Xiaomi plans to use self-designed smartphone chips for its lower-priced handsets. (Photo : REUTERS)
At the MWC 2016 this week, the Xiaomi Mi5 easily impressed and made a name as a monster but gorgeous phone that has all the chops to become a flagship smartphone killer. The latest and greatest from the company dubbed as Apple of China is no doubt among the best Android to come out this year, making it a solid candidate to be reimagined as a Google Nexus 2016.
What exactly Xiaomi Mi5 has in store to become the killer next Nexus? Consider the awesome specs and features listed below:
Solid build and stunning design
Like its Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6S rivals, the Mi5 is premium in all aspects. It comes in three flavors of gold, black and white that users would want to pull out and flash as long as they can. The ceramic back plate (for the top-most model) that seamlessly melded with front glass panel created an immediate effect premium quality, which according to early reviewers also extends to the top-notch build that is nothing short of robust.
Google is rumored earlier this year to be looking to produce a beast and a premium of a handset in its Nexus 2016 project and it doesn't take a hard look on the Xiaomi Mi5 to convince the tech giant that the device is the one.
High-end hardware specs
How high-end a 2016 smartphone can get? For the Xiaomi Mi5, the specs are pushed to the limit as the headline component is the toast of the town - the beastly Snapdragon 820 from Qualcomm that Xiaomi paired with up to 4GB of RAM for the top-tier variant and a still decent RAM provision of 3GB for the cheaper models. The combination alone ensures that the Mi5 is a force to reckon, which earns the device the early reputation as a flagship killer.
And the upscale package gets completed by a 5.15-inch Full HD display, storage options of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB, a massive 3000mAh battery and the usual flagship standard of USB Type-C connectivity and fingerprint reader. Out of the box, Google has no need to make adjustments inside and out but the company will get the robust assurance that the Xiaomi Mi5 will rock and roll as the next Nexus.
Insane camera features
The Xiaomi Mi5 main shooter of 16-megapixel (with 4MP on the front-facing camera, came equipped with a four-axis optical image stabilization or OIS that its maker said will overwhelm both the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. And Xiaomi has a clip (viewable below) to prove its point.
Arguably, this new Android from China fully embodies a long-time promised by Google (proclaimed since the early Nexus models) that its signature phone will soon pack a shooter that leave the completion breathing dust.
Best bang for the buck
And as if to seal its slot in the Nexus 2016 project, the Xiaomi Mi5 is an easy buy with the price starting at $300 for the 32GB build, $350 for the 64GB and around $400 for the 128GB option. Now any of the three will still be dirt cheap compared to the pricy competition when pitted with the likes of iPhone 6S and Galaxy S7, both of which are priced at no less than $600 in SIM-free.
But the good news is, Google can still trim down the pricing, as always the case, if indeed the Xiaomi Mi5 will later on resurface as part of the Nexus 2016 release date.
