On May 31, Xiaomi had announced the all new MIUI 10 ROM. At the beginning of June, it had rolled out the Developer ROM closed beta in China for first batch of devices and the same devices had received public beta by the end of the month. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has released the developer ROM closed beta to the second batch of devices.

The first batch of devices that were treated with MIUI 10 Developer ROM included Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi 8 SE, Mi 6, Mi MIX 2S, Mi MIX 2, Mi MIX, Mi Note 2, Redmi S2 and Redmi Note 5. Since the registrations for the Developer ROM closed beta ended yesterday in China, the company has made it available to the second batch of Xiaomi phones starting from today. After the closed beta testing comes to an end, the public beta is likely to arrive for the same second batch of devices by the end of this month.

The second batch of 17 Xiaomi phones that are now receiving the MIUI 10 Developer ROM closed beta are Xiaomi Mi Note 3, Mi 5S Plus, Mi 5S, Mi 5X, Mi 5C, Mi 4C, Mi 4S, Mi Max, Mi Max Prime, Mi Max 2, Redmi Note 5A, Note 5A Prime, Redmi Note 4X (Snapdragon variant), Redmi 5 Plus, Redmi 5, Redmi 5A and Redmi 4X.

The company has stated that the arrival of the public beta of Mi 5X will be delayed. The specific release time for the smartphone will be announced through its social media channels. By this, Xiaomi is bringing the latest MIUI 10 to a total of 27 smartphones.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 gets MIUI 10 global beta update

The MIUI 10 Developer ROM closed beta can be installed in two ways. Devices on MIUI 6, 7, 8 and 9 developer version can navigate to System Settings > My Device > MIUI version and then access the direct OTA update. It is recommended to back up devices on MIUI 6, 7, 8 and 9 stable versions are recommended ad then install the upgrade via fastboot with unlocked bootloader.

(source)

The post MIUI 10 Developer ROM now available for second batch of Xiaomi phones appeared first on Gizmochina.

The Xiaomi Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus were both released in September of 2016. Both flagships launched with Android Marshmallow and later got updated to Android Nougat. However, an update to Android Oreo hasn’t yet been released and owners are pissed.

Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus owners have swarmed the Weibo page of Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun, to complain about the delay of the update and their dissatisfaction with how Xiaomi is handling both flagships.

Xiaomi later released an official statement to its fans explaining the reasons for the delay. From the response, Xiaomi states it is having technical issues with the dual camera-wielding Mi 5s Plus. However, the R&D team in collaboration with Qualcomm are working on a fix.

Xiaomi also mentioned an issue with the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner of the Mi 5s. At the moment, both Qualcomm and Xiaomi haven’t found a fix yet but they hope a solution is found in a few weeks.

The official response also mentions the update will be available in early October but doesn’t say if it is the final stable release or the beta release.

READ MORE: Xiaomi’s POCOPHONE device gets FCC Certification

For those wondering why Xiaomi needs Qualcomm’s help with both devices, it’s because the fingerprint scanner on the Mi 5s is made by Qualcomm and the dual cameras on the Mi 5s Plus uses Qualcomm’s spectra ISP.

(Via)

The post Work on Android 8.0 for Mi 5s & Mi 5s Plus continues, update may arrive in October appeared first on Gizmochina.

In the past couple of years, Chinese brands have changed the way we looked at flagship phones, with phones from companies like OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Meizu showing us that we needn’t spend $700 on a phone for getting the best performance. This year, more companies have come up to prove this very point, which has left us with plenty of smartphones that are very good on paper and does not cost a fortune.

So, here we list the best smartphones in the market today, ranging from $300 and going all the way up to $770. These are some of the best Chinese flagships that you can buy right now.

Almost everyone would agree that the best Chinese flagship phone list isn’t complete without a OnePlus smartphone. Since the past three years, OnePlus has etched out a niche market for itself — the one and only affordable flagship that you need and the tradition continues this year as well with the latest OnePlus flagship, the OnePlus 3T, which is one of the best phones you can buy for your money right now.

(OnePlus 3 Review Here)

The phone comes with the most powerful Qualcomm processor yet, the Snapdragon 821, 6GB of RAM for super fast multi-tasking and even a 128GB ROM option for those who found 64GB not enough on the OnePlus 3. The rear camera is pretty good, with a 16MP Sony sensor with OIS and PDAF, but what’s really the highlight is the front camera, a 16MP shooter with f/2.0 aperture, making it a handy device for clicking your selfies.

The 3400mAh battery will ensure that your phone is powered for a day and if you find that not enough, the Dash Charge, which gets you 60% battery in 30 minutes, will get the job done.

It’s definitely a great flagship costing just $439!

You can read the entire specifications of the OP3T here.

Xiaomi’s smartphones have always been affordable and value for money and recently the company has increased its efforts to make a mark in the high-end flagship segment. As a result, we have a few Xiaomi flagships that make it to the list here (three to be exact) and all the three are worthy enough of your hard earned money. They come with top-notch features at an affordable price, making it true value for money.

The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 makes it to this list, which is unsurprising, given its dual curved display and powerful specs.

This Xiaomi flagship is a bit different from other phones in the list because of its dual curved display. The phone is a bit larger as well, as it comes with a 5.7-inch 1080p display, as opposed to the 5.5-inchers that are in this list. But the larger display means you have more screen real estate which is great for your games and videos. Inside, you get the best Snapdragon 821 chip, with the top-end variant featuring 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage.

The phone features a great 22.5MP 1/2.6″ sensor with EIS (gyro), PDAF and dual LED flash. The phone also features a large 4070mAh battery with QC 3.0 (82% in just 30 minutes) making sure that your large screen will be powered throughout the day.

The phone’s official price starts at $413 in China and goes all the way up to $516 for the 6GB RAM model. However, as you know, one will have to shell out anywhere from $50-$100 premium for each variant model.

Check out the entire specs of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 from here.

If you are looking for a Chinese flagship that’s compact and powerful, you should definitely check out the Xiaomi Mi 5S. The phone features a 5.15-inch compact display with 3D Touch on the top end 4GB + 128GB ROM version.

(Xiaomi Mi 5S Review Here)

It’s slim, weighs just 145 grams and is ideal for a small sized flagship. Internals are powerful, coming with Snapdragon 821 with Adreno 530 GPU, and a 1/2.3″ 12MP f/2.0 camera which should ensure good quality pictures even in low light. One feature missing from the camera is OIS. The battery is also decent measuring 3200mAh and QC 3.0 support helps in powering the phone all day long.

The pricing in China starts at around $300, going up to $350 for the 128GB version.

You can check out all the specs of the Xiaomi Mi 5S from here.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix is one of the biggest surprises of the year 2016 and hence, there is no way this list is complete without including this flagship. However, because of its super giant display, which covers more than 90% of the front, the Mi Mix is probably not for everyone. After all, using a 6.4-inch 1080p display on a day to day basis is not an easy task.

But if you are someone who loves big screens, the Xiaomi Mi Mix is probably one of the best-looking phones that you can buy right now. It is once again powered by the popular Snapdragon 821 chipset and even comes with a 256GB + 6GB RAM option for those who really want to take things to the next level.

While the camera is decent featuring a 16MP sensor with EIS and PDAF, it’s not the best in the market, which might be a let down for some. But it should still click some decent pictures. The battery is large, measuring 4400mAh which will ensure that you will get at least day long battery life despite its super large display.

The limited supply is probably its biggest drawback. This also makes the actual purchase price of the Mi Mix, higher than the official price tag of $516.

