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Xiaomi Mi 5 Smartphone Review

Light smartphone heavyweight. The newest flagship model by the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi proves that it has arrived in the premium smartphone sector. High-end specifications, a generous configuration, weight of just 129 grams, and high-quality glass casing: These clearly challenge established companies at a local street price of just below 300 Euros (~$332).

For the original German review, see here.

Last year's vertical takeoff tycoon on the Chinese smartphone market, Xiaomi Tech, presented the fifth generation Mi Phone at this year's Mobile World Congress 2016 (we reported). In addition to premium specs, the Mi5 is to succeed with an outstanding price-performance ratio. Xiaomi's handset costs just half the price of flagship models by other manufacturers.

The manufacturer's premium model features 128 GB of internal storage and 4 GB of working memory (460 Euros, ~$509) - we were provided with Xiaomi's Mi5 in the 64 GB and 3 GB RAM (370 Euros, ~$409) version for the test. The high-end smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's latest high-performance quad-core SoC - the Snapdragon 820 - alongside an Adreno 530 graphics unit. The 5.15-inch IPS panel has a Full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels which results in a pixel density of 428 PPI. Further specs include a USB Type-C port, 3000 mAh battery and fingerprint scanner integrated into the physical home button. The 16 MP primary camera in the Mi 5 uses an optical 4 axis image stabilizer (OIS). A 4 MP front-facing camera with especially large image pixels (2 µm) is present for selfies.

Xiaomi's Mi5 is available in gold, white or black. Its potential rivals are Samsung's Galaxy S7, HTC's 10, LG's G5, OnePlus' 3, and Huawei's P9 although Xiaomi's handset is comparatively cheap at a price of just below 300 Euros (~$332, 32 GB, importers). Direct retail of the Mi5 is not intended for the European market.

Xiaomi Mi 5 (Mi Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 4 x 2.2 GHz @ 1.8 GHz, Kryo
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.15 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 428 PPI, multitouch, capacitive, LCD, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash, 64 GB 
, 53.82 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 Infrared, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm jack, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Hall sensor, motion sensor, compass, proximity sensor, barometer, OTG, Miracast, WiFi Direct
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 38, 39, 40, 41; 3G WCDMA 850/1900/2100 MHz; 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.25 x 144.55 x 69.2 ( = 0.29 x 5.69 x 2.72 in)
Battery
3000 mAh Lithium-Polymer, Quickcharge 3.0
Operating System
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix OIS 4 axis, f/2.0
Secondary Camera: 6 MPix f/2.0, 80° wide angle
Additional features
Speakers: mono, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, USB data cable, charger, protection cover, adapter, MIUI 7.0 (MIUI 8.0 global ROM), 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
129 g ( = 4.55 oz / 0.28 pounds), Power Supply: 66 g ( = 2.33 oz / 0.15 pounds)
Price
300 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The casing's front and rear are made of Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Xiaomi calls this "3D Glass Body Design". The curved glass back on the long lateral sides merges into a metal bezel - the transition is very palpable and not as elegantly solved as in Samsung's Galaxy S7. A very narrow, black, lateral frame only limits the IPS panel in Xiaomi's Mi5. The edges on the lower and upper sides are also relatively small, and thus the screen to casing's front side has a good ratio of 73.1%.

The metal buttons for volume control and power on the casing's right are comfortable to reach, hardly wobble, and they have a pleasant pressure point. The same is true for the home button on the handset's front. Despite the low height of 7.25 millimeters and optical image stabilizer, the rear-facing primary camera does not jut out of the casing.

The casing's feel, handiness, and stability are very good - nothing creaks or cracks when twisting the Mi5. The build quality is roughly on par with other devices from the premium range.

