onebyone
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Cutting-edge Android for less than £300? You'd better believe it -- Xiaomi is BACK with the Xiaomi Mi5
Rating:
4.5
Typical Price:
£270.00
Pros:
Gorgeous design, Fast fingerprint scanner, Powerful CPU, Excellent specs for the price
Cons:
MIUI takes some getting used to, Limited 4G support in the UK
Verdict:
Xiaomi's best handset yet should worry the established names in the Android sector - it offers the same performance for half the price. A remarkable mobile in almost every regard.
Xiaomi has always been successful at combining cutting-edge mobile tech with eye-catching design and unique software, but it's the company's ability to sell its products at such astonishingly low prices which has garnered it the most attention from western buyers.
While rivals such as Samsung, LG, Apple and Sony are happy to ask for £500 or more for their flagship devices, Xiaomi's products usually retail for less than half that amount, yet they boast almost identical specs and features. The Xiaomi Mi5 is no exception, and is – in terms of pure hardware – the most impressive phone the firm has ever produced.
The catch is that the Mi5 isn't intended for release outside of its native China, and getting one in the UK requires a bit of additional cost and effort. Is it worth it? Read on to find out.
Xiaomi Mi5 Review: Design & Display
2014's Xiaomi Mi4 was criticised for its similarity to Apple's iPhone 5 and while Xiaomi is still content to borrow some design ideas from other firms, the Mi5 does at least stand out largely on its own merit. The phone is a combination of metal and Gorilla Glass 4; the back panel is made of the latter, with gorgeous rounded edges that make it easier to grip. The brushed metal chassis adds a touch of premium class, while the front of the phone is striking for its almost bezel-less 5.15-inch, 1080p display.
Below the screen there's a button which also acts as a fingerprint scanner for security. Either side of this you'll find capacitive Android commands for "recent apps" and "back" (the functions of these can be edited if you so wish) while the physical power button and volume controls are located on the right-hand side of the device. On the bottom there's a USB Type-C connection, and on the top there's a 3.5mm headphone socket and IR blaster.
Despite the quality materials used in its construction the Mi5 feels surprisingly lightweight; it's only 129 grams, and perhaps lacks a little heft for a device with a metal frame. This aside, the Mi5 serves as yet another example of how far Chinese phone makers have come over the past few years. This is a handset which effortlessly matches the work of Samsung and Apple when it comes to aesthetic quality and construction.
Rating:
4.5
Typical Price:
£270.00
Pros:
Gorgeous design, Fast fingerprint scanner, Powerful CPU, Excellent specs for the price
Cons:
MIUI takes some getting used to, Limited 4G support in the UK
Verdict:
Xiaomi's best handset yet should worry the established names in the Android sector - it offers the same performance for half the price. A remarkable mobile in almost every regard.
Xiaomi has always been successful at combining cutting-edge mobile tech with eye-catching design and unique software, but it's the company's ability to sell its products at such astonishingly low prices which has garnered it the most attention from western buyers.
While rivals such as Samsung, LG, Apple and Sony are happy to ask for £500 or more for their flagship devices, Xiaomi's products usually retail for less than half that amount, yet they boast almost identical specs and features. The Xiaomi Mi5 is no exception, and is – in terms of pure hardware – the most impressive phone the firm has ever produced.
The catch is that the Mi5 isn't intended for release outside of its native China, and getting one in the UK requires a bit of additional cost and effort. Is it worth it? Read on to find out.
Xiaomi Mi5 Review: Design & Display
2014's Xiaomi Mi4 was criticised for its similarity to Apple's iPhone 5 and while Xiaomi is still content to borrow some design ideas from other firms, the Mi5 does at least stand out largely on its own merit. The phone is a combination of metal and Gorilla Glass 4; the back panel is made of the latter, with gorgeous rounded edges that make it easier to grip. The brushed metal chassis adds a touch of premium class, while the front of the phone is striking for its almost bezel-less 5.15-inch, 1080p display.
Below the screen there's a button which also acts as a fingerprint scanner for security. Either side of this you'll find capacitive Android commands for "recent apps" and "back" (the functions of these can be edited if you so wish) while the physical power button and volume controls are located on the right-hand side of the device. On the bottom there's a USB Type-C connection, and on the top there's a 3.5mm headphone socket and IR blaster.
Despite the quality materials used in its construction the Mi5 feels surprisingly lightweight; it's only 129 grams, and perhaps lacks a little heft for a device with a metal frame. This aside, the Mi5 serves as yet another example of how far Chinese phone makers have come over the past few years. This is a handset which effortlessly matches the work of Samsung and Apple when it comes to aesthetic quality and construction.