You can read more about the Xiaomi Mi Mix specs from here.

Despite its late entry into the smartphone market, LeEco has given us some of the best value for money smartphones available in the market right now. As a result, there is no surprise that this list includes the LeEco Le Pro 3 flagship that is powered by the mighty Snapdragon 821 chipset.

(Le Pro 3 Review Here)

In fact, the Le Pro 3 comes with all the bells and whistles found on a regular Android flagship today, including 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM option, a large 4070mAh battery, a decent 16MP camera with PDAF and a super slim 7.5mm body (slimmer than most phones in this list). However, what really sets this phone apart from others is the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone uses the company’s USB Type-C powered CDLA standard which it claims is better than standard headphone jacks.

If you can live without a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, the Le Pro 3 is one of the most affordable Snapdragon 821 powered phones in the market.

It starts at around $270 in China and goes up to $300 for the 6GB RAM model. However, you can get the 6GB RAM version from sellers like OPPOMART for around $380, which is a good price even after the premium charged.

You can read the entire specs of the LeEco Le Pro 3 from here.

Your search for a good looking metal phablet ends with the Huawei Mate 9. It comes with everything that you wish for in a smartphone, including a Leica certified 20MP + 12MP dual cameras at the back. The Huawei P9 had one of the most interesting cameras in the segment and the Mate 9 aims to take things to a different level.

This Huawei flagship comes with a massive 5.9-inch display with 1080p display. Unlike the other phones in this list, the Huawei Mate 9 is powered by its own chipset, the Hisilicon Kirin 960, which to be honest has really caught up with other flagship processors in the market today. While there is no 6GB RAM option for this model, 4GB + 64GB storage along with MicroSD expansion up to 256GB should be enough for most users out there.

The dual cameras is the real focus of the phone, featuring 20MP + 12MP dual sensors with f/2.2 aperture, 2x zoom, PDAF + Laser Focus and dual tone flash. The front facing 8MP f/1.9 sensor should be enough for great selfies. Further, like all Mate series flagships, the Mate 9 also comes with a large 4000mAh battery.

This actually doesn’t fit in the affordable flagship category, with pricing starting upwards of $700. However, for this price, you get top-notch built quality, powerful hardware, Leica certified cameras as well as a premium experience. This is why it makes sense to include the phone in this list despite its costly price tag of $775.

You can check out the specs of the Mate 9 from here.

So, these were the top Chinese Flagships that you can buy in the market today. I would like to include some honorable mentions as well, like the 6GB version of ZUK Z2 Pro powered by Snapdragon 820 as well as the ZTE Axon 7 coming with a great audio experience. But if you are in the market to get the best Chinese flagship, the phones listed above are probably your best bet.

So, what do you feel about this Chinese flagship list? Do you think I missed out on any great phone?

The post Top Chinese Flagships In 2016: Best Phones For Your Money (Year End Edition) appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi has been on a roll recently and the Mi5s Plus is one of the most powerful and beautiful smartphones the company has ever made. It costs just $400 but given its spec-sheet, the phone can rival even the most expensive flagships. Is this the case? Learn more in the full Gizmochina’s review.

Thanks to Oppomart for sending the Xiaomi Mi5s Plus for a review.

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus Review: VIDEO REVIEW

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus Review: UNBOXING

In the box, you can find all the usual items you would expect to come with any phone. A nice touch is the included hard plastic case to protect your investment.

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus Review: SPECS

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY

As the name implies, the Mi5s Plus is a larger phone that the regular Mi5s and that is mainly due to its 5.7” 1080p display. It would have been nice to have a 2k resolution panel but the display is still plenty sharp, bright and detailed.

We have nicely backlit capacitive buttons and a highly customizable notification LED light, which sits next to the 4MP Ultrapixel selfie camera.

The device looks and feels like an expensive phone. It is all-metal (except for the top and bottom parts for antennas).

Also, the build quality is top-notch. There are no moving parts or rattling buttons and it is just nice to hold the phone in the hand despite its huge footprint.

The Mi5s Plus has 2 13MP cameras with f/2.0 aperture and PDAF. The first is a regular shooter and the other is a monochrome sensor that takes images in black and white. We also have a dual tone dual-LED flash for night photography. However, there is no OIS onboard, which is a shame for the Xiaomi’s flagship phone.

Just below the camera setup, we have a super fast and accurate fingerprint sensor that can unlock your phone straight from the standby mode.

I really like the balanced and rich sound that is coming out of the loudspeaker, which can also get pretty loud.

The Xiaomi brought the IR blaster back to control the devices like TVs. The sound via the headset jack is pretty good too.

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus design gallery:

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

The Xiaomi Mi5s Plus packs some serious hardware components that sound very impressive on paper.

I have the high-end model that sports a brand new Snapdragon 821 chip, 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM and whopping 128GB UFS 2.0-based storage.

You can also opt in for a lower-end model that has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It’s actually a bit funny that we are talking about the lower-end model with these kind of specs.

As expected, the 3D gaming performance is just excellent. No matter what kind of games you play on the Mi5s Plus, the phone just flies and it is just a pleasure to play games on a huge display. Finally, the phone does not have any overheating issues. See a video review for gaming performance.

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus Review: BENCHMARKS

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus Review: USER INTERFACE

The Xiaomi Mi5s Plus ships with the Android 6.0-based MIUI 8 that we have already seen on other Xiaomi phones. As usual, we have a ton of customization options, various settings, tweaks and little features to make the phone look your own.

Some of the cool features include a baked-in theming engine, where you can choose from a lot of themes, fonts, wallpapers and so on. Also, you can go to the so-called second space, which is as Xiaomi says “like having two devices” at the same time. In other words, it is like having two accounts.

However, you have to know that the Chinese version of the phone comes with quite a few bloatware apps that may be annoying. A great thing is that you can easily remove most of them.

Finally, I’m fairly impressed with how fast the Mi5s Plus  is despite having all those features. The phone is fast, fluid and I didn’t have any hiccups or lag.

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus Review: CAMERA and IMAGE/VIDEO QUALITY

IT IS HIGHLY-RECOMMENDED TO DOWNLOAD FULL RESOLUTION CAMERA SAMPLES TO SEE THE ACTUAL IMAGE QUALITY. THE PICTURES UPLOADED ON THE WEBSITE ARE 50% SMALLER IN RESOLUTION.

We have the usual Xiaomi camera app, which allows you to take the pictures very fast and you can play with quite a few shooting modes and settings.

The stereo mode should utilize both sensors at the same time and that is supposed to give you better quality photos in terms of saturation, contrast, and exposure. I took quite a few pictures side by side in auto-mode and the dual-camera mode and tried to analyze the differences.

In my eyes, the stereo mode does help in quite a few situations that lead to a better saturation, contrast, and exposure in most of the shots. However, the results are not always that noticeable and sometimes the auto-HDR mode can take pictures that are more pleasing to the eye.

Where the dual camera setup really shines is the low-light. All the pictures I took in the stereo mode look simply better as there is a lot less noise and more detail.

You can also use the mono mode, which utilizes the monochrome sensor for high-quality black/white pictures. I’m not a huge fan of black/white photography but I have to say that I love the results.

The last mode worth mentioning is the manual mode, where you can adjust quite a few settings if you feel creative.

As for image quality, the phone can take some nice-looking daylight images. They are not on par with the more expensive flagships but they still have natural-looking colors, look pretty sharp and detailed for a $400 phone. See a camera video review for side-by-side comparison with the Samsung Galaxy s7 edge.