Size Comparison

152.7 mm / 6.01 inch 74.7 mm / 2.94 inch 7.35 mm / 0.2894 inch 161 g0.3549 lbs149.4 mm / 5.88 inch 73.9 mm / 2.91 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 159 g0.3505 lbs145.9 mm / 5.74 inch 71.9 mm / 2.83 inch 9 mm / 0.3543 inch 161 g0.3549 lbs145 mm / 5.71 inch 70.9 mm / 2.79 inch 6.95 mm / 0.2736 inch 144 g0.3175 lbs144.55 mm / 5.69 inch 69.2 mm / 2.72 inch 7.25 mm / 0.2854 inch 129 g0.2844 lbs142.4 mm / 5.61 inch 69.6 mm / 2.74 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 152 g0.3351 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The internal UFS 2.0 storage in the Mi5 has a capacity of 64 GB. The user only has 53.82 GB for personal use in delivery state. Depending on the requirement profile, it should be noted that the flash memory cannot be expanded. The Mi5's 3000 mAh battery is charged via a modern USB C port with Quickcharge 3.0 on the handset's lower edge. The micro USB port, however, only transfers data in the 2.0 standard. In return, the port identifies external peripherals via USB OTG (on-the-go).

A fingerprint scanner, Wi-Fi Direct, an infrared sensor, a compass, and a status LED are also installed in the Mi5. Wireless transmission of screen content to external monitors via Miracast is also supported, and it functioned very well in conjunction with a Sony Android TV in the test.

SD Card Reader
maximum SDCardreader Maximum Transfer Rate
average SDCardreader Average Transfer Rate

Software

Since Xiaomi Mi5 smartphones are originally intended for the Chinese market, they do not support Google services like the Play Store or apps like Gmail or Google Maps ex-factory. Instead, they are shipped with Chinese services and Xiaomi's own services. Also, only Chinese and English can be selected as the system language. The preloaded MIUI operating system in version 8 (global ROM including Google services) in our review sample is based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (tutorial multi-ROM).

The user can customize the design via Xiaomi's Theme Store. However, most of the alternative themes present a similar style as MIUI: Colorful and somewhat cluttered. Installed applications are distributed over the home screen; there is no app drawer.

The setting options are very diverse in MIUI 8. The custom ROM also has interesting features: For example, apps can be cloned and used separately. Beyond that, a second profile can be configured so that private content can be stored in a separate profile partition.

Communication & GPS

GPS test outdoors
GPS test indoors

The latest Bluetooth version 4.2 and an NFC chip are available for wireless near-field communication. The integrated Wi-Fi module in the Mi5 supports the IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards, and thus it transmits in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies. Both the range and signal stability are very good. The Wi-Fi transmission speed between the smartphone and our Linksys EA 8500 reference router is on par with current high-end devices. The Mi5 even achieves the best rate in our smartphone database with 316 Mbit/s (iperf server). The data rates were stable and did not fluctuate significantly during the test.

The dual-SIM smartphone sports two slots for nano-SIM cards. Both support LTE Cat.9 and thus can access mobile Internet at up to 450 MB/s (download) and 50 MB/s (upload). The Mi 5 supports quad-band GSM, quad-band UMTS, and LTE in 1800, 2100, and 2600 MHz frequencies. Here, it becomes clear that Xiaomi's devices are not made for the German market as LTE band 20 is absent. The supported frequencies are comparatively limited.

Localization is performed via main satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, and Beidou. Satellites were found quickly outdoors with an accuracy of approximately 3 meters. Using the Mi5 for localization indoors did not function. To evaluate the tracking accuracy of our review sample in practice, we record a route for comparison reasons using Garmin's Edge 500 GPS bike computer and the smartphone. The Mi5 apparently only keeps the GPS signal when activated and not in standby. Thus, only the places where we activated the handset for shooting photos were logged in the test. Since the preloaded ROM on our review sample is a beta version, this could be fixed in the final version.

Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
Xiaomi Mi 5
Adreno 530, 820 MSM8996, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
316 MBit/s
LG G5
Adreno 530, 820 MSM8996, 32 GB eMMC Flash
303 MBit/s -4%
OnePlus 3
Adreno 530, 820 MSM8996, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
286 MBit/s -9%
Huawei P9
Mali-T880 MP4, Kirin 955, 32 GB eMMC Flash
249 MBit/s -21%
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
Xiaomi Mi 5
Adreno 530, 820 MSM8996, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
265 MBit/s
OnePlus 3
Adreno 530, 820 MSM8996, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
256 MBit/s -3%
Huawei P9
Mali-T880 MP4, Kirin 955, 32 GB eMMC Flash
205 MBit/s -23%
LG G5
Adreno 530, 820 MSM8996, 32 GB eMMC Flash
151 MBit/s -43%


GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Xiaomi Mi 5

Telephone & Call Quality

The intelligibility during a test call using the German Vodafone network was very good, and the earpiece's maximum volume was sufficient. Voice sounded very natural, and our contact described the installed microphone's quality as well-intelligible.

