Xiaomi Mi 5 to Launch in Core Markets, Wider Availability Uncertain: Barra

Xiaomi on Wednesday unveiled its Mi 5 flagship smartphone at an event in China while also showcasing the smartphone at a limited media preview at MWC in Barcelona. With the global unveiling at its first showing at MWC, Xiaomi was expected to announce availability of its new flagship Mi 5 smartphone in western markets including Europe and US. It was not explicit about the launch markets however.

The Chinese company however rubbished any such speculations and confirmed that the Mi 5 will be released in core markets, the markets where Xiaomi currently operates in. Barra during a video interview with the Verge added, “it’s far too early to make any statements”.

Barra’s statement appears to confirm the possible markets where the Xiaomi Mi 5 will be available first – Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines. He also hinted that the company is looking on ways to expand the availability but will focus on the current operating markets.

Additionally, a moderator for the company’s forum confirmed support of 18 LTE bands for the Mi 5 (Bands 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 7 / 8 / 12 / 13 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29). It was also mentioned there was some uncertainty about whether variants would support Bands 38 / 39 / 40 / 41. To remind users, Indian network operators are offering 4G services across Bands 3 and 40 in India.

To recall, the Xiaomi Mi 5 will be available in three versions – standard edition featuring 3GB LPDD4 RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage priced at CNY 1,999 (approximately Rs. 21,000); prime version featuring 3GB LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB storage priced at CNY 2,299 (approximately Rs. 24,000), and pro version featuring 4GB LPDD4 RAM and 128GB storage priced at CNY 2,699 (approximately Rs. 28,000). The smartphone will also go on sale in China starting March 1.

To refresh on specifications, the dual-SIM (Nano + Nano) Mi 5 features a 5.15-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) with curved 3D Ceramic glass, and a pixel density of 428ppi. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with Adreno 530 GPU. It sports a 16-megapixel Sony IMX298 camera sensor with PDAF (phase detection autofocus) and LED flash. The rear camera also sports 4-axis OIS (optical image stabilisation) and sapphire glass protection lens. The smartphone supports 4K video recording. It also sports a 4-Ultrapixel front camera, with 2-micron pixels. Both cameras feature an f/2.0 aperture. It measures 144.5×69.2×7.25mm and weighs 129 grams. The Mi 5 packs a 3000mAh battery and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. Also onboard is a USB Type-C port. Connectivity options include VoLTE support, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/ac, 4G, Bluetooth 4.2, Glonass, and NFC.