Also, I’m happy that the auto-HDR mode does a pretty good job bringing out the detail to the shadows.However, I was a bit frustrated that the camera can’t capture a sharp image when the object is moving, e.g. the flower that is being blown by the wind.

The Panorama mode allows you to take some pretty nice panoramic photos. The stitching seems to be pretty good but some of the objects look blown out.

As for indoor shots, where the lighting conditions are far from the best, we see quite a bit of noise and less detail but in general, the images look pretty nice.

When it comes to the low-light photography if you use only the main 13MP sensor, the images  definitely have less detail and more noise than the top-tier flagships but I would say that the Mi5s does a pretty good job considering it’s price tag. As I mentioned before, utilizing two cameras at the same time really help improve the low-light image quality.

The 4MP selfie shooter can take some really nice pictures that will be more than enough for the social media.

The Xiaomi Mi5s Plus can shoot 4k videos that are very sharp and detailed, and the colors look nice. I’m pretty happy with the way the continuous auto-focus works but sometimes it can be a little jumpy. Since the phone lacks OIS, the footage may look a little shaky.

However, my biggest frustration is the fact that there are quite a lot of video compression artifacts. The audio quality suffers from the compression too. The 1080p videos look pretty nice but they have less detail. Again, it would have been nice to have the OIS to reduce the shakiness.

The night 4k video looks very dark since the f/2.0 aperture is not able to capture enough light. Also, there is quite a bit of noise but besides that, the footage looks good.

I could not properly test the 720p slow-motion video or 1080/120fps since I’m sick at the moment. The slow-motion video looks quite good but I wish there was a bit more detail.

As for selfie video, the phone can shoot at 1080p. The footage looks quite good and it will be definitely enough for most of the users. However, I don’t like the aggressive auto-exposure and inaccurate white balance adjustment. See a detailed camera video review for the video samples.

Download full resolution camera samples

Xiaomi Mi5s Review: CONNECTIVITY

The Mi5s Plus comes with a dual nano SIM card tray but there is no microSD card slot.

When it comes to connectivity, I didn’t have any issues with the call quality, Wifi, Bluetooth or GPS.

Xiaomi Mi5s Review: BATTERY LIFE

The 3800mAh battery supports Quick Charge 3.0 but the phone does not ship with the fast charger.

As for battery life, the phone will get you through the day even if you are a heavy user and you will get at least two full days if you are a light user. I could get over 5 hours of SOT when I used the phone very intensively and I would say this is a very good result.

Xiaomi Mi5s Review: CONCLUSIONS

The Xiaomi Mi5s Plus is very solid $400 phone. It brings a lot of flagship values like a premium design and top-notch build quality, nice and sharp display, bleeding-edge specifications and a very capable dual-camera setup.

Sure, the camera is not quite up there with the most expensive flagships but it performs very well in most of the situations. If you add a feature-rich MIUI 8 user interface and a great battery life, the Xiaomi Mi5s Plus is definitely one of the best $400 phones you can buy at the moment.

The post Xiaomi Mi5s Plus Review – The Xiaomi Monster Phone appeared first on Gizmochina.

Last week we saw the most anticipated smartphone launch from Xiaomi, the Xiaomi Mi 5S and the Xiaomi Mi 5S Plus. Naturally, most of the days of the week were dominated by either its rumors or launch and related articles. However, we did see other stories including new LeEco phones, details about the upcoming Huawei Mate 9 flagship as well as Mi Note 2. Another interesting news from the local Chinese market was the rumor about the Vernee Apollo 2 featuring the Helio X3o chipset.

Since the release of the new Google Pixel phones is just around the corner, we also saw a few leaks and details about the upcoming models from the search engine giant.

In case you missed any of the top stories from last week, you can read all of them from down below.

Xiaomi Mi 5S Official: Snapdragon 821, Under Glass Fingerprint & More for just $300 (Specs UPDATED!)

Xiaomi Mi 5S’ 12MP Sony IMX378 Sensor: 26 Original Camera Samples With EXIF Data

Two New LeEco Smartphone Models Rumored To Be Coming in November

Antutu’s Top 10 Devices for September: LeEco and Xiaomi Ranks High

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Now Rumored to Launch in November, 2K Curved display in Tow

Is Vernee Apollo 2 the first Helio X30 powered device?

Press Render of Google Pixel XL Gets leaked Too

6-inches Samsung C9 Shows Up on Antutu: 6GB RAM & 64GB ROM

We reviewed a few interesting smartphones including the UMi Max, Leagoo M5 and Bluboo Maya.

You can check these out from below.

Umi Max Review – Did Umi Get it Right This Time?

Leagoo M5 Review – My New Favourite Cheap Phone

Bluboo Maya Review – What a $75 Phablet Brings You?

The post Gizmochina Weekly: Top Stories From Past Week (Sep 25 – Oct 1) appeared first on Gizmochina.

Antutu has released its top 10 devices for the just ended month of September and there are a couple of surprises.

For mobile phones, Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus takes the top spot with a score of 172644 followed closely by the smaller sized iPhone 7 which scored 170124. This shouldn’t be a surprise considering the fact that quite a number of reviews have praised Apple’s new A10 Fusion chip. If you can remember, we covered a web performance test of the new chip against other flagships and the iPhone 7 came out on top.

Next in line is the LeEco Le Pro 3. The Pro 3 which is the first Chinese smartphone to sport the new Qualcomm 821 processor comes in at number three with a score of 160856, pushing Xiaomi’s new phones the Mi 5s Plus and Mi 5s to fourth and fifth position respectively.

There should be no surprise at the result of the Mi 5s considering its SD 821 chip is under-clocked.

OnePlus 3 takes the sixth position with 140288 points starting the list of Snapdragon 820 phones on the list.

Vivo’s Xplay 5 Elite and Samsung’s controversial Galaxy Note 7 slug it out for the seventh and eight spot but the Elite comes in ahead with 333 points more than the Note 7. The Le Max 2 comes in at number 9 and ZTE’s Nubia line wraps up the list with the Nubia Z11.

There’s also another Antutu list of top 10 iOS devices which is headed by the iPad Pro with 177266 points. The iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 follow for second and third positions. The 9.7” iPad Pro takes the fourth spot, the 6s Plus takes fifth position and the iPhone SE takes the seventh slot.

READ MORE: OPPO Surpasses Apple by Sales value in India

For the top 10 android devices, the order is the same for the first one above, but since Apple devices are not on the list, the ZUK Z2 and Xiaomi Mi 5 get on the list coming in at number nine and ten respectively.

The post Antutu’s Top 10 Devices for September: LeEco and Xiaomi Ranks High appeared first on Gizmochina.

The Xiaomi Mi 5S and 5S Plus officially opened for sale today online and really the progress has been rapid. The device released a few days back wowed us with the beautiful design, well packed flagship specs and as an icing on the cake, it  clutches an ultra cheap price tag of 1999 Yuan ($300) for the base variant.

We have been following the device right from the launch, to its first unboxing and even before that we have had the opportunity of seeing sample images shot by the device’s camera. Now images from what should be the device’s first teardown have emerged, brought courtesy of the guys at IT168.

The Mi 5S features a number of innovative, new technologies of which the most prominent is the under glass ultrasonic scanner. There is also an all new 3D Touch pressure sensitive display, custom bright display. Apart from that, the Mi 5S makes it out as just the third device released so far to come equipped with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 821 chipset clocked at 2.15GHz. Xiaomi crammed all these and more inside the Mi 5S and still made its price $300! Isn’t that wonderful?