The camera often stopped recording during video calls during Skype, making it necessary to restart the video chat.

Phone app
Phone app

Cameras

Front-facing camera photo
Primary camera macro photo

The 16 MP primary camera in the Mi5 has a resolution of 4608x 3456 pixels at an aspect ratio of 4:3. The camera module features an aperture of f/2.0 and a 28-millimeter objective. The installed 1/2.8-inch Sony CMOS image sensor (IMX298) is also used, for example, in OnePlus' 3. The pixel edge length of 1.12 micrometers is considerably smaller than in other Sony sensors that, for example, are installed in Samsung's Galaxy S7 (1.4 µm) or HTC's 10 (1.55 µm). Xiaomi uses the so-called "Deep-Trench-Isolation" technology for the first time. It reduces the artifacts between neighboring photodiodes.

Good to very good photos with high image sharpness (scene 3: surroundings) are possible with the Mi5. The dynamic range is on par with the rivals. Compared with OnePlus' 3 with the same sensor model, details are not displayed quite as rich. The light absorption is on par with Samsung's Galaxy S7 (f/1.7) in low-light conditions despite lower aperture and pixel edge length (scene 2: night). However, the image sharpness often suffers under the long exposure time - despite an optical four-axis image stabilizer for stabilizing movements.

The 4 MP front-facing camera is also good quality and is more than sufficient for selfies. The front-facing camera in the Mi5 records videos in the FHD resolution (1920x1080 pixels) at up to 30 frames per second. The 16 MP primary camera records videos in the 4K resolution (4096x2160 pixels) at 30 FPS and slow motion shots in 720p at 120 FPS.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories & Warranty

In addition to the smartphone, the box of our review sample contained a user manual in Chinese, a protection cover, USB cable, and modular power supply. Beyond that, the Mi5 was delivered with an EU adapter for the regional power outlets. However, it does not belong to the standard accessories but is a service by the loaner, Trading Shenzhen, which every buyer receives.

The warranty period is 12 months. Our review sample, provided by Trading Shenzhen, can be sent to a German dispatch address in case of a warranty claim. Thus, time-consuming shipping to China would not become necessary.

Input Devices & Handling

Xiaomi does not use onscreen navigation in its flagship handset. Three buttons for control are situated under the screen. The physical home button with an integrated fingerprint scanner is in the center. Two backlit, touch-sensitive buttons for "multitasking" and "back" are on its left and right. Xiaomi uses a simple point design like known, for example, from ZTE smartphones. These points are automatically turned on and off during use.

Unlocking the handset via biometric identification, i.e. fingerprint, functioned reliably and at a similar speed as in Samsung's Galaxy S7. Both handsets also have the passive fingerprint scanner in common. This means that the Mi5 first has to be awakened from standby before the user can unlock it.

The capacitive multi-touchscreen responds to inputs very accurately into the screen's lateral areas. Xiaomi preloads the stock Android keyboard by Google for text inputting.

Virtual onscreen keyboard (landscape)
Virtual onscreen keyboard (portrait mode)
Virtual onscreen keyboard (portrait mode)

Display

Subpixel grid

The IPS panel in the Mi5 has a diagonal of 13.1 centimeters (5.15-inches) and has the Full High Definition resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. That results in a pixel density of approximately 429 PPI, and thus content is displayed very sharply. The available resolution is more than sufficient for everyday use although it cannot offer the WQHD resolution (2560x1440 pixels) of Samsung's Galaxy S7.

The maximum screen brightness of 598 cd/m² is very bright and also very homogeneous at 90%. We determined a similar rate of 571 cd/m² when measuring the screen's brightness with equally distributed bright and dark areas (APL 50). The Mi5's screen achieves a rate of 541 cd/m² when the adaptive light sensor for controlling the screen's brightness is enabled.

