Xiaomi mi 5s camera review. Xiaomi Mi5S Review
Readers regularly asked us about this device and complained that the review had not been published for a very long time. The reason for this is quite simple: we wanted to test the normal PCT version of the model, and not order it from China. Why? The point, of course, is the firmware, since when we test versions of the Mi 5s with Chinese firmware and find that there is something wrong with it, we often run into negativity from readers who claim that we need to manually install global, fixes, etc. .d.
Characteristics
| Specifications | |
| Class | Flagship |
| Form factor | Monoblock |
| Housing materials | Aluminum |
| operating system | Android 6.0 + MIUI 8.0 |
| Net | 2G/3G/LTE (800/1800/2600), two SIM cards |
| Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 |
| CPU | Quad-core |
| Video accelerator | Adreno 530 |
| Inner memory | 32 GB |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Memory card slot | No |
| WiFi | Yes, a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 4.2 LE, A2DP |
| NFC | Eat |
| Screen diagonal | 5.15 inches |
| Screen resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Matrix type | IPS |
| Protective covering | Glass |
| Oleophobic coating | Eat |
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, shooting 4k video |
| Front-camera | 4 MP, f/2.0 |
| Navigation | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor |
| Battery | Non-removable, 3200 mAh |
| Dimensions | 145.6 x 70.3 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | 145 grams |
| Price | From $280 / 31,000 rubles |
Equipment
- Smartphone
- Charger
- PC cable (also part of the charger)
Appearance, materials, control elements, assembly
When you look at Mi 5s, you immediately understand that the company was inspired when creating it Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE, rear end the body has the same beautiful curve, only, unlike EDGE, it is made of aluminum rather than glass.
But the glass on the front panel has only a slight bend, and this is actually great. Owners of the same S7 EDGE regularly complain that the edges of their smartphone dig into their hands and because of this it is not very convenient to use. The Mi 5s does not have this problem; thanks to the curve at the back, the device feels thinner and lighter, and the absence of a strong curvature of the screen allows you to hold it with greater comfort.
The smartphone is sold in four colors: silver, dark gray, gold and pink; we tested the first option.
Above the display are located front-camera, earpiece mesh, light and proximity sensors, as well as an indicator light.
Below the screen there are three touch buttons: “ Latest apps", "Home" and "Back". The central button is inscribed in ultrasound scanner fingerprints. I like that the scanner was mounted on the front, but its performance was disappointing. Unfortunately, it only successfully unlocks your smartphone half the time. At first I thought that this was an isolated problem, but readers complained that it was also unstable for them. Just for fun, I read the 4PDA thread on the device, they suggest either installing some special version of the firmware, or driving the same finger four times, or very carefully adding all areas of the finger. In any case, the problem exists, keep it in mind before purchasing.
There is a mini-jack at the top end, and a Type C port, an external speaker grille and the main microphone at the bottom. Keep in mind that the speaker here is not stereo, two meshes are made just for beauty, and a microphone is hidden in the left one.
On the right there is a volume rocker and a power button, and on the left there is a tray for two SIM cards; alas, there is no slot for a memory card.
On the back cover you can see the main camera eye, dual LED flash, laser autofocus and plastic inserts for antennas.
The device is well assembled; after a month of use, I had no complaints about its assembly.
Dimensions
In the comments, readers often ask why I call five-inch devices compact. The fact is that smartphones with a smaller diagonal are practically no longer on sale, and most flagships are gradually moving from 5 to 5.5-inch displays. Therefore, even a smartphone with a 5.15-inch screen already looks and feels compact in the hand.
Compared to Apple iPhone 6
Mi 5s feels great in the hand, it is quite thin and light, and the narrowing at the edges of the body visually and tactilely makes it even thinner.
Screen
To be honest, before I looked at the table with the characteristics, I was sure that this device had an AMOLED matrix installed. The fact is that the contrast of the picture is very similar to AMOLED displays. Moreover, you can even notice red halos along the edges of the letters when scrolling! Surprisingly, for some reason I didn’t see any information about this in other reviews.
The problem with ghosting is solved by switching to the “default” mode. Initially enabled automatic setting, but I recommend turning it off.
It is problematic to check the behavior of the screen in the sun in the current weather, but on the street the picture is clearly visible at about 60-70% brightness and higher. It is also convenient to read from a smartphone, thanks to the wide range of brightness.
There is also a separate reading mode in the settings; when you turn it on, the entire color scheme turns yellow. There is also a slider that adjusts the intensity of such a transition. I didn’t like the reading mode; I feel like it makes my eyes even more tired. In general, there are a lot of color settings; I was particularly pleased with the ability to turn on the display with a double tap.
The oleophobic coating is excellent, in no way inferior to flagships from other major brands. The finger glides perfectly on the glass, and swiping is convenient.
To summarize: the screen in the model is excellent, using it is a pleasure.
operating system
The device operates under Android control 6.0 and MIUI 8.0. Once again I promise to tell you about the shell in more detail, I think that the time to do this has come. Below I will list the main features of MIUI, although, in a good way, it deserves a separate review.
