NO BAND 20 (800Mhz) - O2, or any network using O2, your 4G WILL NOT WORK (All other networks are okay and 4G will work absolutely fine)
This has no SD card slot or Optical Image Stabilisation.
Right, now we have that out the way...
How do you get what is very similar in hardware spec to the Google pixel for a mere £174?
1. Download the banggood app for iOS or android. Here iOS or Android
2. Register or login to the app
3. On the landing page when you open the app, it will have a banner saying "11% off aniversary coupon" click that.
4. Scroll down on the new page just opened until you see the orange banner "11% Off aniversary coupons". Now just below that is a 12% coupon. Click on - "Pick Now". If there are none available just wait until the timer runs out above the coupons and it will generate more. ;-)
5. Search for the xiaomi Mi5s on the banggood app.
6. Buy it now.
7. On the checkout or "place order" page, under the PayPal and credit card logo is a section " discount method".
8. Hit the plus symbol in the discount method section and select your newly acquired 2017 aniversary coupon.
This will reduce your $253.99 to $223.51 or £174.00
The Xiaomi Mi5s is made by Xiaomi who are a huge electronics company in China and third largest mobile phone OEM in China. This is NOT Chinese tat and I'll back up why this is true.
The Mi 5s uses the same Sony IMX378 12MP camera that you will find on the £500 Google pixel. ( I know the pixel 2 is around the corner but comparison sake, also the pixel uses software enhancements so although the pics on the xiaomi won't be quite as good as the pixel, they are very very good for any phone despite the price)
It has a 3.5mm headphone jack - YAY
It also has 64GB UFS 2.0 memory - thats fast.
It uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 which is, the same one used in the Google pixel and an excellent high end chipset in 2016.
It has NFC for android pay.
It has a Japan Display Inc 5.15 1080p panel which is excellent and the same company who make Sony and HTC displays. 600nits brightness (that's bright) but also has night mode to really dim the screen for night owls.
3200mah battery with Qualcomm quick charge through usb type C
Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner under the front 2.5D glass display.
Also comes with the official global Miui ROM from xiaomi so English language and Google play store out the box, and it's just been upgraded to miui 9 this week, expect many more updates in the future as well since xiaomi like to provide software support via updates much longer than any other manufacturer.
No it's not as high end as a Samsung galaxy S8 but it's £174 and on par with Google's flagship from 2016.
So it's not just a good phone for the the price, it's a good phone full stop. The price is a bonus.
Antutu benchmark
Google pixel - 145.387 Xiaomi mi5s - 146.988
All comments (162)
badboyofrock
25 Aug 17#1
MIUI 9 is still in beta. This won't update until the stable version is released.
Kenneth131 to badboyofrock
25 Aug 17#3
Correct, the beta is out for the mi5s though and stable won't be far off :sunglasses: :raised_hand:
umirza85
25 Aug 17#2
this is a ridiculous price for a solid phone that will last years. I replaced mine with the mi 5s plus because i like a bigger screen but I paid double this for the phone when i bought it.
edit: Also i've never had any issues with android pay with either of the phones which is a huge plus. I know some of the chinese phones are hit and miss.
badboyofrock to umirza85
25 Aug 17#4
How's the 5s plus? I have Mi5 but fancy a larger screen. Can't decide between Mi5s plus and Mi Note 2.
malky39
25 Aug 17#5
No quits correct about band 20 4g, o2 is not the only network to use this band, yes they use it only, but every other network uses it in some way or another
Kenneth131 to malky39
25 Aug 17#8
Correct but most networks, as you say, don't rely on it exclusively.
I have had several Xiaomi phones without band 20 and used on Vodafone EE and three without any noticeable hindrence to data speed or coverage compared to my wife's iPhone 6 in the same location. So while I agree band 20 is used by all networks to some degree it certainly only really affects O2 when it's omitted entirely from a phone.
sumpter
25 Aug 17#6
Torn between this and the Leeco Le 3 Pro Elite posted earlier today, would rather Xiaomi as a brand but not sure it warrants the extra £50. Damn i'm indecisive
ssjinzo
25 Aug 17#7
Does this have android 7.0 upgrade? I as it says android 6.0. I have attached it also how does the updates work ota or do you need to manually install. I get 179.18 as total price? Thanks
Kenneth131 to ssjinzo
25 Aug 17#9
Well Xiaomi phones run on Miui. Think of it like Samsung's touchwiz but it works lol.
While android underpins the operation system, Xiaomi implement many many many improvements and useful features in their miui custom skin over the top of android. So many useful features exist that aren't normally in stock andorid such as being able to swipe down anywhere on the screen to pull down notifications, simple I know but you miss it when it's not there.
It will initially be on android 6.0 but with miui 9 will be andorid 7.0
This as mentioned above is in beta which can me manually installed or wait about a month and it will be released in stable and you will get it over the air so it will just pop up and say to install it.
Xiaomi release updates for the miui os
Chinese beta ROM - every Friday
Global beta - every 2 weeks on a Friday
Chinese and global stable ROMs - usually once a month.
As for price, depends on the currency conversion but at the min $223.51 is £173.52 :grin:
ssjinzo to Kenneth131
26 Aug 17#33
Is there 2 version of the phone global and China? I will i went to the site to look for software but I could only fine the mi5 not the mi5s?