536
cd/m²
591
cd/m²
564
cd/m²
542
cd/m²
598
cd/m²
562
cd/m²
551
cd/m²
587
cd/m²
563
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LCD tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 598 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 566 cd/m² Minimum: 0.93 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 598 cd/m²
Contrast: 1173:1 (Black: 0.51 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.29
Xiaomi Mi 5
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.15
Samsung Galaxy S7
SAMOLED, 2560x1440, 5.10
LG G5
IPS Quantum, 2560x1440, 5.30
Huawei P9
IPS-NEO, JDI, 1920x1080, 5.20
HTC 10
Super LCD 5, 2560x1440, 5.20
OnePlus 3
Optic-AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.50
Screen
12%
-21%
-4%
1%
-28%
Brightness middle
598
350
-41%
784
31%
582
-3%
445
-26%
419
-30%
Brightness
566
351
-38%
774
37%
563
-1%
434
-23%
431
-24%
Brightness Distribution
90
98
9%
91
1%
91
1%
93
3%
84
-7%
Black Level *
0.51
0.43
16%
0.38
25%
0.36
29%
Contrast
1173
1823
55%
1532
31%
1236
5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.5
2.04
42%
6.5
-86%
4.4
-26%
2.8
20%
4.1
-17%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.1
3.25
47%
11.7
-92%
7.4
-21%
5.8
5%
12
-97%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.5
1.63
53%
8
-129%
4.8
-37%
3.7
-6%
3.3
6%
Gamma
2.29 96%
2.07 106%
2.22 99%
2.2 100%
2.31 95%
2.1 105%
CCT
6532 100%
6391 102%
8699 75%
6175 105%
7164 91%
6550 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
86.86
68.08
77.78
89.38
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.35
97.46
99.44
100

* ... smaller is better

We cannot confirm Xiaomi's specified contrast of 1500:1 in the test. Our measurements resulted in a contrast of 1137:1 at a black level of 0.51 cd/m² (APL 50: 0.74 cd/m², 808:1). Seen subjectively, both the black level and contrast are absolutely satisfactory. However, the rivals provide slightly better screen rates objectively. Then again, the Mi5 scores in color and grayscale reproduction (display mode: warm). The analysis using a photospectrometer and CalMAN software only presents minor shifts in color (3.5) and grayscale (3.5) reproduction. Furthermore, the measured color temperature of 6532 Kelvin is very close to the ideal rate of 6500 Kelvin. The rates were a bit worse in the other two display modes.

CalMAN ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB), display mode: warm
CalMAN Colorspace (target color space: sRGB), display mode: warm
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB), display mode: warm
CalMAN Grayscale (target color space: sRGB), display mode: warm
CalMAN ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB), display mode: natural
CalMAN Colorspace (target color space: sRGB), display mode: natural
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB), display mode: natural
CalMAN Grayscale (target color space: sRGB), display mode: natural
CalMAN Colorspace (target color space: sRGB), display mode: cool
CalMAN ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB), display mode: cool
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB), display mode: cool
CalMAN Grayscale (target color space: sRGB), display mode: cool

Displayed content is very well-legible outdoors thanks to the bright liquid crystal display. The Mi5 also scores very well in terms of viewing-angle stability - colors do not invert thanks to the IPS panel, and the reproduction barely changes in flat viewing angles.

Outdoors, sunny
Outdoors, sunny
Outdoors, shade
Viewing angles
 
 

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15 ms rise
↘ 25 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 97 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 25 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 75 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

Xiaomi installs one of the presently strongest processors on the market with the Snapdragon 820. Qualcomm's SoC integrates 4 CPU cores from its own Kryo architecture with 64-bit support. As the benchmark scores prove, the Snapdragon 820 (1.8 GHz clock rate) alongside 3 GB of DDR4 RAM ensures a similarly high performance as current premium devices by other manufacturers and even top rates in graphics-driven calculations.

Both system performance and browser speed are also outstanding. The system runs very smoothly and almost lag-free in everyday use. A big advantage of the MIUI software: System animations can be disabled in the settings menu. That increases the subjective system speed even more and turns the Mi5 into one of the highest-performance smartphones on the market. Even Samsung's Galaxy S7 cannot keep up in the direct comparison.