For sake of clarity, the tear-down is that of the higher Mi 5S version sporting a 4GB RAM + 128GB of built-in storage. The device that is being dismantled comes in gray and we should add at this point that the   process was carried out by professionals so please don’t attempt it at home of you get a unit of the Mi 5S.

Going on, the tear-down reveals the 4GB RAM supplied by SK Hynix, the non-removable 3200mAh battery from Scud and the 2.3 inches Sony IMX378 sensor which is quite huge as well as the other components inside the flagship. Due to the design, Xiaomi had to sacrifice the infrared as well as optical image stabilization but that doesn’t remove a thing from the Mi 5S.

In all, the Mi 5S comes in studded both on the outside looks and even inside, the components look solid and the device also comes in as one that should be easy to fix in the event of damage. You can check out the entire tear-down images from down below.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5S Teardown: What Lies inside the $300 Flagship? appeared first on Gizmochina.

Last week, LeEco launched a new phone, the Le Pro 3 which is the first Chinese phone to feature the all-new Snapdragon 821 processor. Earlier today, Xiaomi launched not one, but two  snapdragon 821 phones, the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus. We’ve decided to do a comparison of all three devices. Highlighting their pros and cons hoping it will help you decide which to settle for.

Design

All three phones feature an all-metal body. The Xiaomi Mi 5s is the smallest of the lot standing tall at 145.6 mm, followed by the Le Pro 3 at 151.4 mm, and the 5s Plus at 154.6 mm. You might think the Mi 5s should get the award for the thinnest considering it’s small size and small battery, but the Le Pro 3 wins in that aspect and its a surprise considering it has the largest battery of the lot. The large battery of the LeEco makes it lose out in the weight department. It weighs 175g, a tad higher than the Mi 5s Plus at 168g and significantly more than the Mi 5s’ 145g.

Display

Both companies decided to stick to IPS displays this time, probably to keep the price down. Resolution is the same at 1080p but pixel density varies. The Mi 5s has a 428 ppi for its 5.15” display; the Le Pro 3’s 5.5” screen has a ppi of 403, and the Mi 5s Plus comes in last with a ppi of 386 based on its massive 5.7” display.

Most people won’t notice the difference unless they are holding the screens very close to their eyes. But what matters most will be colour reproduction and sunlight legibility.

Cameras

The Le Pro 3 is equipped with a 16 megapixel Sony IMX298 camera with a 1/2.8″ sensor size and 1.12 µm pixel size. The camera which has an aperture size of f/2.0, 76.5° wide-angle lens, PDAF, dual tone flash, shoots in 4K at 30fps, and 720p slow motion at 120fps. It’s front facing camera is an 8 megapixel sensor with a f/2.2 aperture which can also record 1080p videos.

Xiaomi’s Mi 5s has a 12MP f/2.0 Sony IMX378 1/2.3″ 1.55µm sensor mounted at the back. The camera is an 80° wide-angle lens with dual tone flash, PDAF, 4K recording at 30fps, 1080p at 120fps and 720p slow motion at 120 fps. There’s a 4MP Ultrapixel camera with f/2.o aperture, 80° wide angle lens, facial recognition up front.

The Mi 5s Plus is the beast here with dual 13MP Sony cameras. One camera shoots RGB only, capturing colour details; and the other shoots monochrome images only, allowing for more light and higher contrast. Both images are then stitched together to make for a great picture with less noise and greater clarity. The camera shoots in all the formats above and adds RAW format to the list. Front camera is the same as that of the Mi 5s.

Sadly, all three phones lack optical image stabilisation.

Connectivity

Each of the phone has a slot for two nano SIM cards. They all have LTE but the difference is in the bands supported and this is a big deal as the absence of a particular band makes it a deal breaker for some buyers.

The bands supported by each device is listed below:

1. Le Pro 3

• 2G/GSM: 2/3/5/8
• CDMA: BC0/BC1
• 3G/WCDMA: B1/2/5/8
• TD-SCDMA: B34/39
• EVDO: BC0/BC1
• 4G/FDD-LTE B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20
• TDD-LTE: B38/39/40/41

2. Xiaomi Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus

• 2G/GSM: 2/3/5/8
• CDMA: BC0/BC1
• 3G/WCDMA: B1/2/5/8
• EVDO: BC0/BC1
• 4G/FDD-LTE B1/3/5/7/*8
• TDD-LTE: B38/39/40/41

*Only the Xiaomi Mi 5s is listed as having support for Band 8 (900).

There’s NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot, A-GPS and GLONASS on all three phones. The ports are also USB Type-C.

While LeEco has abandoned the 3.5 mm jack, users will still find the audio port on the Xiaomi Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus.

Battery

This is another important factor when it comes to phones. Like I mentioned above, the LeEco has the largest battery capacity (4070mAh), followed by the Mi 5s Plus (3800mAh). The Mi 5 has a 3200mAh battery which is still larger  than that of some other flagships like the Samsung S7 (3000mAh) and the Moto Z (2600mAh). Just so you know, all three phones support Quick Charge 3.0.

Special Features

The highlights of the Mi 5s is its new ultrasonic fingerprint scanner (present in the Mi 5s only) and the pressure sensitive display (available in the 4GB variant of the Mi 5s only). The LeEco Pro 3 and the Mi 5s Plus both use capacitive fingerprint scanners and don’t have pressure sensitive displays but they have IR blasters like the Mi 5s.

Price

The LeEco comes in 4 versions:

1. Standard version 4GB + 32GB sells for $270
2. High End version 6GB + 64GB sells for $300
3. Zhang Yimou 4GB + 64GB sells for $375
4. Zhang Yimou 6GB + 128GB sells for $450

The Mi 5s is available in 2 variants:

1. 3GB + 64GB sells for $300 (which doesn’t have a pressure sensitive display)
2. 4GB + 128GB sells for $345

The Mi 5s Plus is also available in 2 variants:

1. 4GB + 64GB sells for $345
2. 6GB + 128GB sells for $390

READ MORE: Honor 6X Appears on TENAA Sporting Dual Cameras

Conclusion

Looking at the official price, the high-end version of the Pro 3 seems like a fair bargain for those who want more RAM and a fair storage space. But adding an extra $45 to what you already have ($300) get’s you the Mi 5s which has double it’s space but less RAM, although you get the pressure sensitive screen and a new age scanner.

The Mi 5s Plus is, however, a better deal than the 6GB Zhang Yimou edition of the Pro 3. You get dual cameras, a larger screen, same storage and RAM, and save $60 but  a smaller battery. If you are however into bands, the Le Pro 3 wins in that aspect.

The 3 flagship phones full specs comparison: http://www.gizmochina.com/comparison/xiaomi-mi-5s-vs-xiaomi-mi-5s-plus-vs-leeco-le-pro-3/

The post Snapdragon 821 Battle: LeEco Le Pro 3 vs Xiaomi Mi 5s Vs Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi and Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun have been teasing the camera samples from the Xiaomi Mi 5S for the past few days. However, these were without EXIF data and not even in full resolution. While the images looked stellar, in terms of its clarity and color reproduction, they were not quite enough to confirm that the Mi 5S indeed had a great camera.

Now, we have got 26 original camera samples from the Xiaomi Mi 5S’s 12MP Sony IMX378 camera sensor and they look pretty good. While we can judge the actual performance of the camera module only after testing out the Mi 5S’ camera in real life, these pictures taken by professional photographers do give us a glimpse of the capability of the large sensor on the back of the device.