Work tables. The launcher in MIUI has not changed much over time; it still uses the display of all applications at once on desktops and oval rims for the icons of some third-party programs. Interestingly, the settings are called up here by pinching with two fingers; a long press does not work. I liked the application sorting mode; when you turn it on, you can add as many icons as you like to the bottom panel, and then scatter them across your desktops. A kind of help in general cleaning on the desktop.
Dialer. The dialer in MIUI has long become a standard for many users; I myself use the exDialer application, made on its basis. The program supports the Russian language, there is a search on T9, setting up actions for left-right swipes, a separate black list and call recording. Unfortunately, in Russian versions of Xiaomi smartphones, for some reason, the search for Russian contacts does not work, I don’t know what this is connected with.
SMS messages. The application is quite simple, but if you are logged into your Mi account, it automatically makes a backup copy of your correspondence.
Browser. I like that home page browser is presented with shortcuts to popular pages, from here it is easy to go to desired page. Of course, you can add your own links, change their places or delete them. But the separate reading mode does not work well; when it is turned on on our website, the pictures are automatically flattened.
Notification curtain. MIUI 8 abandoned the division of the curtain into two parts, and this is the right decision; when you lower it, you immediately see four shortcuts and a brightness adjustment slider. The transition to the next buttons is made using a horizontal swipe, as in TouchWiz. A long press of the button opens the settings of the corresponding interface, this is convenient.
Screenshots. Now, after taking a screenshot, it hangs in the upper right corner for about three seconds; if you click on it, the settings for editing and forwarding it will open. MIUI can also take long screenshots.
Second space. Possibility to create additional user on a smartphone. This is convenient if you want to use different accounts for the same applications at work and at home, for example.
Dual Applications. Well, if you just need to have two accounts in some WhatsApp, then for this you can use this function, which creates a copy of it within one account.
Permissions. MIUI has a very detailed application permissions panel, where you can fine-tune which interfaces and functions you will have access to. specific program, and to which ones it won’t.
One-handed control mode. To enter this mode, slide your finger from the center to the left touch button, and to exit, tap on the dark area of the screen. In the settings you can specify which diagonal emulation you want to use.
Keys. For bottom buttons There is fine tuning actions for both short and long presses.
Headphones. MIUI can also customize actions for the buttons on the headset. This is convenient if you want to skip to the previous/next track instead of changing the volume.
In general, the entire MIUI is made in such a way that you can customize anything, and that’s why geeks love it.
Performance
I received several requests from our regular readers regarding testing the performance of devices, in particular, they asked to add results from GeekBench, measure the write speed of a card, and also check the performance of the device in WoT Blitz. I think the Mi 5s review is a great reason to start doing all this.
The smartphone runs on a top-end chipset from Qualcomm and has good speed internal memory, this is felt in all work scenarios: desktops and the browser are scrolled quickly, all games are launched at maximum settings. Now about WoT: Blitz, it also runs at maximum settings, there are no stutters or delays, the picture in the toy is simply amazing.
After 15 minutes of playing, the smartphone gets very hot, the body temperature rises to 45 degrees. The back cover gets hot, it's noticeable.
At everyday use There are no such problems, the body of the smartphone is only a little warm.
Autonomous operation
Chapter battery life I also changed it a bit. Now, instead of testing the operating time when watching HD video and reading mode, I will measure the operating time when watching an FHD YouTube video and while playing WoT. And, of course, my daily use regimen has not gone away either.
When using Mi 5s, you can safely count on one day of work, there are no super impressive results here.
The smartphone supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 technology; in half an hour the device is charged by 41%, in an hour by 83%, the total charging time is approximately 100 minutes. Unfortunately, you will need a separate charger to use this mode.
Camera
I asked Roman Belykh to evaluate the shooting quality of the Mi 5s, below is his detailed comment:
The camera takes excellent pictures during the day, there are practically no complaints, the only thing I would like is a little higher detail. Focus is instant and precise.
Xiaomi Mi5s smartphone - review
Xiaomi smartphones are usually very popular - mainly because of the very high quality hardware. With firmware, things are much worse for them: often for some new model the official international firmware is not released for a long time, so users are either content with Chinese firmware with English support, which they tweak with a file, or they install all sorts of custom firmware, which are almost certainly fraught with various glitches. I reviewed the smartphone. That’s exactly how it was: good hardware and the crooked firmware. I jumped around a bit and eventually installed some custom MIUI in it, with which it lived quite well. New Xiaomi model Mi5, which was highly anticipated, never reached me, but now they sent me from Gearbest the newest model Xiaomi Mi5s, which just appeared. Moreover, on the store’s website it is separately noted that the International Edition MIUI 8 is installed here, that is, the official international MIUI firmware 8, which means that the smartphone should support the Russian interface without problems and there shouldn’t be any glitches there. Well, let’s figure out what this model and firmware are, especially since I’m Russian detailed reviews I haven’t seen this smartphone yet, there’s only previews based on the results of the presentations.