So can you stick Nova Launcher on it so as to make MiUI 'disappear'?
Kenneth131 to Naith
25 Aug 17#13
Yep if you wish to :thumbsup:
If I'm honest thought having used miui for 4 years now, I would miss some of the handy features it has built in and the customisation available as standard. I find stock android a little lacking in features in comparison and unlike Samsung's offerings it's largely useful features that miui has included.
Obviously if you hate it you can whack on a new launcher but I'd give it a try for a while and see it's actually a really good use of android
danj303
25 Aug 17#14
Not valid on the mi5s plus unfortunately. Still a great deal for the mi5s
Kenneth131 to danj303
25 Aug 17#15
I know, i also tried on several other handsets lol. Seems it only works on the mi5s just now
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
![[Xbox One] Q. u. b. e: Director's Cut on Deals with Gold](/images/topics/208716_1.jpg)
Opening post
(All other networks are okay and 4G will work absolutely fine)
This has no SD card slot or Optical Image Stabilisation.
Right, now we have that out the way...
How do you get what is very similar in hardware spec to the Google pixel for a mere £174?
1. Download the banggood app for iOS or android. Here iOS or Android
2. Register or login to the app
3. On the landing page when you open the app, it will have a banner saying "11% off aniversary coupon" click that.
4. Scroll down on the new page just opened until you see the orange banner "11% Off aniversary coupons". Now just below that is a 12% coupon. Click on - "Pick Now". If there are none available just wait until the timer runs out above the coupons and it will generate more. ;-)
5. Search for the xiaomi Mi5s on the banggood app.
6. Buy it now.
7. On the checkout or "place order" page, under the PayPal and credit card logo is a section " discount method".
8. Hit the plus symbol in the discount method section and select your newly acquired 2017 aniversary coupon.
This will reduce your $253.99 to $223.51 or £174.00
The Xiaomi Mi5s is made by Xiaomi who are a huge electronics company in China and third largest mobile phone OEM in China. This is NOT Chinese tat and I'll back up why this is true.
The Mi 5s uses the same Sony IMX378 12MP camera that you will find on the £500 Google pixel. ( I know the pixel 2 is around the corner but comparison sake, also the pixel uses software enhancements so although the pics on the xiaomi won't be quite as good as the pixel, they are very very good for any phone despite the price)
It has a 3.5mm headphone jack - YAY
It also has 64GB UFS 2.0 memory - thats fast.
It uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 which is, the same one used in the Google pixel and an excellent high end chipset in 2016.
It has NFC for android pay.
It has a Japan Display Inc 5.15 1080p panel which is excellent and the same company who make Sony and HTC displays. 600nits brightness (that's bright) but also has night mode to really dim the screen for night owls.
3200mah battery with Qualcomm quick charge through usb type C
Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner under the front 2.5D glass display.
Also comes with the official global Miui ROM from xiaomi so English language and Google play store out the box, and it's just been upgraded to miui 9 this week, expect many more updates in the future as well since xiaomi like to provide software support via updates much longer than any other manufacturer.
No it's not as high end as a Samsung galaxy S8 but it's £174 and on par with Google's flagship from 2016.
So it's not just a good phone for the the price, it's a good phone full stop. The price is a bonus.
Antutu benchmark
Google pixel - 145.387
Xiaomi mi5s - 146.988
All comments (162)
edit: Also i've never had any issues with android pay with either of the phones which is a huge plus. I know some of the chinese phones are hit and miss.
I have had several Xiaomi phones without band 20 and used on Vodafone EE and three without any noticeable hindrence to data speed or coverage compared to my wife's iPhone 6 in the same location. So while I agree band 20 is used by all networks to some degree it certainly only really affects O2 when it's omitted entirely from a phone.
Thanks
While android underpins the operation system, Xiaomi implement many many many improvements and useful features in their miui custom skin over the top of android. So many useful features exist that aren't normally in stock andorid such as being able to swipe down anywhere on the screen to pull down notifications, simple I know but you miss it when it's not there.
It will initially be on android 6.0 but with miui 9 will be andorid 7.0
This as mentioned above is in beta which can me manually installed or wait about a month and it will be released in stable and you will get it over the air so it will just pop up and say to install it.
Xiaomi release updates for the miui os
Chinese beta ROM - every Friday
Global beta - every 2 weeks on a Friday
Chinese and global stable ROMs - usually once a month.
As for price, depends on the currency conversion but at the min $223.51 is £173.52 :grin:
en.miui.com/dow…tml
There's only one version the Mi5 was released January 2016 and mi5s September 2016.
In China they typically call the mi5s just the Xiaomi 5s though
The mi5 uses the Sony IMX298 and the mi5s uses the same Sony IMX378 which is used in the Google pixel.
You decide
See the camera samples from both phones here Mi5 Vs Mi5s Camera examples
If I'm honest thought having used miui for 4 years now, I would miss some of the handy features it has built in and the customisation available as standard. I find stock android a little lacking in features in comparison and unlike Samsung's offerings it's largely useful features that miui has included.
Obviously if you hate it you can whack on a new launcher but I'd give it a try for a while and see it's actually a really good use of android