We have covered the camera of the Mi 5S in detail in our launch article, but to recap, the phone features a 12MP Sony IMX378 sensor at the back with 1/2.3 inch sensor and large 1.55-micron pixels. This should effectively translate into better low light photography and better details on the images captured. And these samples do give us a hint that the low light photography of the phone is going to be impressive.

Note that some of the images are of the resolution 4000 x 3000 pixels (12MP) and some are of 3264 x 2448 (8MP resolution). All these photos have their original EXIF data, so you can check all the details in the original images.

Also, if you would like to download the original images, you can do that directly from this google drive link.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5S’ 12MP Sony IMX378 Sensor: 26 Original Camera Samples With EXIF Data appeared first on Gizmochina.

Things may not have gone as planned this year for Xiaomi, however, the company is back in the game in the top-end segment with not one but two new flagship grade smartphones, the Xiaomi Mi 5S and the Xiaomi Mi 5S Plus. We have been hearing about these two devices for the past few weeks and leaks started to come in pretty fast recently. But now, both the devices have been made official which means we have all the information that we need about these two handsets.

Read on to find out more about the Xiaomi Mi 5S.

DESIGN:

Xiaomi used 3D Glass body on its earlier flagship, the Xiaomi Mi 5 and there was a 3D Ceramic version as well. This time, for its new flagship, Xiaomi is using a metal body. This could be a good decision as mass producing the ceramic body is not an easy task and we don’t want any supply problems with the Mi 5S as its predecessor.

The Xiaomi Mi 5S comes with an all metal design with four color options, dark gray, silver, gold and rose gold. It’s curvier and smoother in terms of design as compared to its predecessor. The metal gets a matte anodizing finish to give it a unique look. On the front, the phone features 2.5D glass, giving it a slightly curved feel.

Dimensions: 145.6 x 70.3 x 8.25mm | Weight: 145 grams

Plus, you even have the option of getting the 79 Yuan ($12) dot protective case to give your phone a different look.

SPECS:

As expected, the Xiaomi Mi 5S comes with the powerful Snapdragon 821 chipset, which is the upgraded version of the already powerful Snapdragon 820. Then there’s LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB / 128GB UFS 2.0 high-speed memory on the device. There will be two variants: 3GB + 64GB and 4GB + 128GB.

The phone features a 5.15-inch custom high-brightness 1920 x 1080p display with brightness up to 600 nits. Other features of the display include NTSC color gamut coverage up to 95% and high color saturation. What’s also special about this display is that it supports pressure sensitivity but only in the 4GB + 128GB model!

While these specs are pretty good, what’s really the highlight of the Xiaomi Mi 5S is its ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Yes, it will be the first mass produced smartphone to feature the advanced ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. This 3D sensor enabled seamless integration of panels unlike other capacitive sensors. Further, it’s quick, accurate and long lasting. The sensor is located below the glass, without the need for any opening in the display panel.

The company did mention that optimizing the ultrasonic sensor required a lot of time and efforts from its engineers. But finally by June 2016, Xiaomi successfully solved major problems with the sensor and optimized power consumption.

The camera is yet another highlight of the Xiaomi Mi 5S. The phone comes with a 12MP Sony IMX378 1/2.3″ 1.55um sensor , which is 61% larger than the one inside the iPhone 6S Plus. Since the sensor size is bigger, Xiaomi claims that the phone is able to capture stellar photos, even at night. However, note that this is a single camera module. Only the Mi 5S Plus comes with the dual camera module at the back.

Other specs of the camera module include f/2.0, 6P lens, 80 degree wide angle, dual LED dual tone color temperature flash, PDAF, Second Gen. Qualcomm ISP, facial recognition, auto HDR and Panorama. The camera supports 4K shooting at 30 fps, 1080p at 120 fps and slo-mo 720p at 120 fps.

Up front, you get a 4MP Ultrapixel camera with f/2.o aperture, 80 degree wide angle lens, facial recognition etc.

Lei Jun revealed that the company gave out the Mi 5S to a professional photographer traveling to Northern Europe and the US. The pictures taken by the photographer turned out to be very good, and with the right amount of exposure control, even night time photography from the Mi 5S turned out to be impressive. You can check out the official samples below (a couple of them we have already seen).

To see whether the Xiaomi Mi 5S camera is good or bad, the company conducted a blind test with a sample of 200 ordinary users who were asked to select the camera sample that they liked. Out of these, 55% (110 users) found the Xiaomi Mi 5S camera sample to be better. In another blind test with a sample of 159 professional photographers, Xiaomi claims that 49% preferred Xiaomi Mi’s camera sample.

The company claims that the phone’s camera comes with richer detail and accurate colors as compared to competitors like the S7 Edge and the iPhone 6S Plus. That’s a big claim, but it also revealed an image comparing the sample from the three phones. Check it out for yourself.

The Xiaomi Mi 5S also comes with NFC and 4G+ technologies. So, it should support fingerprint enabled payment systems like Xiaomi Pay in China. Other specs include 802.1 ac dual band Wi-Fi with MU-MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, Bluetooth HID, Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Display.

Supported LTE bands include:

FDD-LTE B1, B3, B5, B7 and B8

TDD-LTE B38, B39, B40 and B41

The battery is of 3200mAh capacity with QC 3.0 support (9V 2A) using the USB Type-C port.

PRICE:

The Xiaomi Mi 5S will start at 1999 Yuan ($300) for the 64GB version and 2299 Yuan ($345) for the 128GB version.

There are many details yet to be revealed by the company like the battery capacity (but it supports Quick Charge 3.0), so we will update this article after more details are available.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5S Official: Snapdragon 821, Under Glass Fingerprint & More for just $300 (Specs UPDATED!) appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi is all set to announce the brand new Xiaomi Mi 5S flagship at an event tomorrow. While there could be a number of other products announced, including the recently leaked Xiaomi ‘Mi Brain’, the highlight of the event should be the Xiaomi Mi 5S and the Mi 5S Plus.

We all know Xiaomi is a company focused on providing top value for the price you pay. That’s why we have seen so many smartphone launches, especially in the low-end and mid-range segment featuring pretty good hardware at half the cost of what competitors like Samsung price their devices. However, as Xiaomi has been busy in the pricing war with competitors like Meizu and LeEco, innovation is one area where the company seems to be a bit behind giants like Huawei and Samsung.

But that’s going to change with the Xiaomi Mi 5S and if rumors are to be believed, pricing will still be the selling point of the device. Hence, the Xiaomi Mi 5S which will be launched tomorrow is definitely a phone that we all should be excited about.

So, here are the top reasons why you should be excited for Xiaomi Mi 5S’ launch tomorrow!

1. Under Glass Fingerprint Sensor

Yes, the Xiaomi Mi 5S is said to come with a revolutionary fingerprint technology, most likely Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic sensor. This is revolutionary in the sense that the fingerprint sensor works even when under materials like glass. Plus, it’s reportedly unaffected by contaminants like sweat and other factors which usually hampers the working of a traditional capacitive fingerprint sensor. You can read more about Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic Sense ID from here.

2. Dual Camera Setup

Xiaomi Mi 5S is confirmed to feature a dual camera setup at the back. While we are not yet sure whether it would be a similar 13MP Dual camera setup as the Xiaomi Redmi Pro, what we do know is that the camera is going to be awesome. Xiaomi’s CEO himself revealed a few set of Mi 5S camera samples taken all around the world and the bokeh effect as well as the color reproduction in the images taken from the sensor look pretty good.