Display: 5.15", 1920×1080, FullHD, IPS, 2.5D, OGS, 427 PPI
CPU: Qualcom Snapdragon 821 Quad Core 2.15GHz
GPU: Adreno 530
RAM: 3 GB
Flash memory: 64 GB
Memory card: No
Fingerprint scanner: There is
IR port: No
Net: GSM+CDMA+WCDMA+TD-SCDMA+FDD-LTE+TD-LTE
Wireless connection: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
Camera: 12 megapixels
Front-camera: 4 megapixels
Ports: USB-C (OTG), audio jack
Navigation: GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/OTA
SIM card: nanoSIM1 and nanoSIM2
Battery: 3100 mAh, non-removable, supports Quick Charge 3.0
Dimensions: 145.7 x 70.3 x 8.3 mm
Weight: 147 g
Additionally: accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity and light sensors, Hall sensor
Case colors: white, black, golden, pink
Price: on Gearbest $319 (about 20 thousand rubles) Well, the characteristics are advanced, there is no trace of memory card support traditionally for the Mi series, we’ll see how it all works. Contents of delivery A dazzling white box in the style of “We also want to be like Apple”, on which two letters are pressed - Mi.
Inside everything is very simple, but neat. 
The kit is in the style of “Only cheap smartphones come with all sorts of accessories,” so here is a power adapter with a Chinese plug and a USB-microUSB cable. They didn’t even include an adapter for a European socket, although the supply was like European. A trifle, but unpleasant. Smartphones costing $100-150 always include these. AND OTG cable. And a little case. And protective film. Well, because they’re cheap, what can you take from them! 
The adapter supports three charging options. 
The body is made of aluminum alloy, the left and right ends are noticeably rounded. 
What does all this remind me of? And here's what - . Just like twins. Only OnePlus 3 is bigger. Look - OnePlus 3 on the right. 
Similar? Very similar! Bottom end - USB-C output, holes under which the speaker is hidden, two decorative screws. 
Here's OnePlus 3. 
The left side is a slot for two nanoSIMs. 
The top end is the audio output. 
The right side is the volume rocker, power button. Their pressure is quite distinct. 
Well, here is this smartphone next to Honor 8 and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. 
The materials and workmanship are excellent, the smartphone makes a good impression. But the similarity to OnePlus 3 is confusing - I’m really interested in who is who and who has whom. The touch buttons “Return” and “Running applications” are not marked, they have a backlight in the form of a dot that lights up for 4 seconds during use. (This is configurable.) The “Home” button is touch sensitive; when touched, it responds with a vibration response, simulating a press. Display
Display on an IPS matrix, made using OGS technology. Covered with protective tempered glass with rounded edges. It has an anti-glare filter and an oleophobic coating. The image quality is very good: the colors are bright and saturated, the contrast is at a good level. The brightness margin is quite sufficient. In direct sunlight, the image is clearly visible. Good viewing angles; with strong deviations, the contrast drops slightly. Device operation
As I already said, Gearbest claims that the official international firmware MIUI 8 is installed here, which is even stated in the title of the page of this phone on the store’s website. And indeed, at first glance, the firmware looks like this: everything Google services in place, the Russian interface is practically without jambs. However, if you go to the official website of the MIUI developer, it is easy to see that the Global Stable firmware for Mi5s does not yet exist in nature. Only China Stable, that is, Chinese firmware. 
So what kind of firmware is installed here? Some kind of custom: either from multirom, or from xiaomi.eu, which make firmware based on MIUI. And the unpleasant thing is that this firmware persistently works under MIUI Global Stable 8.0 (as it is written in the MIUI version of the smartphone), but such firmware does not yet exist in nature, as the developer himself claims. However, in the abbreviation MAGCNDH in brackets next to the version number, the letters CN just mean “China”, that is, this is Chinese stable firmware, modified by craftsmen.
It will appear, of course, because it exists for Mi5, but now it is not there. The question arises: why worry about the fact that this is custom and not the official international one, if everything is in order with the firmware and everything works stably with it? So the problem is that there are some minor problems with stability, and I will write about this in detail below. Main desktop.
Second desktop.
Applications in the Tools folder.
Lock window.
It also comes with an audio playback widget.
Quick switches scroll only horizontally - this is not very convenient. However, this is installed by default, and in the notification settings you can separate the notification window and quick toggles - then the quick toggles will be in a separate window.
Talk mode.
Quality telephone communication- good, noise reduction works quite effectively. Wi-Fi transmission speed is close to maximum.
Mobile Internet- reception is even better than expected for the given conditions. Transmission is normal speed.
Sennheiser CX 2.00G in-ear headphones are good: the sound is clear, detailed, good highs and even some bass.
Full-size headphones Audio-Technica ATH-M50x - very good: the sound is spacious, clear, detailed, deep bass, clear highs. Determining coordinates Starts very quickly (a couple of seconds), determines GPS satellites and GLONASS. It holds the road well, there were no problems with the navigation programs.
Tanks - almost all the time 59-60 FPS, that is, the maximum. 
Epic Citadel performance test - also FPS at maximum. 
Settings There are many interesting possibilities in the settings. 
You can adjust the font size, turn on reading mode, turn on the screen double click(which, by the way, did not always work the first time).
Themes. By the way, there are a great variety of free themes available - for every taste.