Applications open and close quickly thanks to the strong SoC as well as the modern UFS 2.0 flash memory in the Mi5, which is one of the fastest smartphone storage devices on the market. Solely OnePlus' 3 achieves similarly good access rates as Xiaomi's smartphone in the AndroBench 3 test.

AndroBench 3-5
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
13.61 MB/s
Samsung Galaxy S7
16.01 MB/s +18%
LG G5
16.22 MB/s +19%
Huawei P9
47.45 MB/s +249%
HTC 10
15.89 MB/s +17%
OnePlus 3
18.23 MB/s +34%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
106.8 MB/s
Samsung Galaxy S7
85.9 MB/s -20%
LG G5
89.3 MB/s -16%
Huawei P9
39 MB/s -63%
HTC 10
29.92 MB/s -72%
OnePlus 3
137.6 MB/s +29%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
159.3 MB/s
Samsung Galaxy S7
145.7 MB/s -9%
LG G5
141.3 MB/s -11%
Huawei P9
72.2 MB/s -55%
HTC 10
115.6 MB/s -27%
OnePlus 3
153.3 MB/s -4%
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
459.6 MB/s
Samsung Galaxy S7
483.8 MB/s +5%
LG G5
427.6 MB/s -7%
Huawei P9
281.3 MB/s -39%
HTC 10
275.1 MB/s -40%
OnePlus 3
408.7 MB/s -11%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
116330 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
127902 Points +10%
LG G5
124244 Points +7%
Huawei P9
95743 Points -18%
HTC 10
131866 Points +13%
OnePlus 3
142090 Points +22%
Geekbench 3
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
2303 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
2199 Points -5%
LG G5
2396 Points +4%
Huawei P9
1767 Points -23%
HTC 10
2376 Points +3%
OnePlus 3
2398 Points +4%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
5447 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
6401 Points +18%
LG G5
5507 Points +1%
Huawei P9
6522 Points +20%
HTC 10
5117 Points -6%
OnePlus 3
5645 Points +4%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
29246 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
29015 Points -1%
LG G5
28730 Points -2%
Huawei P9
19854 Points -32%
HTC 10
27176 Points -7%
OnePlus 3
30241 Points +3%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
32613 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
33348 Points +2%
LG G5
32109 Points -2%
Huawei P9
21577 Points -34%
HTC 10
30061 Points -8%
OnePlus 3
34023 Points +4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
21483 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
19944 Points -7%
LG G5
20997 Points -2%
Huawei P9
15517 Points -28%
HTC 10
20344 Points -5%
OnePlus 3
21771 Points +1%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
3542 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
2715 Points -23%
LG G5
3277 Points -7%
Huawei P9
1237 Points -65%
HTC 10
3157 Points -11%
OnePlus 3
3424 Points -3%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
4558 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
3018 Points -34%
LG G5
4468 Points -2%
Huawei P9
1080 Points -76%
HTC 10
4581 Points +1%
OnePlus 3
4633 Points +2%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
1976 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
2010 Points +2%
LG G5
1695 Points -14%
Huawei P9
2510 Points +27%
HTC 10
1512 Points -23%
OnePlus 3
1789 Points -9%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
60 fps
Samsung Galaxy S7
53 fps -12%
LG G5
47 fps -22%
Huawei P9
43 fps -28%
HTC 10
43 fps -28%
OnePlus 3
60 fps 0%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
90 fps
Samsung Galaxy S7
84 fps -7%
LG G5
74 fps -18%
Huawei P9
40 fps -56%
HTC 10
73 fps -19%
OnePlus 3
89 fps -1%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
42 fps
Samsung Galaxy S7
27 fps -36%
LG G5
30 fps -29%
Huawei P9
19 fps -55%
HTC 10
24 fps -43%
OnePlus 3
46 fps +10%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
42 fps
Samsung Galaxy S7
40 fps -5%
LG G5
42 fps 0%
Huawei P9
18 fps -57%
HTC 10
39 fps -7%
OnePlus 3
47 fps +12%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
31 fps
Samsung Galaxy S7
15 fps -52%
LG G5
17 fps -45%
Huawei P9
11 fps -65%
HTC 10
14 fps -55%
OnePlus 3
30 fps -3%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
30 fps
Samsung Galaxy S7
28 fps -7%
LG G5
31 fps +3%
Huawei P9
10 fps -67%
HTC 10
24 fps -20%
OnePlus 3
31 fps +3%
GFXBench
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
19 fps
Samsung Galaxy S7
15 fps -21%
LG G5
18 fps -5%
Huawei P9
6.5 fps -66%
HTC 10
18 fps -5%
OnePlus 3
18 fps -5%
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
18 fps
Samsung Galaxy S7
7.9 fps -56%
LG G5
11 fps -39%
Huawei P9
7.1 fps -61%
HTC 10
10 fps -44%
OnePlus 3
18 fps 0%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
2392 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
1987 Points -17%
LG G5
2079 Points -13%
Huawei P9
2025 Points -15%
HTC 10
2193 Points -8%
OnePlus 3
2496 Points +4%
System (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
3638 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
4217 Points +16%
LG G5
2925 Points -20%
Huawei P9
3930 Points +8%
HTC 10
2806 Points -23%
OnePlus 3
3537 Points -3%
Memory (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
1801 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
2244 Points +25%
LG G5
1478 Points -18%
Huawei P9
2627 Points +46%
HTC 10
1772 Points -2%
OnePlus 3
2052 Points +14%
Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
4522 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
1723 Points -62%
LG G5
4807 Points +6%
Huawei P9
1583 Points -65%
HTC 10
5009 Points +11%
OnePlus 3
4813 Points +6%
Web (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
1106 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
957 Points -13%
LG G5
900 Points -19%
Huawei P9
1029 Points -7%
HTC 10
928 Points -16%
OnePlus 3
1112 Points +1%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
6873 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
4826 Points -30%
LG G5
5581 Points -19%
Huawei P9
7058 Points +3%
HTC 10
5809 Points -15%
OnePlus 3
7101 Points +3%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
2973 ms *
Samsung Galaxy S7
2562 ms * +14%
LG G5
3461 ms * -16%
Huawei P9
2923 ms * +2%
HTC 10
3146 ms * -6%
OnePlus 3
2921 ms * +2%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
54 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
74 Points +37%
LG G5
49.7 Points -8%
Huawei P9
68.4 Points +27%
HTC 10
52.1 Points -4%
OnePlus 3
54.4 Points +1%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Mi 5
8619 Points
Samsung Galaxy S7
13161 Points +53%
LG G5
9731 Points +13%
Huawei P9
11783 Points +37%
HTC 10
8905 Points +3%
OnePlus 3
9155 Points +6%

