Xiaomi Mi 5 rumour roundup: Everything you need to know

We fell in love with the Mi 4 – Xiaomi’s last offering in the Mi range – and now wheels are turning as the unveiling of the Mi 5 draws closer and closer. Ahead of the launch of what surely is set to become one of the most anticipated handsets of the year, we’re collating a Xiaomi Mi 5 rumour roundup ahead of the device’s launch at MWC this year.
Let‘s discuss everything we know and expect from the upcoming device in out Xiaomi Mi 5 rumour roundup ahead of its launch at MWC 2016 in a matter of days.
Read: Xiaomi Mi 4 Review: Striding with giants

 

Design

Arguably, Xiaomi is more revered for its software design than its hardware – however, things look set to change with the arrival of the Mi 5, which will allegedly sport a premium design and will incorporate a metal unibody with a rear fingerprint scanner.
Speculation has gone so far as to posit that we could end up seeing two different variations of the device; one would be the firm’s staple affordable model, with the other making use of high-end materials.
Read: Xiaomi Mi 5 body leaked, shows premium design

Specifications at value

We’re still not precisely certain what internal specifications the Mi 5 will carry, but early rumour posits that the handset will carry a Snapdragon 820 chipset, with a large 3,000 mAh battery.
Reportedly, the Mi 5 will carry a 16 and 4 megapixel camera split – with a 5.2″ QHD display to boot – and will include support for NFC as well as USB Type C. Presently, it is uncertain as to how much RAM the Mi 5 will arrive with, though we’d estimate the device will either carry 3GB – as the Mi 4 did – or 4GB.
Read: Xiaomi Mi 5 specs show brighter screen, larger battery

Camera

We felt that the Xiaomi Mi 4’s camera was one of the best elements of the device as a value proposition, and if early indications prove true, the Mi 5 will offer plenty to be excited about.
Early shots from Xiaomi’s Vice President of International, Hugo Barra, teased an image taken with the Mi 5’s primary 16 megapixel shooter and delivered impressive results. The image, which was apparently captured in the device’s HDR mode, shows impressive detail and sharpness with little to no hint of over-saturation.
Read: Xiaomi Mi 5 camera images teased

Embracing the future

The Xiaomi Mi 4 still stands a stellar offering at its price point in South Africa, but on launch the device missed out on certain technologies, such as, most pressingly at the time, the integration of a fingerprint scanner.
This looks set to change with the introduction of the Mi 5, which will apparently not only include a rear fingerprint scanner in the style of its arch-rival Huawei, but will further include support for NFC as well as a USB Type-C port. One of our key hopes going forward is that the device’s internal storage – if indeed still limited to 16GB – will be expandable through a MicroSD card.
Read: Xiaomi tease super-thin smartphone 
What would you like to see in the Xiaomi Mi 5? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!