The new Xiaomi 5s and 5s Plus will go on sale in China on September 29
‘Tis the season of smartphone launches: the top dogs in the smartphone industry — Apple and Samsung — have both launched their new flagship models for the year; Google is also set to launch a new smartphone next week.
But before Google unveils its mysterious new phone, underdog Xiaomi has launched two new smartphones of its flagship Mi series — the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus. The Mi 5s is 5.15 inches, while the Mi 5s Plus is 5.7 inches. Both are full HD displays (1920 x 1080).
Names aside (at this point, Xiaomi might as well slap a picture of a fruit on the back of its phones), Xiaomi is taking another cue from Apple by introducing dual rear camera setup for the Mi 5s Plus.
Both cameras will feature 13-megapixel lens — one for taking colour, the other for taking black and white. Xiaomi claims capturing pictures in black and white makes less grainy and sharper photo.
The regular Mi 5 will feature only one 12-megapixel rear camera. Both phones will come equipped with a 4-megapixel front camera with an f2.0 aperture and phase-detection auto-focus (PDAF).
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They will be housed in a metal unibody and will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC processor.
One striking new feature of both phones is the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the home button, which sits underneath the glass. This makes the sensor less susceptible to wear-and-tear, and resistant to interference from water, dirt, etcetera.
The Xiaomi 5s will come in two variations — 3 GB RAM with 64 GB storage, and 4 GB RAM with 128 GB storage. The former will be priced at RMB 1999 (US$299), while the latter will cost RMB 2,299 (US$344). Both run on a 3,200 mAh battery and a 2.15 GHz processor.
The Xiaomi 5s Plus will also come in two versions — 4 GB RAM with 64 GB storage , and 6 GB RAM with 128 GB storage. The former will cost RMB 2,299 (US$344), while the latter will cost RMB 2,599 (US$390). They run on a 3,800 mAh battery and a 2.35 GHz processor.
Both Xiaomi 5s and 5s Plus will come in Gold, Rose gold, Silver, and White.
They are expected to go on sale JD.com and Mi.com on Thursday.
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