Legend

 
Xiaomi Mi 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S7 Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa, ARM Mali-T880 MP12, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
LG G5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P9 HiSilicon Kirin 955, ARM Mali-T880 MP4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC 10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
OnePlus 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash

* ... smaller is better

Games

As expected, up-to-date Android games such as N.O.V.A 3 or Need for Speed No Limits are no challenge for Qualcomm's Adreno 530 graphics unit in the Mi5. The incorporated position sensors and touchscreen sensitivity also function just as impeccably. Thus, precise game control is possible.

N.O.V.A 3
Need for Speed No Limits

Emissions

Temperature

The temperature development during load is within the usual range for high-end smartphones. With a maximum temperature of 41.7 °C, the Mi5 heats up palpably but never gets unpleasantly hot. Xiaomi's handset barely heats up except for some areas with relatively high temperatures in idle mode.

Temperature development: Maximum load (front)
Temperature development: Maximum load (back)
Max. Load
 41.7 °C
107 F
41.6 °C
107 F
38.6 °C
101 F
 
 41.4 °C
107 F
41.4 °C
107 F
38.2 °C
101 F
 
 38.7 °C
102 F
39.1 °C
102 F
37.1 °C
99 F
 
Maximum: 41.7 °C = 107 F
Average: 39.8 °C = 104 F
33.8 °C
93 F
37.2 °C
99 F
40.1 °C
104 F
35.1 °C
95 F
36.6 °C
98 F
39.8 °C
104 F
34.1 °C
93 F
36.2 °C
97 F
36.9 °C
98 F
Maximum: 40.1 °C = 104 F
Average: 36.6 °C = 98 F
Power Supply (max.)  30.5 °C = 87 F | Room Temperature 21.4 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.8 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.7 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.1 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.5 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

The speaker in the Mi5 achieved a maximum volume of 87 dB(A) in our test. Consequently, the mono speaker on the handset's lower edge is quite powerful and offers a good sound. The sound does not make a very distorted impression even at full volume although it is treble-heavy as expected. The Pink Noise diagram illustrates that lower frequencies are barely audible. The 3.5 millimeter jack provides a clearer playback with considerably more basses.

