Microsoft Lumia 950 XL vs. Xiaomi Mi 5: Comparison Of Key Specs, Price And Release Date

Running the Windows 10 Mobile OS, Microsoft’s Lumia 950 XL is one of the powerful and hottest handsets released recently. Xiaomi, on the other hand, has been playing hide and seek with the release date of the flagship Mi 5. However, now, a Weibo update points to the exact announcement date in January 2016. With the reported configurations and price details collated so far, here we have compared the Xiaomi Mi 5 with the Lumia 950 XL.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xiaomi Mi 5: Release Date, Price

The Lumia 950 XL can now be availed for $649 via Microsoft Store in the U.S. The Xiaomi Mi 5 with cutting-edge configurations has been rumored to come with a price tag of 1,999 yuan i.e. about $311, according to Phone Arena. In addition, a high-end version of the device will also be made available for 2,499 yuan i.e. roughly $389.

Speaking of release date, Android Pit said that the Xiaomi Mi 5 was initially believed to be launched in November and later, reports pointed to Dec. 3 as the date. This December date has passed and now, a Weibo account asks readers to mark Jan. 21 as the possible release date.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xiaomi Mi 5: Display, Design

Microsoft’s new device carries a 5.7-inch AMOLED display, 1,440 x 2,560 pixels screen resolution, along with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4 protection. The Mi 5, on the other hand, is expected to feature a 5.3-inch IPS LCD display, aided by the same QHD resolution. The pixel densities of the Xiaomi Mi 5 and Lumia 950 XL turn out to be 554 ppi and 518 ppi, respectively. As a rule of thumb, devices with pixel strength above 500 ppi can expect brilliant viewing experience with impressive color reproduction.

Moving on to the design, Microsoft has made of use of polycarbonate materials, which keeps the device light-weight. But then, similar to other plastic-looking devices, Phone Arena says, the Lumia 950 XL “lacks the premium look” sashayed by the glass-and-metal clad flagship Galaxy S6 and metal-unibody clad HTC One M9. Speaking of Xiaomi, there’s no official information available to ascertain the exterior design, however, the handset is expected to flaunt a metal chassis.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xiaomi Mi 5: Hardware, Software, Memory

The Snapdragon 810 chipset powers the Lumia 950 XL with a 3 GB RAM to back the device. The Xiaomi Mi 5, on the other hand, will reportedly come powered by the latest Snapdragon 820 SoC and backed by a solid 4 GB of RAM. Not to forget, the S820 is already making a mark in many benchmark testing sites.

On the software front, as mentioned earlier, Windows 10 runs the Lumia device. Speaking of Xiaomi handset, earlier reports pointed to Lollipop OS. However, Phone Arena said that the smartphone will utilize the Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with MIUI 6 on top of it.

About memory specification -- the Microsoft device comes equipped with 32 GB of native storage space, whereas Xiaomi is believed to provide 16 GB and 64 GB storage choices. While there will be no option to expand in the Mi 5, the Lumia 950 XL comes with microSD card slot.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xiaomi Mi 5: Camera, Battery

Lumia 950 XL sports a 20-megapixel PureView main camera unit with OIS support, Carl Zeiss optics and triple-LED flash. The Xiaomi Mi 5, on the other hand, will reportedly feature a 16-megapixel rear-facing snapper with dual-LED flash and OIS support. At the front, the Lumia handset has a generous 5-megapixel selfie-clicker, while the Mi 5 will apparently house a 6-megapixel sensor.

Furthermore, the Lumia device comes with a removable 3,340 mAh battery unit, whereas the Xiaomi handset is expected to house a non-removable 3,030 mAh cell.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xiaomi Mi 5: Additional Pointers

The Lumia handset uses an iris scanner for authentication. However, the Chinese tech giant will reportedly settle for the tried and tested fingerprint scanner embedded on the home key. Plus, the USB Type-C port seen in the Lumia 950 XL is believed to be part of the Xiaomi Mi 5 as well.