. There is autofocus, optical stabilization and other “chips”. The lens is protected in the form of sapphire glass - there is no need to be afraid of scratches. Interface Xiaomi cameras Mi5 is similar to what is installed on previous smartphone models from the Chinese company. Autofocus works quickly and rarely makes mistakes. The pictures come out excellent. Even some flagship devices cannot do the same nice photos.

Xiaomi Mi5 received a modern Snapdragon 820 chip with 4 cores. The smartphone processor is capable of operating at frequencies up to 2200 MHz. You don’t have to worry about the game or program not starting. It is supported by 3 or 4 GB (customer's choice) of RAM. The smartphone interface does not slow down even when running a huge number of tasks. The internal memory in Xiaomi Mi5 is 32, 64 or 128 GB and, as you understand, it is impossible to expand it. Although, who would need that much memory? As a last resort, you can use online services to store information.

A 3000 mAh battery is installed, which is surprising. The smartphone is very small, and most importantly lightweight; how the developers managed to “shove in” a capacious battery is unclear. In book reading mode, Xiaomi Mi5 “lives” up to 20 hours. At an average load, it can work without recharging for up to 1.5 days.

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 from 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. Other interesting features include working 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
Safety 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
	* - The Pro version has 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 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 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 battery 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V), supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging	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, native MIUI shell 7.0	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 of the 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, reporting 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.

After months of waiting, here it is Xiaomi Mi 5 review. Xiaomi is one of the few phone manufacturers that is truly capable of surprising, offering a device with powerful hardware specifications, assembled from quality materials, with a cool design, but above all at a low price compared to competitors in the same market segment.

Xiaomi Mi 5 is available in three different versions, each of which is in turn available in 4 colors: gold, black, pink or white. Versions of Xiaomi Mi 5 differ in the amount of internal memory, amount of RAM, and materials.

Today we are reviewing a phone with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory in white color.

Packaging and equipment Xiaomi Mi 5

Xiaomi Mi 5 comes in a compact white box that shows the device in all four available colors.

Inside the box:

• Xiaomi Mi 5
• USB to USB type C cable
• Charging with Chinese connector 5V/2A
• guarantee
• quick guide in Chinese
• SIM card access clip

Despite being a flagship, there is, as always, a lack of headphones, which Xiaomi chooses not to include in the package in order to keep the final price of the device as low as possible.

Hardware features of Xiaomi Mi 5

Specifications

Xiaomi Mi 5
brand	Xiaomi
model	Mi 5
color	Black, gold and white (PRO ceramic version)
display
display size	5.15 inches
permission	1920x1080 (~428 PPI)
display technology	IPS LCD
system
operating system	7 MIUI based on Android 6.0
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Dual 1.8 GHz cores + dual 1.6 GHz cores two 2.15 GHz cores + two 1.6 GHz cores (PRO)
GPU	Adreno 530
RAM	3GB LPDDR4 dual channel 4GB LPDDR4 (PRO) dual channel
Internal memory	32GB 64GB 128GB
External memory	No
net
Dual SIM support	Yes
Sim type	Nano Sim
technologies	GSM - HSPA - LTE
2G frequencies	GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
3G frequencies	WCDMA Groups 1/2/4/5/8
4G frequencies	FDD-LTE: Bands 1/2/4/5/7/8
connection
WiFi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/AC, MU-MIMO
Bluetooth	Yes, Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, LE
Infrared port	one
Doors Audio/Video	3.5mm Jack
USB	1 x USB Type-C (OTG)
sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass
GPS	Yes, A-GPS, GLONASS
other possibilities	fingerprint scanner
room
Main camera	16 MP
Additional camera	4 MP
battery
typology	lithium
capacity	3000 mAh
removable	No
Fast charger	Yes, fast charger 3.0 (83% charge in 30 min)
Size and weight
dimensions	144.6 x 69.2 x 7.3 mm
weight	129 g / 139 g

Hardware components

All versions offer the same Snapdragon 820 processor and the same Adreno 530 GPU, but there are slight differences regarding the processor clock speed.

The basic version has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory, the processor has clock frequency, equal to 1.8 GHz.
The intermediate version also has 3GB of RAM, but 64 GB of internal memory and a processor with a clock frequency of 2.15Ghz.
And finally, the PRO version has 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory with a processor that has a clock speed equal to 2.15Ghz identical to the intermediate version.
In all versions, the internal memory is UFS 2.0, which is much faster than the EMMC type. LPDDR4 Dual Channel RAM.

