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Xiaomi Mi 5 dazzles with low price and ceramic stylings (pictures)

Featuring the powerful Snapdragon 820 processor, 128GB of internal storage and a 16-megapixel camera, the Xiaomi Mi 5 is an impressive, affordable phone.

Lynn La
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Aloysius Low Senior Editor
Aloysius Low is a Senior Editor at CNET covering mobile and Asia. Based in Singapore, he loves playing Dota 2 when he can spare the time and is also the owner-minion of two adorable cats.
Lynn La
Aloysius Low
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At its first ever MWC press event, Xiaomi showed off its Mi 5, an affordable and elegant 5.15-inch smartphone that's sadly available only in China and India.

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Affordable pricing

The device's 128GB variant will sell for 2,699 yuan (which converts to about $415, £295 or AU$575). But the base model will have 32GB of storage and cost just 1,999 yuan ($305, £220 and AU$425).

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Smooth ceramic design

Instead of a metal or glass body, the Mi 5 has a ceramic backing, which feels like marble.

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A sharp resolution

The phone has a 5.15-inch IPS display with full-HD resolution (1,920x1,080 pixels).

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Closer to the edge

A close up of the Mi 5's edge.

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Charge with a USB Type-C connection

The device uses the modern, reversible USB Type-C for charging and transfering files.

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Sizing it up

The phone measures 5.71 by 2.72 by 0.29 inches (145 by 69 by 7.25 mm) and weighs 4.55 ounces (129 grams).

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Looking at the profile

Another look at the phone's edges.

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Audio jack up top

On the top edge is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Lots of room for storage

The Mi 5 has two capacity options: 3GB RAM with 16GB storage, or 4GB RAM with 128GB storage.

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A 16-megapixel shooter

On the back is a 16-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash.

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Taking a shot

A look at the camera in action.

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Fingerprint sensor on the front

The device's home button also has a fingerprint reader for extra user security.

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Press and hold

A closer look at the fingerprint sensor.

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Robust hardware

The device is powered by a 3,000mAh non-removable battery and a Snapdragon 820 processor with a clockspeed of 2.15GHz.

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Doubling the SIM

Network capabilities include dual SIM card slots with 4G+ (or CAT 12) LTE.

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Good luck getting it

As I mentioned, the Mi 5 is only available in China and India, so those in the US, UK and Australia will be hard pressed to find it in shops, but it should be on sale online. For more on CNET's MWC 2016 coverage, click here.

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