Xiaomi Mi 5 Costs Half but is as Powerful as Smartphones get From first impressions and community reviews, Xiaomi does appear to work as advertised

By Rustam Singh

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

http://www.mi.com

The Chinese super giant that has surprised marketing experts with its incredible sales pitches and numbers, its newest product Xiaomi Mi 5 is already taking storm of reviewers across the world. Thankfully, this is one of those rare phones where Asian countries, including India, get an advantage of an early release and cheaper pricing as compared to MNC giants like Apple and Google Nexus.

It's said to be competing with these giants yet at less than half their price. But as they say, if something is too good to be true, it probably is.

Design

Xiaomi Mi 5 borrows a lot of elements from its predecessor Mi Note, which was also referred and acknowledged in the press launch. The design admittedly does look progressive and sleek, and they've managed to fit a good 3000Mah battery inside this tiny device weighing around 129g. The metallic look provides a bit of a slip in it's grip, but you'd probably use a cover anyway. The back, unfortunately looks hastily designed, and easily gives away the cheap Chinese phone look.

Display

The crisp 5.15 inch full HD display appears to be very reflective, and it's difficult to get a selfie out in the sun without your face bouncing back the polish. But that's where the innovative Sunlight Display, which dynamically adjusts the brightness on pixels, so that one does not have to strain their eyes when out in bright sunlight comes in play. That is really impressive display right there – with the text appearing sharp, colors are vibrant.

Performance

It's the first smartphone in India with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820. It's paired with DDR4 RAM & UFC 2.0 storage. The quadcore processing makes the phone good for virtually any use- even though it's draining the battery at the downside. But hey, a little bit of tweaking can do wonders. For its price, it's working great. It's clocked 1.8 ghz.

Camera

With a stunning 16MP camera with four axis OIS, Ultrapixel camera front camera and brilliant LED flashes, the camera is great. Not stunning, but great nonetheless.

Overall

If you cannot afford a Galaxy flagship Smartphone because it doesn't make sense as the next model can launch before you can even finish your previous phone's EMI, then this is the right phone for you. But if you're expecting the world's fastest and perfect phone, there's no such thing, but this does come close to it, for the price. The fastest selling point is making luxury affordable to everyone.

What do you think of the new Xiaomi? Let us know in the comments on our official Facebook page Entrepreneur India.

Rustam Singh

Sub-Editor- Entrepreneur.com

Tech reporter.

Contact me if you have a truly unique technology related startup looking for a review and coverage, especially a crowd-funded project looking to launch and coverage.

News and Trends

Nikhil Kamath's WTFund Backs 22 Young Entrepreneurs with Grants & Mentorship

WTFund's second cohort, spanning 50+ cities, showcases startups across Tech, D2C, Edtech, Fintech, and more. Tier I drives AI/ML B2B solutions, while Tier II/III focus on vernacular-first B2C innovations.

Growing a Business

The 10 Best Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should Listen to for Growth, Strategy and Success

Unlock your potential with the 10 must-listen podcasts for entrepreneurs, offering expert insights on growth, strategy and success.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

JPMorgan Is Reportedly Laying Off Around 1,000 Workers

JPMorgan is also planning job cuts in mid-March, May, June, August, and September, according to new reports.

Growth Strategies

JLR To Ramp Up Production Of Made In India Range Rover & Range Rover Sport; To Focus On SV Variants: Rajan Amba

We are focusing on tailor made limited edition cars, specifically for the Indian market, catering to the high net worth individuals (HNIs), says Rajan Amba, MD, JLR India

Business News

Chevron Announces Layoffs Affecting Up to 8,000 Workers: 'Stronger Long-Term Competitiveness'

The oil producer said the layoffs are part of a cost-cutting initiative.