Pink Noise speaker test
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203832.4382532.431.332.43130.431.730.44036.42636.45052.439.452.46336.836.236.88029.428.629.410027.325.427.31253321.33316043.523.343.520048.122.548.125052.122.452.131560.321.360.340058.118.458.150062.817.562.863065.817.565.880068.517.268.5100067.116.867.1125070.617.370.6160072.617.472.620007216.672250074.417.374.4315076.817.676.8400079.217.679.2500076.917.776.9630076.517.476.5800075.917.775.91000072.317.972.31250058.118.158.1160004718.147SPL86.529.886.5N651.365median 67.1median 17.7median 67.1Delta10.41.710.439.632.44132.431.335.531.531.731.234.22630.446.839.441.833.936.234.629.328.630.233.825.430.629.421.334.434.523.340.541.922.544.845.622.450.153.321.355.85518.458.155.817.56056.817.56152.517.256.660.216.861.769.717.362.774.417.466.87416.672.175.317.371.973.717.665.469.717.663.266.317.756.170.617.459.27017.761.167.317.961.259.118.159.463.318.155.583.129.878.149.11.337.6median 60.2median 17.7median 59.410.71.75.735.432.335.235.428.226.137.828.228.63028.428.630.629.833.830.637.53739.537.529.329.434.329.328.426.927.328.432.229.130.832.238.426.526.238.441.22323.841.246.227.322.946.252.23322.452.2573819.95759.641.220.459.666.748.418.766.768.25117.768.270.25317.970.272.957.21872.973.857.117.873.873.255.11773.276.758.216.976.777.558.217.477.579.359.217.879.377.757.117.577.775.254.217.375.27858.817.3787253.4187264.646.318.364.663.245.517.963.253.33617.953.387.568.330.187.569.722.11.469.7median 69.7median 51median 17.9median 69.710.211.11.510.234.429.632.434.42729.531.32728.125.831.728.131.432.22631.445.74539.445.72929.636.22926.324.428.626.325.726.725.425.724.321.621.324.328.923.423.328.939.229.622.539.249.94022.449.957.846.221.357.859.450.218.459.462.452.417.562.466.655.317.566.667.454.817.267.468.853.716.868.871.955.817.371.973.55617.473.575.357.716.675.376.758.817.376.779.36117.679.381.263.517.681.278.160.617.778.174.657.517.474.674.357.117.774.372.85617.972.868.85118.168.860.942.218.160.987.970.529.887.96825.51.368median 68.8median 54.8median 17.7median 68.810.38.51.710.333.836.432.433.831.829.931.331.832.732.731.732.732.333.12632.345.446.139.445.429.630.736.229.629.525.228.629.525.923.125.425.925.623.421.325.637.124.723.337.150.127.122.550.156.234.622.456.261.840.421.361.864.74318.464.769.648.717.569.668.847.117.568.867.647.417.267.672.850.316.872.87552.217.37575.953.717.475.97652.116.67674.849.817.374.874.849.417.674.874.548.917.674.576.251.317.776.275.750.817.475.775.451.917.775.472.55117.972.571.150.518.171.164.247.518.164.286.462.729.886.46816.41.368median 71.1median 48.9median 17.7median 71.18.871.78.840.136.832.440.1382731.33834.330.631.734.334.529.72634.544.138.139.444.140.529.736.240.53331.428.63326.827.625.426.826.924.421.326.93724.823.33745.529.522.545.551.636.222.451.657.341.721.357.359.746.618.459.766.452.517.566.468.45217.568.469.952.517.269.971.853.816.871.872.554.817.372.575.256.917.475.278.459.716.678.477.659.717.377.678.260.817.678.281.363.817.681.378.561.817.778.575.958.817.475.976.259.417.776.274.357.517.974.370.354.818.170.354.437.618.154.488.671.129.888.67325.81.373median 71.8median 53.8median 17.7median 71.810.910.71.710.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseXiaomi Mi 5HTC 10Samsung Galaxy S7Huawei P9LG G5OnePlus 3

