I was recently clued-in to Xiaomi products and have been digging into the company’s devices since. The latest device I’ve had the opportunity to test is the Xiaomi Mi 5s smartphone. The Mi 5s is an Android-based smartphone that has been a real surprise to me. From performance to form factor to camera capability, the Mi 5s is a real contender.
The Mi 5s fits comfortably in the hand. The form factor reminds me of the Microsoft Lumia 735 (which I loved and carried for a couple years) and the Mi 5s’s sloping sides make it even more comfortable to hold. And, the full-metal body makes it feel extra solid and almost indestructible.
The screen is extremely vibrant and possibly one of the best I’ve experienced on a device like this, making it a joy to use, work with apps, and check notifications.
For audiophiles, the sound is also pretty amazing – both with and without headphones. The stereo speakers are incredibly adequate for listening to audio for YouTube videos and streaming movies and shows from apps like Hulu and Netflix.
One of the most interesting and useful features of the Mi 5s is its use of capacitive buttons on the front of the device. There are no mechanical buttons, just capacitive areas that provide direct feedback through vibrations for the standard Android back, settings, and home buttons. The home button also doubles as an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. Fingerprint scanning for security rivals anything produced by Apple for its iPhones. Scanning is much quicker.
I’ve included a couple photo comparisons in the gallery above, but compared to the iPhone 7, the Mi 5s is more than adequate for normal use.
Components:
· Display: 5.15 inch, 1920 x 1080 FHD screen
· CPU: Snapdragon 821 Quad Core 2.15GHz
· GPU: Adreno 530
· System: International Edition MIUI 8 (or MIUI 8 above)
· RAM + ROM: 3GB RAM + 64GB ROM
· Camera: 12.0MP rear camera with PDAF and dual-tone flash light + 4.0MP with f/2.0 aperture front camera
· Sensor: Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, E-Compass, Gyroscope, Hall Sensor, Proximity Sensor
· Security: Fingerprint Scanner
· Port: Type-C
· SIM Card: Dual nano SIM
· Feature: GPS / A-GPS / Glonass / Beidou / OTA
· Bluetooth: 4.2
· Network: GSM: B2/B3/B5/B8, CDMA: 1X/EVDO BC0, WCDMA: B1/B2/B5/B8, TD-SCDMA: B34/39, FDD-LTE: B1/B3/B5/B7, TD-LTE: B38/B39/B40/B41
Bottom line: the Xiaomi Mi 5s is a super-sweet Android-based smartphone. It outperforms the majority of Android smartphones available. And, the camera is a solid contender in various lighting situations. If I were still an Android user I’d be carrying this phone as my daily device, for sure.
The Xiaomi Mi 5s is available right now for around $300 during a Flash Sale: Xiaomi Mi5s 4G Smartphone
Check out other GearBest sales: http://www.gearbest.com/m-promotion-active-261.html