You can create a separate data space for a second user.
Of the 64 GB, almost 58 GB are free for the user.
Child mode is a useful feature for some users.
Setting up the indicator.
There is an equalizer adjustment for Various types headphones, but I would not say that this leads to a good effect: for me, the sound is better without an equalizer.
This is what I really love - customizing the location of the navigation keys and various actions when pressed and long pressed.
Adjusting the backlight of the keys.
One-handed operation, and you can “tailor” it to three display sizes.
Enable dual mode for selected applications. This is when two copies of an application are stored with different settings. For example, if you need to work with Facebook with two different accounts, you can enable this here.
You can password protect individual applications.
Setting up a fingerprint.
Shooting modes. On the second window - night mode.
Camera settings called up using the "Menu" button.
Examples of photos. (All are clickable and open in full size.) Daylighting in the room. 
Street on a sunny day. 
Example text. 
Evening, at sunset. 500 ISO. 
In the dark, it resolutely sets ISO 6400 and at the same time blurs out the noise. But the result is not that much pornography. 
Here's a 1:1 crop. 
And if you turn off the noise reduction mode (there is such a thing in the settings), then it turns out something like this. 
Example video.
What can I say about the camera? The camera is decent for the price of the smartphone. Detail and dynamic range are good, white balance is determined more or less accurately and hardly fluctuates, exposure is determined normally, autofocus, although far from being as “tenacious” as competitors’ flagships, there are few defects there. Focusing does not work well in difficult lighting conditions (it happens that it simply cannot focus even on a dimly lit object), the quality of images in poor lighting conditions is much below average, but not terrible. It shoots video well, and when shooting video, the stabilizer clearly works and improves the quality of the video. The camera is noticeably better, but it still costs one and a half times more. So, in general, the camera is normal for a smartphone of this price, in my opinion. System data and performance CPU-Z data.
Performance rating according to AnTuTu. Top ten fastest smartphones. Moreover, it even seems to overtake OnePlus 3, which did not hold the championship of the fastest for long. However, it is clear that now smartphones from the top twenty AnTuTu are all very fast.
Indexes according to Geekbench 3.
Well, the overall score according to PCMark. But OnePlus 3 has 7003!
Regarding heating, because the platform is powerful - even when running heavy 3D games, almost no heating was observed. Literally once I noticed a slight heating in a situation where I was loading a bunch of programs and data for them in a row. Slight heating was also noticeable when playing high-resolution videos. The fingerprint scanner worked correctly and crashes were rare. By the way, interestingly, the scanner also worked fine on wet fingers. He fooled around with the dirty ones, but worked with the wet ones. Later I read that here new type scanner and water is not a hindrance to it, which is valuable. Use touch button“Home”, which signals when pressed by vibration, turned out to be quite convenient. You get used to it quickly, and then when you return to the physical button, like, for example, the Samsung Galaxy S7, it seems that physical button less convenient. What is the result? In terms of hardware and characteristics, the smartphone is excellent. The only pity is that there is no official international firmware for it yet, but it will probably appear soon. The existing custom firmware that is installed in Gearbest is very decent (and sometimes they are just wild), but it has some glitches, which, however, normal operation they don’t interfere. Well, I think that with the official firmware the smartphone will be one of the best in its class. It's very similar, only that one costs $470 on Gearbest, and this one costs $319.
Mi5S is the new flagship from the Chinese Xiaomi company. The device initially had high expectations, since its predecessor, Mi5, was considered one of best smartphones beginning of 2016 in terms of price/quality ratio. However, the presentation of the new product, which took place on September 27, caused a controversial reaction from the community.
Looking ahead, let's say that the smartphone turned out to be ambiguous. IN this review we will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the device and decide whether it is Mi5S a worthy continuation Xiaomi flagship line.
Content
Price and main characteristics
The stated price of Xiaomi Mi5S is $330, at which price the device can be purchased on Aliexpress or in other Chinese online stores. Our smartphone is more expensive; in Svyaznoy, which is the official representative of Xiaomi in Russia, Mi5S is available for pre-order at a price of 35 thousand rubles.
Let's look at the technical characteristics of the smartphone:
- operating system – Android 6, MIUI 8 shell;
- processor – Snapdragon 821 (4 cores: 2*2.15 and 2*1.6 GHz) with Adreno 530 graphics accelerator;
- flash memory – 64/128 GB (no memory card slot), RAM – 3/4 GB;
- display – 5.15” IPS Full HD, pixel density 428 ppi;
- cameras: main – 12 MP (Sony Exmor IMX378), aperture 2.0, front – 4 MP, f2;
- battery – 3200 mAh;
- interfaces – Wi-Fi, USB-C, Bluetooth 4.2 LE;
- networks – GSM, LTE, 4G.
Appearance, dimensions
On paper, Xiaomi Mi5S is one of the most powerful flagships 2016, and the announced price of 330 USD (relevant for Aliexpress) is more than acceptable for such characteristics.
The dimensions of Xiaomi Mi5S are 145.6 * 70.3 * 8.3 mm, the weight of the device is 145 grams. The smartphone has an all-metal body with rounded edges on the back cover, and is available in 4 color options - white, black, gold and pink.
