As expected, Xiaomi has finally made its Mi 5S smartphone official in China. The company also launched the Mi 5S Plus alongside. The Mi 5S Plus is a bigger and better variant of the Mi 5S. Both the devices will be available in Gold, Dark Grey, Silver, and Rose Gold color options. Xiaomi has not yet revealed a timeline for the global launch of these devices. Most of the specs of the Mi 5S are in line with the previous rumours that had been surfacing on the internet.
Coming on to the specifications, the Xiaomi Mi 5S comes with a 5.15-inch full HD curved glass "pressure sensitive" display just like the 3D touch display on the iPhone 6s. The device is powered by a 2.15GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 821 64-bit processor with Adreno 530 GPU. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based MIUI 8. In the imaging segment, the device sports a 12-megapixel primary camera with dual-tone LED flash, 4K video-recording, phase-detection autofocus (PDAF), and Sony IMX378 1/2.3-inch sensor.
There is a 4-megapixel front-facing camera onboard. Regarding connectivity, the device supports 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi (dual-band MU-MIMO), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, USB Type-C, and GPS/GLONASS/Beidou. A 3200mAh battery with Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0. Technology backs the Mi 5S. The phone also includes an under-glass ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which scans the fingerprint even when the finger is wet. Xiaomi wanted to release a seamless design for the Mi 5S, and that is the reason why it decided to go with the Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, but the maker still scraped out a little dent on the display to help guide our fingers.
On the other hand, the Xiaomi Mi 5S Plus features a 5.7-inch 2.5D curved glass 1080p display and is powered by a 2.35GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 821 64-bit processor paired with Adreno 530 GPU. Like the Mi 5S, it also runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based MIUI 8. The device sports dual 13-megapixel primary cameras with Dual image processor for processing the captured images by dual lenses.
The rear camera on the Mi 5S Plus is also equipped with features such as dual-tone LED flash, Sony IMX258 sensor, PDAF, and 4K video recording. There is a 4-megapixel front snapper onboard. It also includes a fingerprint scanner. Regarding connectivity, the Mi 5S Plus also supports 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi (dual-band MU-MIMO), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, USB Type-C, and GPS/GLONASS/Beidou. A 3800mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. Technology backs the Mi 5S Plus. The smartphone also has an under-glass ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which scans the fingerprint even when the finger is wet.
The Mi 5S is priced at 1999 yuan (approx. Rs. 19,920) for the 3GB RAM/64GB storage variant; and 2299 yuan (approx. Rs. 22,910) for the 4GB RAM/128GB storage model. On the other hand, the Mi 5S Plus will retail at 2299 yuan (approx. Rs. 22,910) for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant and 2599 yuan (approx. Rs. 25,900 approx) for 6GB RAM/128GB storage model. Both the devices will go on sale on September 29 in China.
To conclude, the Mi 5S and Mi 5S Plus look pretty cool on paper. It would be interesting to see how critics rate the device. Interestingly, dual-lens camera has already debuted on phones like Huawei P9 and iPhone 7 Plus. The only stand-out and fresh feature on the Mi 5S is its Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.
