Xiaomi Mi 5 to support NFC and 4G LTE

Plenty of new smartphones are expected to be revealed later this month at MWC 2016 in Barcelona. In addition to the highly anticipated Galaxy S7 and LG G5 flagships, Chinese brands are also expected to make an appearance. Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra has confirmed that the Mi 5 will indeed be revealed this coming February 24th at the event.

Currently, images have surfaced on the packaging of the Mi 5 and some have already made it to Chinese press. In particular, Xiaomi CEO Jun Lei posted a screenshot of the smartphone revealing icons for NFC and 4G LTE support, both of which were later confirmed by Chinese media. The remaining specifications have been more difficult to come by.

At least two Mi 5 models are expected to be revealed. The 5.2-inch version may carry a 2560 x 1440 or 1920 x 1080 resolution display while the larger 5.7-inch version will include almost identical specifications and with a Snapdragon 820 SoC according to a GFXBench listing.

IDC ranks Xiaomi as the fifth largest smartphone manufacturer as of Q4 2015. Render leaks of the Mi 5 were reported as early as last December while an official launch in North America may be in the works according to a legal case in Texas.

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