Compared to its predecessor, whose body was made of glass and had a smaller thickness, the Mi5 S feels quite plump. It will be comfortable for a man with a large palm to hold it, despite the constant attempts of the smartphone to slip out of his hand, but the fair sex may have more serious problems with ergonomics.
The smartphone display is covered with 2.5D glass - this is a winning solution that has a positive effect on the aesthetics of the device. Below the screen is the Home button, which has a built-in fingerprint sensor. The button itself is a touch pad, which caused dissatisfaction among many users of the previous model, which used a mechanical version.
In terms of the location of the functional elements in the Mi5S, everything is standard: on the bottom there is USB and speaker perforations, on the right side there are power and volume control buttons, on the top there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Raises questions back cover case, in the upper part of which there is a plastic insert for the antenna, edged with light stripes. The arrangement of the stripes completely repeats the design of those in the iPhone 6. Did Xiaomi engineers really not have enough enthusiasm to make their own design, and not copy the competitors’ solution?
Screen
The main stumbling block for Xiaomi fans was the black stripes around the Mi5S display. The device is declared by the manufacturer as a frameless smartphone, and indeed, the mechanical side frames have an extremely small width, but the whole picture is spoiled by the black stripes that border the screen, which appear when the display is turned on.
Mi5 had similar frames, users of which repeatedly asked to remove the black bezel in the new flagship, but something prevented Xiaomi engineers from doing this. Note that this problem is relevant only for smartphones in white colors, while in black devices the frames completely merge with the body and are not noticeable.
The screen itself in Xiaomi Mi5S is not bad enough - it is an IPS matrix with a resolution of 1920*1080 pixels, having a pixel density of 428 ppi and a diagonal of 5.15”. Display have good color rendition, it produces a contrasting, rich picture without distortion in color temperature. The only complaints can be about viewing angles, since the image fades when the screen is tilted too far outward, but with everyday use this disadvantage is unlikely to show up.
Performance
Xiaomi Mi5 S uses the Snapdragon 821 processor from Qualcomm - this is the most powerful hardware solution for smartphones, among all processors on the market. The S-821 has four cores operating at 2.1-2.4 GHz and an Adreno 530 graphics accelerator clocked at 650 MHz.
This processor is 10% more productive than the Snapdragon 820, which was equipped with the Mi5, which at the time of release was the most powerful smartphone (136,857 points) according to Benchmark synthetic tests. The new product gains 164 thousand parrots in Antutu and takes unconditional first place in overall performance.
The characteristics of Snapdragon 821 enable the smartphone to perfectly cope with any task. The device allows you to play the most demanding games at maximum graphics settings, watch high-quality video in BDRip 1080p format, and talk about stuttering at work regular programs and there are no problems with the smoothness of the interface.
In terms of performance, Mi5S gets a well-deserved 5+. The performance of this device can be compared with class A flagships, the cost of which is 2-3 times higher (remember, the price of Mi5S on Aliexpress is only $330).
Battery
The smartphone has a 3200 mAh battery, which is 200 mAh more than its predecessor. New flagship demonstrates an increase in battery life, which is achieved not only due to a more capacious battery, but also thanks to the optimization of the power consumption of the Snapdragon 821 processor, the power consumption of which has decreased by 10%, as the manufacturers claim.
Xiaomi Mi5S lasts for 2 days of moderate use without recharging. With the screen always on, it can withstand almost 19 hours of operation, when playing HD video - 13 hours, in maximum load(3D games) – 6 hours.
These are very respectable indicators, and considering that Mi5S supports the fast charging function (it takes 50-60 minutes to fully charge the battery from scratch), its autonomy can be noted as the highest rating.
Camera
The main camera in Xiaomi Mi5S is presented the latest sensor Sony Exmor IMX378, which is now used only in the flagship from Xiaomi and Google Pixel devices, the camera of which was recognized as the best among mobile devices.
The 12 MP camera produces stunningly sharp images with excellent detail, the quality of which is head and shoulders above that of the Mi5. In terms of video, everything is also decent, the device records in 4K resolution, and there is also the ability to record Slow-Mo in HD mode with a frequency of 120 frames per second.
However, there is a fly in the ointment, which is the lack of optical stabilization.
What prevented Xiaomi from perfecting the camera is unclear; it would have been one of the best photo smartphones on the market, but now we just have a device with a very good camera.
Speaker, sound quality
We are already accustomed to Chinese manufacturers smartphones do not bother too much with the quality of sound reproduction in their devices - a dedicated audio chip is extremely rare even in flagships from the Middle Kingdom. It is also missing from Xiaomi Mi5S.
When using high-quality headphones, things are not bad, but the Mi5S does not deserve special praise here; it gives out standard sound without critical flaws, but also without frills.
The external speaker of the smartphone copes with its immediate tasks - alarm clock and signaling of incoming calls. The speaker is not bad, the interlocutor can be heard well, without extraneous noise.
Communication and Internet
Like all modern ones Xiaomi flagships Mi5S works in 3G and 4G, LTE and TDD networks. We also note the presence of a built-in modem that allows you to receive traffic at speeds of up to 600 Mbit/s (however, with our operators this advantage can be ignored).