Since the Mi 5S is the company’s top-end flagship, the sensor at the back should be much better than the Redmi Pro (review here).

3. Dual Curved Screen Display

Yes, I know that we haven’t seen much rumors or leaks about a curved display Mi 5S variant lately, but we have been hearing about the Xiaomi working on curved display phones in the past. Recently, an analyst revealed that the Mi 5S may not feature curved display since Samsung is not supplying the company with its curved OLED panels. However, another analyst commented that LG is also a known supplier of curved displays, so we can’t entirely rule it out. Only tomorrow will we know for sure.

4. 3D Touch Pressure sensitive Display

Apart from being the first phone to feature under glass sensor, the Mi 5S could be the company’s first pressure sensitive display enabled smartphone. According to the latest leak, the flagship could come with 3D Touch like features on the device, further enhancing its functions. However, I personally think Xiaomi could restrict the pressure sensitive panel on the top-end versions, like Huawei did with its Mate S.

5. Premium Ceramic Body

Now, I know that Mi 5 Pro also came with a Ceramic body, but since the company has confirmed this material on the new Mi 5S as well, it’s safe to assume that Xiaomi solved the mass production issues associated with this material. Company’s 3D Ceramic body does have its set of advantages including being super scratch resistant. Plus, it looks premium as well.

6. Snapdragon 821 & 6GB RAM

The Xiaomi Mi 5S will be the company’s first Snapdragon 821 powered smartphone, which will also make it the most powerful Xiaomi phone till date. Further, one of the top versions should feature 6GB of RAM, further enhancing its power. With these specs on board, you won’t have to worry about running heavy apps or games on the device as it should handle everything thrown at it with ease.

7. Cheap Xiaomi Mi 5S Price

Yes, this seems to be a common highlight of all Xiaomi products. The Mi 5S is rumored to start at an amazing 1999 Yuan! If true, this would be an amazing price tag for the phone! However, to be honest, a pricing of 2499 Yuan – 2999 Yuan ($375-$450) sounds realistic. But then, Chinese manufacturers have surprised us in the past and we could see one such surprise tomorrow as well.

Do remember that there should be two phones announced tomorrow, the Mi 5S and the Mi 5S Plus!  We will be covering the Mi 5S launch tomorrow, so stay tuned to gizmochina for all updates about Xiaomi’s conference.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5S: Why You Should Be Excited For This Flagship (Top Expected Features) appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi Mi 5S is reported to have recorded over 1.8 million reservations even though the smartphone has not even been launched. Xiaomi decided to open up registration for the device by intending buys on its official Mi website and very surprisingly, 1,823,305 persons have registered their interest to own the flagship and more are still registering.

The Chinese smartphone maker had for the first time, revealed in advance when the sales of the smartphone will commence and the channel through which it can be purchased. The Mi 5S, we are told by Xiaomi, would sell on popular e-mall Jingdong (JD.com) from September 29, just two days after it is launched officially and again reservations are being accepted even before launch.

We have seen a lot of leaks about the Mi 5S and if anything, the device is positioned to be a popular and well studded flagship device that is likely not going to disappoint in any angle whatsoever. It is billed to be the world’s first smartphone to feature the Under Glass ultrasonic fingerprint scanner engineered by Qualcomm. Along with that, the Mi 5S is expected with the news chip in town, Snapdragon 821 and a massive 6GB RAM. There is also going to be a generous 64GB of internal storage on the 5.15-inch device.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 5 Price Reduced Online Ahead of Mi 5S Launch

Rumors also have it that the Xiaomi Mi 5S would carry an ultra cheap price tag of 1999 Yuan ($300) when it is launched. Despite how ridiculous and incredulous that sounds, it is not impossible considering Xiaomi’s antecedence as par phone’s pricing. Besides, we have seen LeEco do it with the SD 821-powered Le Pro 3 released last week, so anything is possible. the Mi 5S will launch along side the Mi 5S Plus which is expected with similar specs line up except for its dual cameras at the rear, a larger 5.7-inch display witrh 2K resolution and a monstrous 256GB storage it is said to have.

The post Mi 5S Reservations Hit over 1.82 million Ahead of Tomorrow’s Launch appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi will announce a new smartphone in its September 27 conference in China. There was a bit of a confusing regarding the name of the phone, but now, it’s confirmed that the new flagship will indeed be called as the Xiaomi Mi 5S. First of all, both Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun and Xiaomi’s Market Leader, Tony have started posting on Weibo using the Xiaomi Mi 5S. So, it basically confirms the name. What’s more, like tradition, Lei Jun has even posted a camera sample taken from the Mi 5S, giving us the first look at the phone’s camera performance.

Now, the image that you see below is from the Xiaomi Mi 5S without any filters. We already know that the phone will come with dual cameras at the back, so effects like bokeh should be easily produced by the phone’s camera setup. While we are unable to tell much about the camera quality of the device, the colors have come out quite well.

RELATED: Mi 5S Launch: Xiaomi Releases Posters of Previous Mi Phones

Although the EXIF data revealed just 1280 x 960 resolution for me, mydrivers seems to have got hold of the original image with the detailed EXIF data. Their data confirms that this is taken from the Mi 5S and reveals more details like shutter speed (1/750 sec), ISO 100, f/2.0 aperture, and 3264 x 2448 resolution. Even this is low resolution, but Weibo usually compresses the image file and hence, the original photo resolution should have been upwards of 12/13MP.

So, what do you think about the camera sample from the Mi 5S?

The post First Camera Sample From Xiaomi Mi 5S Is Here! Name Confirmed As Well appeared first on Gizmochina.

Until recently, we had thought Xiaomi was releasing only the Mi 5S but then the Mi 5S Plus emerged out of the blues. We had left that off as mere speculation but then a recent leaked posted revealing the prices of both the Xiaomi Mi 5S and Mi 5S Plus have put a stamp on the fact that the “Apple of China” will indeed gift us a Mi 5S Plus.

The two posters contained the Mi logo, perhaps ascribing some authenticity to them but then, we cannot tell if they are indeed authentic. However, the poster reveals the base storage version Mi 5S with Snapdragon 821 chip, 6GB RAM and 64GB storage will start at 1999 Yuan ($300). Not forgetting it is touted as the world’s first smartphone to use Under Glass ultrasonic fingerprint identification and might pack dual rear cameras, among more for just 1999 Yuan ($300). That’s incredible if true!

On the other hand the Mi 5S Plus with SD 821, 6GB RAM and a mammoth 256GB of built-in storage is said to carry a higher price tag of 2999 Yuan ($450). We don’t know much about the Mi 5S Plus but it is said to come with a larger 5.7-inch dual-curved screen display with an upgraded 2K resolution, a Snapdragon 821 chip and probably the same under-glass ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. There was previously no detail about the RAM, ROM, and camera configuration but now we know it will have a 6GB RAM and perhaps only one storage version with 256GB of storage space.

Related: Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus Emerges, Specs Include Snapdragon 821

As stated earlier, we cannot vouch for the authenticity f this information, the Mi 5S and Mi 5S Plus could as well have higher price tags considering the high-end specs they are bringing to the table.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5S & Mi 5S Plus Prices Revealed, Ultra Cheap! appeared first on Gizmochina.