The basic version and the intermediate version have a glass back, while the PRO version has a ceramic back and is a little heavier, but much more resistant to wear.

Xiaomi Mi 5 has a 5.15-inch screen with Full HD resolution, two cameras 16MP and 4MP, respectively, a phone with two SIM cards (with support for two nano-SIM cards). 3000mAh battery with support for fast charging 3.0 technology using a USB Type-C connector installed on the bottom panel.

Xiaomi Mi 5 has the latest generation dual WiFi module, bluetooth module 4.2, NFC and IR - a port that allows you to use the device as a universal remote control.

There is also a fingerprint scanner, which is not located on the back of the phone, but is directly integrated into the home button.

Xiaomi Mi 5 has the latest generation hardware. The only criticism that can be made about the new Xiaomi flagship is the lack of a memory card slot.

Design, materials and assembly of Xiaomi Mi 5

Xiaomi Mi 5 has a very elegant design. The aluminum that is wrapped around the device gives a highly durable feel. I would like to remind you that the basic version and the intermediate version have a glass back cover, while the PRO version has a ceramic back cover, which is more than 10 grams heavier, but much more durable.

A little about choosing colors. White color, fingerprints are not less noticeable, but it shows a black frame on the front panel that completely surrounds the display. In the black version, you'll notice a lot more marks, but the black bezel that surrounds the display is well hidden. The gold color is a happy medium as the prints are less noticeable than the version in black color and The frame that surrounds the display is much less noticeable than in the white version.

The design of the device is not perfect due to some strange aesthetic choices made by Xiaomi. In the white version, for example, the frame that surrounds the screen is too black. Personally, I don't like the physical home button, as it is quite bulky and inconvenient. Also, the glass back cover makes the phone very slippery!

Display

Xiaomi Mi 5 has a 5.15-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a density of 428 pixels per inch.

The IPS display has good color reproduction and excellent viewing angles. Excellent display brightness thanks to 16 LEDs.

Camera

Xiaomi Mi 5 has a truly outstanding main camera, which houses a Sony IMX298 sensor, optical image stabilizer (OIS) up to 4 axes. The Qualcomm Spectra image processor allows 4K video recording. The phone allows you to record much more stable videos and minimize the effect of camera shake, for example in low light conditions. In addition, the device focuses very quickly.

She also showed herself well additional camera 4MP with UltraPixel technology that takes photos good quality, even in low light conditions, and also record great videos and take selfies.

Audio

In terms of sound, the Xiaomi Mi 5 does not offer any significant new developments. The sound quality is good and the volume level is sufficient. Fortunately, the manufacturer decided to place the speaker on the bottom panel rather than on the rear panel.

The phone has a strong and clear sound from the speakers as well as from the headphones and I assure you that you will not have any problems when making calls.

Battery

The phone received a non-removable 3000 mAh battery. The phone is able to successfully withstand about 36 hours of fairly intensive use, reaching 5% remaining charge. The display uses about 39% of the full battery charge. I hope that in future updates, the manufacturer will be able to improve the autonomy of the Mi 5. By the way: Xiaomi releases almost daily updates for the MI5 and it seems that there are already some real improvements.

Thanks to Quick Charge 3.0 technology, the phone can be charged in just over an hour.

Memory

The internal memory of the device is 64 GB, however, of which only 56.28 GB is free for use. The system has various Chinese unnecessary software installed by default, and removing them managed to free up almost 1 GB of space.

BenchMark

Combined with Snapdragon 820 CPU and Adreno 530 GPU, the phone is the best in the market Android smartphones regarding games. You'll immediately notice how games like FIFA 16, Asphalt 8 and Mortal Kombat X simply fly without any brakes or lags.

Verdict

— 16MP main camera with optical image stabilizer
— Excellent Snapdragon 820 processor and Adreno 530 GPU
- Productivity
— Fingerprint reader
— Display
— Price
— Light weight
— Various versions (including ceramic PRO)
- MIUI 7.0 based on Android 6.0
— Support from Xiaomi (several updates have already been released)

CONS:
— Autonomy is good, but not outstanding. (We await further updates software)
— In white, the black frame around the display is too noticeable
— The glass version (I haven’t tried ceramic) is very slippery.

And finally, where can you buy Xiaomi Mi 5

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