The device supports 2 SIM cards in NanoSim format, has GPS (compatible with Glonass), Wi-Fi (2.5 and 5 GHz bands), Bluetooth 4.2 (Low Energy). It is also possible to synchronize with external peripheral devices (printer, keyboard, mouse) via USB Type-C.
Video review of Xiaomi Mi5S
conclusions
Xiaomi Mi5S can be bought on Aliexpress for 330 USD. In this price category the device has practically no competitors - it’s powerful smartphone, with a good camera and long battery life. If you are not bothered by the design of the device and the lack of an optical stabilizer in the camera (it affects video recording, but does not affect photos), we recommend taking it - the price for such a device is extremely humane.
As a more affordable alternative, we note the old representative Xiaomi lines Mi5 (current price on Aliexpress is 270 USD) is still a flagship device with excellent characteristics, which is enough for 2 years of trouble-free use.
If the article was useful to you, do not forget to bookmark (Cntr + D) so as not to lose it and subscribe to our channel
The speaker in the Xiaomi Mi5S does not give any reason for joy or pride - it is average in all respects, starting with volume and continuing with sound quality. If you don’t turn the volume slider all the way, it reproduces music flatly and dispassionately, completely devoid of low frequencies. I definitely don’t want to “twist” it to the maximum for the sake of music - we get a dirty and sometimes wheezing sound with a “cartool” tint. Cheap Alcatel reproduces sound in approximately the same way, and in the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5, for example, the speakers are so much better that it’s even inconvenient to speak...
But the sound in the headphones is wonderful: after the budget Redmi Note 3 Pro and Redmi 4, the volume especially catches the eye and envelops the ears. The sound is clear, neutral, the volume is sufficient with reserve even for 60-Ohm monitors. For comparison, OnePlus 3 produces a “dirtier” and harsher sound, LeEco Le Pro 3 with a USB Type-C-AUX adapter slightly wins in detail, but loses in volume. ASUS ZenFone 3, Moto Z Play and Huawei nova They sound noticeably worse, but the flagship Samsung, I must admit, wins in sound quality. Xiaomi is far from the audiophile “Chinese”, but the Mi5S did not pretend to such heights. In short, the sound quality in the headphones is slightly above average - there is nothing to criticize or praise.
Iron
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, ladies and gentlemen, is the coolest processor of 2016. Until models based on the 835th “dragon” began to flood the shelves in February 2017, the Xiaomi Mi5S hardware platform retained gold and silver in the ranking of coolness among Android phones. Only Huawei currently has a faster processor - the Kirin 960, on which the huge Mate 9 is built.
Performance
The speed of the animation and interface as a whole is maximum. Switching between tasks and applications is also not bad. In general, the system is optimized for the very best hardware very well.
There is no need to say anything about gaming performance. All games run with the highest available graphics settings and just fly. If something slows down, then the developers of a particular title should be blamed, but definitely not the smartphone.
For example, the AnTuTu test graphics (space landscapes, Japanese panoramas) not only do not slow down, there is not a single delay at all. Everything is very smooth and beautiful, which means it’s time for developers to update their application, because gadgets have caught up and surpassed the stressful conditions of this system application.
From a synthetic point of view, the performance of the Mi5S is, of course, ahead of its predecessor at 820 snaps. The difference is about 15 thousand virtual parrots.
However, for my taste, it’s definitely not worth chasing performance here. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 is still a very relevant processor that will easily handle all modern tasks for at least another year and a half.
Is it worth saying anything about the smartphone’s attitude to “heavy” video, to 4K, for example? The device itself shoots such videos, so everything is clear in terms of performance.
Photo and video capabilities
In this section, I propose to evaluate the advantages that the new product has received relative to the standard Mi5. Let's look at the numbers, new shooting modes, example photos, and so on. And I’ll do a full test in the Xiaomi Mi5S Plus review, which you can expect in a week.
Front-camera
Taking selfies on Mi5S is a pleasure. There is everything necessary settings, including retouching and applying filters in real time. The focus here, of course, is fixed, but for the front camera you don’t need anything else.
Compared to the new product, we didn’t get anything new. Same image quality, same functionality.
The only caveat. I advise you to disable the skin retouching function. Xiaomi tells us that the device can smooth the face at as many as 36 levels, but in my opinion, not a single one is needed. This is because the tool heavily stains the image. Not only the face, but the entire photograph in general. Some strange behavior and below is an example that eloquently confirms it.
Main camera
First of all, let's compare the capabilities of cameras of two generations with each other in theory.
| Camera Mi5 | Camera Mi5S | |
| Permission | 16 MP | 12 MP |
| Matrix | Sony IMX298 | Sony IMX378 |
| Lens protection | Sapphire crystal | Regular glass |
| Diaphragm | f/2.0 |
|
| Number of lenses | ||
| Stabilization | 4-axis, optical | Electronic stabilization |
| Additional shooting modes | Panoramas, HDR, Burst, face recognition, video recording in 4K resolution, Slow Motion 720p and 120 fps and so on |
|
The saddest thing is that the new product does not have optical stabilization, like in Mi5.