All is now set for the unveiling of the Xiaomi Mi 5S smartphone but not until the device finally pops, we’ll perhaps continue seeing new juicy leaks and teasers surrounding the Xiaomi flagship. The latest  we’re getting about the device originated from Xiaomi and its camera.

Xiaomi today released a poster which contained the image of two camera lenses arranged vertically, having  same size and shape. The poster posed a question along with it which is translated as: “In addition to dual-camera, what else?” The rest of the texts on the poster talks about the countdown to the conference which is just 4 days away.

If the teaser is anything to go by, that means the Xiaomi Mi 5S would likely be equipped with dual main cameras mounted on its back just like the Redmi Pro. The camera specs of the Mi 5S has often been shrouded in mystery as it wasn’t revealed when the device hit AnTuTu or in the leaks we got in the past. A render of the Mi 5S sporting dual cameras appeared online months back though, but it was nothing certain. However, Xiaomi is touting the Mi 5S to come with a new high-end technology on the camera plane and its just four days before we find out how it’d play out. But then, the Mi 5 released earlier this year brought with it a lot of new high-end technological innovations so it is expected that the mi 5S will take the bar higher.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 5S Could Have A Small 4-inch Variant, New Image Leaked

Now to answer the question posed in the poster, in addition to dual-cameras the Mi 5S we are told would come equipped with the high-end Snapdragon 821 chipset, sport a 5.15-inch 1080 pixels display along with a 6GB RAM and three storage versions of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. The device will also come equipped with a 3410/3,490mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0, USB Type-C interface , dual-SIM slots, and most importantly, NFC.

The post Fresh Xiaomi Teaser Confirms Mi 5S will Sport Dual Cameras appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi is preparing to launch its brand new Xiaomi Mi5S smartphone on September 27, which is just a few days away. While this is great news since the Mi5S is expected to come with powerful features, it did bring up the question of Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and its existence. A previous rumor even said that the phone may no longer exist, but today, a new screenshot has emerged, which is alleged to be of the Mi Note 2 Pro flagship.

The screenshot reveals some very powerful specs on the device. It shows that the Mi Note 2 Pro comes with a quad-core 2.6GHz processor, most likely Snapdragon 821 along with massive 8GB of RAM on board. There’s even 256GB memory along with Android 7 Nougat. Overall, these specs are more powerful than any other handset in the market right now.

RELATED: Xiaomi Mi Note 2 To Be Called Xiaomi Mi Pro ?

While we can’t verify the screenshot, if this is indeed real, there is a good chance that we won’t get to see it soon. Since the Mi5S is expected to be announced later this month, releasing another flagship like the Mi Note 2 should be logically a few months later. Further, it’s still quite early to see 8GB RAM smartphones, when 6GB RAM still has to become standard among flagship phones of 2016. Of course, LeEco could release the first 8GB RAM phone, but these are all just rumors.

For now, if you want a powerful Xiaomi smartphone, better wait for the Mi 5S flagship.

The post Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Exists? Leaked Screenshot Emerge! appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi has officially announced it would be holding a news conference on September 27. The company dubbed the “Apple of China” has released a posted today which announced the conference date and the poster contained one major clue which points to the likely release of the Mi 5S on that date.

The poster contained a huge letter “S” which is an indication that the much touted, rumored and leaked Xiaomi Mi 5S would be the main highlight of the said date. Xiaomi is very well known for not coming out in clear terms to reveal a device’s launch date but rather the dates are usually announced by way of teasers. It is likely that other devices will be unveiled on that day alongside the Mi 5S.

The Mi 5S promises to usher in a new phase in mobile phone technology with the inclusion of the world’s first “Under Glass” ultrasonic fingerprint sensor technology pioneered by Qualcomm. The expected device will also feature a large improvement in other aspects over its Mi 5 predecessor.

Related: Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus Emerges, Specs Include Snapdragon 821

Furthermore, the Mi 5s is expected to feature a double curved screen design with a 5.15-inch display capable of 3D Touch functions. A Snapdragon 821 chipset clocked at 2.4GHz is likely to call the shots, along with a 6GB RAM and a top most storage option of 256GB. On the camera end, the smartphone is expected with a 16MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, four-axis optical image stabilization and LED flash. The device will also come equipped with a 3410/3,490mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0, USB Type-C interface , dual-SIM slots, and most importantly, NFC.

Lets not forget there are rumors of a Mi 5S Plus model said to be in the works. September 27 would possibly give us the answers to that.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5S Official Launch Date Teased for September 27 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Its a new week and already the social media is again buzzing about the Xiaomi Mi 5s which was expected to drop on September 14 but didn’t. We now have to look forward to another date which has not been officially disclosed, although September 27 is rumored.

The Mi 5s has been the subject of several leaks and rumors for some time now. Just last week we got wind that the device will feature the world’s first under glass fingerprint technology manufactured by Qualcomm, which would make the device ditch the physical home button for a virtual one and is touted to work even with wet hands . Earlier on, AnTuTu’s Weibo page featured what was said to be the benchmark score and a few specs of the Mi 5s showing the device would be powered by the top-end Snapdragon 821 chipset, alongside a 5.15-inch 1080p display and Android 6.0 Marshmallow among others. The Mi 5s was revealed to have managed to pull a total score of 150k points.

Also on the under glass fingerprint sensor, this rumor seem to have been confirmed by Xiaomi employees on microblogging site Weibo thus making the Mi 5s the world’s first smartphone to feature the “Under Glass” ultrasonic fingerprint technology. In addition, Apple is rumored as planning to include the new technology on its  iPhone 8 expected next year. Other specs also revealed in the Weibo post include the device would pack a 6GB RAM and would have three storage variants of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB, 2.5D curved glass, NFC, 3D Touch among others.

The post Mi 5s confirmed to feature “Under Glass” Fingerprint sensor appeared first on Gizmochina.

We are looking forward to the launch of the Xiaomi Mi 5s which sources have hinted may hold on the 27th of September. However, rumors say that might not be the only Mi 5 phone to launch. Alongside the Mi 5s, Xiaomi may be launching the Mi 5s Plus too.

Reports say the Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus will feature a Snapdragon 821 processor, a 5.7″ dual-curve display, and probably the same under-glass ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. There are no details about the RAM, ROM, and camera configuration.

In addition to the news of the Xiaomi Mi 5s, a new image of the phone was leaked earlier today in China. This time, it’s a low-quality image, and we can just make that the placement of the camera sensor at the back is a bit different than the Mi5 flagship. The camera is located around the middle, instead of the top left corner as found on the Mi5.

RELATED: Xiaomi Mi Note 2 To Be Called Xiaomi Mi Pro ?

In case you noticed, these specs are quite similar to the specs rumored for the Mi Note 2 /  Mi Note Pro smartphone. What’s even more interesting is a new rumor which states that Xiaomi Mi Note 2 may no longer exist. Now, this is indeed surprising given that we have been consistently hearing about the new flagship for the past few months.

Hopefully, things will get cleared in the days to come.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus Emerges, Specs Include Snapdragon 821 appeared first on Gizmochina.

With the avalanche of leaks that have so far surfaced around the Xiaomi Mi 5s, something big is anticipated. The flagship is billed to be the world’s first smartphone with under glass fingerprint scanner and we saw an illustration of how that works. What we didn’t see was the live image of the Mi 5s devoid of the physical home button. Well, a live photo of the Mi 5s has surfaced online on Weibo and it gave us our first glimpse of what the device looks like. The leaked photo seem to have come from well-known tipster @kjuma who has got an authentic track record.

