Xiaomi Mi 5 Release DAte
The Xiaomi Mi 5 launched by Hugo Barra at a press conference at Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, Feb. 24, 2016. David Gilbert

The Xiaomi Mi 5, which was announced on Feb. 24 during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016, is now available for buying in China. There is no confirmation as to when it will be officially available outside China. However, Gear Best, a third party retailer has started Xiaomi Mi 5 preorders for worldwide buyers.

During the launch event of Feb. 24, the Vice President of Xiaomi, Hugo Barra refrained from revealing details on the Xiaomi MI 5 release date for the U.S. However, it is known that the Xiaomi Mi 5 will be first available in the emerging markets like India. Since the smartphone is currently available in China, Xiaomi fans in the U.S. and other regions can purchase it through third-party Chinese retailers.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 is dual-SIM smartphone that sports a premium design as it features glass panels on its front and back along with a metallic frame. It has a slim profile of 7.3 mm and weighs 129 grams.

It features a 5.15-inch IPS LCD display screen that support full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It offers a pixel density of 428 ppi. The smartphone is powered by the most powerful Qualcomm chip, Snapdragon 820.

The SD820 SoC comes with a 64-bit quad-core processor and Adreno 530 graphics. The smartphone comes in three storage variants. The 32 GB and 64 GB models feature 3 GB of RAM whereas the 128 GB model that carries the Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro moniker features 4 GB of RAM.

The rear camera of Xiaomi Mi 5 is of 16-megapixel that is equipped with features like 4-axis OIS, phase detection autofocus, and dual LED flash. The front-facing camera is of 5-megapixel. The Home button houses a fingerprint sensor. For connectivity, the Mi 5 provides users with multiple options like USB Type-C, 4G, 3G, GOS and v4.2 Bluetooth. It is packed with a huge battery of 3,000 mAh capacity.

Gear Best had started the Xiaomi Mi 5 preorders of the 32 GB variant on Feb. 25 and it will continue until April 15. The Chinese retailer will be starting the shipping of preordered units from April 15.

The 32 GB Xiaomi Mi 5 costs $439 along with free shipping for worldwide buyers. The retailer is selling Mi 5 in three color options like black, golden and white.

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