There is only electronic stabilization, which can be activated from the menu.
The second “unbearable” loss is the lack of sapphire crystal.
I have already said that the manufacturer does not declare its presence anywhere, therefore it does not exist. Usually such things are talked about with pride, if there is, of course, something to talk about.
Autofocus works great.
Pointed and removed, pointed and removed, and so on always. Shooting conditions and lighting do not play a special role. At night, focusing may be a little slower, but focusing is still very fast.
The focal length is quite long - about 9 centimeters. In other words, you won’t be able to take close-ups of bugs and all kinds of spiders.
I liked the Mi5S camera.
It may not be the best on the market, but it’s one of the best, that’s for sure. Below I compared two photos, the first of which was taken on (left), the second taken on our hero’s camera (on the right).
For greater clarity, let's look at two 100% crops from these images. Who do you think won?
Comparing photographs of both generations (Mi5 and S-version) I did not see much difference. Those who have the regular Mi5 in their hands can relax. Go to new version The device makes no sense.
Now I suggest looking at examples of photos from Xiaomi cameras Mi5s:
For greater clarity, here are a few 100% crops:
Download the original images from here and study them more carefully on your computer.
Those who are interested can see where I compare the cameras of the MI-ES-5 and its plus version.
Separately about panoramas. The process of filming them is very simple. Photos are stitched together without errors or obvious vertical stripes between themselves. But the most important thing is always good detail, that is, the mode is not made for show. You can zoom in and see everything you filmed while you were stomping around your axis.
The HDR function works on the face. Fortunately, the developers have created automatic selection, so the user may not think whether he should enable HDR in given lighting conditions or not. They have already thought for him and successfully, it is worth admitting.
Video shooting
Shooting 4K video is the exclusive prerogative of the company’s flagships. Despite the installation powerful processors(Helio X20) into its other smartphones, Xiaomi does not seek to make the technology widespread for all its devices.
The quality of the videos from our device is quite decent. You can shoot simple videos, but you probably can’t count on any serious creative opportunities.
I don’t really like the detail of the picture, but the sound recording. The market is full of smartphones that shoot Ultra HD much better. For example, or the flagships from LG series G, and now V. And I’m not even talking about devices from Samsung. In terms of video shooting, our hero cannot yet reach all of them.
However, due to the good matrix, videos shot in harsh lighting conditions turn out quite tolerable. Below is an example.
It is possible to shoot Slow Motion video, what would you do without it? The resolution does not exceed 720p, and the frame rate is the long-sore 120 frames per second. And here the manufacturer’s approach somewhat discourages me. Why not make at least 120 fps for 1080p resolution, and leave 240 fps to 720p? The hardware allows it, but competitors are not asleep (iPhone 7, hello!).
What irritates me the most, however, is that the camera app doesn't remember my previous choices. I set it to 4K, shot a video and forgot about this function for a couple of days. Then I open the camera, shoot video again, and only after a while I am surprised to discover that I was shooting in HD resolution. It turns out that the system reset my selection to the default settings, which is HD. Bravo!
Sound quality
There is also a seven-band equalizer, and various presets for it, as well as profiles for different branded headsets. The latter, in my opinion, are useless. The sound through your favorite headphones is good in itself, but if you need to tweak it further, there is an equalizer.
In general, I really like the proprietary player utility. It is stylish, minimalistic, with convenient sorting, automatic loading of covers, and so on. By the way, the cover of the track, which is performed in this moment, colors the background of the utility with its own color palette. It's a small thing, but nice.
The player can also load song lyrics (swipe right during playback). However, he does not always do this correctly. Either he slips in some incomprehensible lyrics, or he finds nothing at all. To top it all off, automatic text scrolling also slows down. In general, we are waiting for updates.
Let me remind you that if you flash custom versions of the software, all the “China” from the player, including the auto-loading of covers and lyrics, will be cut out.
Software stuffing
Of course, the smartphone runs on Android 6.0.1 and its own MIUI shell 8.0.
The device was recently released in China. Its fate in terms of sales anywhere else outside of China is still unknown, which means the appearance of official firmware with support for the Russian language and Google Play services.
What to do with localization? There are two options: use English as is, or unlock the bootloader, roll out all sorts of “recoveries,” install custom firmware from the MIUI community, and so on. Fortunately there is already something. If you are new to these issues, then “congratulations.” You’ll have to figure out a lot of things, tinker around and spend a couple of free evenings on your gadget. For experienced users there should be no problems, although I personally did not do anything with the smartphone. I used it as is, from the factory, because I don’t have time to sew smartphones. And my task is to tell us what the manufacturer directly gives us. And you can almost always customize it to suit your needs and get the most out of the device’s filling.
With the Google store everything is very simple. We go to the official Mi Store, the icon of which hangs on the main screen. Everything is in hieroglyphs, oh well. In the search bar, enter the word “Google”, go to the blue icon with some kind of paw and download Google Installer for Xiaomi Mi5S from there. It weighs a little, about 167 kilobytes. Through it you can install everything necessary services. The main thing is to allow the installation of programs from unknown sources(the system will definitely ask about this).