While we cannot say the design is  out of this world, we can at least spot one notable new feature on the render and that is the round shaped home button right at the bottom edge of the display screen. The home buttons on the Mi 5 is oblong shaped but this one takes an all new round-shaped design, just like those on iPhones. The button doesn’t look like it is protruding out of the screen surface so it is possible it is a virtual button. Recall that the home button is rumored to also house the under glass ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that is said to work even when the fingers are wet.

The expected Xiaomi Mi 5S’ AnTuTu record had earlier appeared on AnTuTu’s Weibo page revealing it pulled a total score of about 150K points. The AnTuTu record listed the device as coming with a 2.15GHz Snapdragon 821 processor alongside an Adreno 531 GPU and Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS, which would likely be embellished with MIUI 8. Also, the Mi 5s will  sport a 5.15-inch display with 1080p resolution and Force Touch.  The device is also rumored as having three versions with 3GB RAM + 64GB ROM, 4GB RAM + 128GB ROM and a top-end version with 6GB RAM + 256GB of internal storage.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 5s to Feature Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor, Ditch Physical Home Button

The post Live Photo of Xiaomi Mi 5s Leaked online appeared first on Gizmochina.

Smartphone makers seem intent on starting a new trend of ditching the physical home key entirely, instead using a virtual one embedded on the display. This trend found its place in the iPhone 7 and now we have information that Xiaomi is including that on the expected Mi 5s flagship. This was exposed by Kevin Wang, Director of electronics research in China for IHS Technology, on a Weibo post that the Mi 5s will feature fingerprint recognition technology but that the sensor is hidden under the display with no physical button to press.

It is said that the technology is known as ultrasonic fingerprint technology, developed by Qualcomm and Xiaomi is pioneering this one in the Chinese phone industry. The fingerprint sensors would still work even when your hands are wet. This should be the main talking point of the Mi 5s and it seem to tow the line of the iPhone 7’s latest fingerprint technology.

Related: Render of Xiaomi Mi 5s with dual Camera Surfaces

The Mi 5S had earlier appeared on AnTuTu managing to pull a total score of about 150K points. The device was listed as coming with a Snapdragon 821 processor alongside an Andreno 531 GPU and Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS. Of course the OS will be embellished with MIUI 8. Aside the few AnTuTu details, the Mi 5s is said to sport a 5.15-inch display with 1080p resolution. There are no information yet about the camera but it is expected to see an improvement over the Mi 5’s camera sensors.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5s to Feature Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor, Ditch Physical Home Button appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi’s expected Mi 5S flagship has joined the list devices which have hit AnTuTu benchmark of late. Before now all we know about the Mi 5S were based on rumors. We didn’t even know for sure if the Mi 5S actually exists and is in development. However, the recent AnTuTu benchmark listing which was drawn from their database and featured on AnTuTu’s Weibo page gives us some insight into the specs line-up for the Mi 5S.

According to the listing, the Mi 5S will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system whenever it launches. The stand out feature on the leaked specs sheet should be the fact that the Mi 5S would be powered the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, tagging along Adreno 530 GPU. The display resolution is revealed as 1920 x 1080 pixels and the size as 5.15-inches. With these specs on board, the phone managed to score around 150K on AnTuTu.

Related: Render of Xiaomi Mi 5s with dual Camera Surfaces

We got nothing also about the memory, both RAM, and ROM, from the AnTuTu data but earlier leaks had disclosed that the Mi 5S will pack 6GB of RAM and 256GB of built-in storage. It is very likely, though, that there will be more than one memory versions on the smartphone. No data about the camera as well, but it is expected that the Mi 5S would pack an improved package from the Mi 5. We still don’t know when Xiaomi will release this one.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5S Specs Sheet Leaks on AnTuTu, Confirms SD 821 appeared first on Gizmochina.

An industry analyst, Pan Jiutang has said the Mi 5s and Mi Note 2 will follow the trend of the newly released Redmi Pro and have higher prices than their predecessors.

The Redmi series is known for its low price tag but that has changed with the release of the Redmi Pro which has a starting price of 1499 Yuan ($224) and goes up to 1999 Yuan ($299), setting the record for the most expensive Redmi phone. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise since the Redmi Pro is sporting a number of new features the company hasn’t put on a phone before, such as  the use of dual rear cameras and an OLED display.

The Mi 5s is reported to also launch with dual cameras. It will have a glass body, an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, and an advanced pressure sensitive display. The Mi Note 2 on the other hand will feature a snapdragon 821 SoC and an advanced pressure sensitive 2K display as well but with a curved edge. These new features will definitely see them having higher price tags but which are still competitive enough for them to give the competition a run for their money.

RELATED: Render of Xiaomi Mi 5s With Dual Cameras

The Mi 5s and Mi Note 2 are expected to launch next month before the release of the iPhone 7s (sevens) in September.

The post Analyst: Xiaomi’s Mi 5s and Mi Note 2 to Cost More appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun had announced via his Weibo account days back that the company is intensifying effort to improve the production of new mobile phones for release in the second half of the year. That effort seems to have started yielding rapid results, as the “China’s Apple” has officially announced a conference holding on July 27.

The announcement came from the hands of one of the three new spokespersons employed by Xiaomi recently. Actor Liu Hao Ran, posted on Weibo about a Xiaomi press conference which would be held on July 27 at the Beijing National Convention Center.

Earlier statements from the tech startup had stipulated that the Xiaomi Mi 5s and the flagship Mi Note 2 with Helio X20 processor, 4GB RAM + 128GB ROM, all metal body, fingerprint scanner and dual main camera, would be released in the second half of this year with new innovative features like pressure touch and dual main cameras.

RELATED: Possible redmi Note 4 Render with dual cameras spotted

However, considering that this announcement comes via the spokesperson of the company’s Redmi lineup, we will see a new Redmi device at the end of this month. We have seen a few renders as well as benchmarks of Redmi devices in the past few days including Xiaomi Altun, suspected to be the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4.  So, we could be meeting this new device at the event on July 27. The flagship Redmi Note 4 is expected to pop sporting a dual camera at the rear, among a host of stunning features.

Xiaomi had shared their lofty plans for the second half of the year with us, part of which is the launching of a flurry of different smartphones in one event, according to Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun on Weibo. Could we be seeing such scenario on July 27? Mark this date, we’ll keep you posted as always.

The post Xiaomi announces July 27 event, New Redmi device expected appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi is gearing up for the second half of the year in terms of new releases and the two phones we are greatly looking forward to are the Mi Note 2 and Xiaomi Mi 5s. While the Mi 5s is an upgraded version of the Mi 5 released this year, the Note 2 is a sequel to last year’s Mi Note.

A post by Wang Yang who is a head at IHS Technology posted today that the Mi Note 2 and Mi 5s will be sporting glass bodies. Quite a number of manufacturers are going back to glass bodies as there’s no new innovation when it comes to all-metal designs. While all glass phones do look beautiful, they tend to slip and fall easily leaving a crack that users have to live with for as long as the phone is with them. An example is the Nexus 4 which suffered cracks easily.

Buyers who do not like all glass phones can settle for the pro version of the Mi 5 instead of the Mi 5s or just invest in a case that has a strong grip (which covers the rear glass completely) to prevent slipping.

The Mi Note 2 is said to feature a 5.7” 2K screen, 4GB and 6GB RAM options, a Snapdragon 821 SoC, dual cameras, a possible July or August launch.

The post Mi Note 2 and Mi 5s May Have Glass Bodies appeared first on Gizmochina.