Frequency diagram in comparison (check boxes above can be turned on/off!)
Rate 1: Pink Noise 100% volume; Rate 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The Mi5 proves to be very efficient in terms of power consumption. It ranges on a level with the comparison devices. Solely Samsung's Galaxy S7 stands out from the opponents with a very low consumption.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.17 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.45 / 1.68 / 1.71 Watt
Load midlight 6.7 / 9.18 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Gossen Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Xiaomi Mi 5
3000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S7
3000 mAh
LG G5
2800 mAh
Huawei P9
3000 mAh
HTC 10
3000 mAh
OnePlus 3
3000 mAh
Power Consumption
14%
-6%
-11%
-14%
3%
Idle Minimum *
0.45
0.68
-51%
0.55
-22%
0.77
-71%
0.68
-51%
0.57
-27%
Idle Average *
1.68
1.02
39%
1.37
18%
2.36
-40%
1.49
11%
1.24
26%
Idle Maximum *
1.71
1.14
33%
2.25
-32%
2.37
-39%
1.91
-12%
1.36
20%
Load Average *
6.7
4.73
29%
6.24
7%
3.09
54%
7.4
-10%
5.92
12%
Load Maximum *
9.18
7.16
22%
9.12
1%
5.35
42%
9.71
-6%
10.53
-15%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

A 3000 mAh battery supplies the Mi5 with power. The smartphone achieved a good outcome of 8 hours and 24 minutes in our Wi-Fi test using an adapted screen brightness of 150 cd/m².

Thanks to the supported Quickcharge 3.0 technology, the Mi5 is fully recharged in approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with the included 12.5-watt power supply (5 V, 2.5 A).

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
8h 24min
Xiaomi Mi 5
3000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S7
3000 mAh
LG G5
2800 mAh
Huawei P9
3000 mAh
HTC 10
3000 mAh
OnePlus 3
3000 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
504
456
-10%
387
-23%
569
13%
413
-18%
840
67%

Pros

+ superb price-performance ratio
+ casing materials & build
+ very good system performance
+ bright IPS panel
+ dual-SIM
+ LTE Cat.9
+ decent camera...

Cons

- ...but not premium quality
- "only" 3 GB of RAM (64 GB version)
- no storage expansion despite 2nd slot
- availability / lack of LTE band 20 support
- (GPS)

Verdict

In review: Xiaomi Mi 5. Review sample courtesy of Tradingshenzen
In review: Xiaomi Mi 5. Review sample courtesy of Tradingshenzen

Xiaomi's newest flagship smartphone made a very good impression in our test, and there is not much to be criticized considering the price of a mid-range handset (street price: approx. 300 Euros, ~$332, 32 GB version). Only the availability in Germany in conjunction with the lack of LTE band 20 support is a problem particularly for E-network customers.

Compared with some considerably more expensive 2016 flagship handsets by other manufacturers, the Mi5 does not have a unique selling point like OnePlus' 3 (6 GB RAM), Huawei's P9 (dual-camera system), LG's G5 (modular design) or Samsung's Galaxy S7 (camera quality, IP67 certification) apart from its good price-performance ratio.

Xiaomi's Mi5 is an absolute purchase recommendation for anyone who can live with the connected restrictions/risks of an import device.

Buyers looking for an affordable, well-built smartphone based on a modern Snapdragon SoC, very good configuration, and an outstanding system performance will find Xiaomi's Mi5 is a worthy alternative to existing handsets from the premium range. The camera modules shoot good quality photos even if they are not first-rate.

Xiaomi Mi 5 - 07/20/2016 v5.1(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
86%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 89%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
51 / 60 → 85%
Weight
94%
Battery
91%
Display
89%
Games Performance
62 / 63 → 98%
Application Performance
63 / 70 → 89%
Temperature
87%
Noise
100%
Audio
64 / 91 → 70%
Camera
75%
Average
79%
88%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Marcus Herbrich, 2016-07-27 (Update: 2018-05-15)