Unlike Xiaomi Redmi Pro all applications from the official Google store installed and launched without problems. The services also do not show any glitches, crashes or other errors. Even contacts are synchronized with the Google cloud, which is generally nonsense for devices from Xiaomi. And with a device from this Chinese company, this is the first time that everything starts on its own.
Notifications are the most painful issue for the “gray” Chinese. What's wrong with them? They just don't come.
There are some procedures (w3bsit3-dns.com help) that partially cure this problem, but not always and not for all utilities. So, in our case there is nothing particularly new. Notifications from some programs arrive (VK, for example), others sit silently in the background (Yandex.Mail). In general, this is a long-standing disease of gray devices from China without “global” firmware.
I have already said enough about the features of MIUI. You can read more about the features of the system in the review or. Just look at dividing memory into two sections or creating duplicate applications, bypassing any crooked software like Parallel Space and so on.
Instead, a little about what is important to know. In addition to removing Chinese garbage, it is worth limiting the notification activities of various annoying applications.
For example, a certain Video utility cannot be removed in a standard way, but it likes to spam you with some information in hieroglyphs. It's very easy to give her a hand. To do this, go to the Applications section in the settings, find that same insidious program and in the “Custom notification” tab uncheck all the boxes. It won't bother you anymore.
Battery life
This section is just for show, because all modern flagships work for one day with 3-4 hours of screen operation and auto brightness set. And our hero is no exception.
Of course, there are background tasks, constant notifications via cellular network or Wi-Fi, Internet surfing and everything else that is done on any high-end or not so high-end device. The screenshots below show my battery life results (typical use).
- This basic model. A device for those who want to get flagship hardware, but at the same time save as much as possible. If you already have the device in your hands, then this review is just entertaining reading for you. It's not worth changing.
Mi5S, in fact, the hero of our review will be an excellent purchase for those who do not have a “Mi fifth”, but he loves the brand, he likes MIUI and maximum characteristics in one bottle.
- essentially the same thing, only with big screen at 5.5 inches.
is the flagship with capital letters. The highest specifications to date, seasoned with the most advanced features, including a curved display and an advanced camera.
- the device is not for everyone. Concept, interesting experience, chic, brilliance - the story is not at all widespread, so comparing it with other products of the company on the subject of “what to get for such and such an amount” is pointless.
What about the entire market? Here Xiaomi Mi5S looks like one of the most interesting players. Among Chinese companies, there is only one obvious competitor so far - LeEco Le 3. However, this is still a dark horse. It’s already on its way to me, when I test it, then we’ll see what kind of device it is.
Meizu is hiding. The premiere of the Pro 6S is scheduled for November 3, which should finally receive a Snapdragon 821 processor, because MediaTeK Helio X20/25 are, of course, good, but they are not the most powerful chipsets on the market. And we have to wait until March for the X30.
Comparing Xiaomi Mi5S with or (they have nothing else), in my opinion, is pointless. These smartphones play in completely different leagues, they have completely different, non-overlapping audiences. Anyone who is interested in Chinese gadgets and understands what's what will never seriously consider purchasing the same S7. And vice versa.
Huawei is the world's third largest manufacturer in terms of smartphone sales. However, these Chinese are clearly targeting major league. Where Apple and Samsung reign. Accordingly, the price of their devices is slightly higher.
As for companies known only for their past merits, this can be said very simply. Xiaomi is tomorrow, and Sony, LG, HTC are yesterday. And there is no reason that anything will change. True, they are trying, their products are traditionally interesting and technologically advanced, but the prices... they are not competitive.
Bottom line
I liked Xiaomi Mi5S. Interesting design, top-end hardware, great cameras, pleasant, however, as always MIUI. The impression is overshadowed only by the crooked software, but this is the traditional behavior of all the company’s latest devices. With the passage of time and updates, all roughness should be removed.
I have only two complaints about the device. The first is a fingerprint scanner. Although it is ultrasonic, it works extremely poorly. I hope something will change in the very near future.
Secondly, the lack of logic confuses me. For example, where did the IR port go?! Why was the camera's sapphire lens protection and optical stabilization removed? Shouldn't Mi5S be a more advanced solution compared to the base model?
However, the main question for all interested is the release of global firmware, which means the availability of Google services and the Russian language right out of the box. So far there is no one to answer it. Maybe Xiaomi will start sales in the same India and then the desired firmware version will appear publicly available. In the meantime, there are two options: use the English interface as is, or go to specialized forums and seek help from the MIUI community.
Where can I buy?
Current price the new product in China is $295 for the younger version, that is, with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, and $340 for the older model with a memory ratio of 4 + 128 GB, as well as with the 3D Touch function. Personally, I am for an advanced configuration, because random access memory There is never too much, especially built-in.
It’s not for me to explain to you that buy Xiaomi Mi5S For about the same money it’s still possible here in Russia. How? Seven troubles, one cashback.
I bought my smartphone (128 GB version). If anything, a 64 GB model is sold here. In any case, be sure to use the promo code when making your purchase GWsuperG. It will be a bonus protective film and a cover for the first time.