Xiaomi Reveals Redmi 5, 5 Plus With Slim Bezel Ahead Of Thursday Launch

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Xiaomi has revealed the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones just days ahead of their launch on Thursday. The  company’s director of product management, Donovan Sung, tweeted images of the smartphones on Monday.

What to expect from the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus

Details about the device are scant, except what is visible in the photo. Based on the images, it appears that the Redmi 5 and 5 Plus have a thin-bezel design with a screen-to-body ratio of 18:9. This is in line with many high-end devices launched this year. Both the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus recently got TENAA certification in China.

“Is everyone ready for the all-new Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus? We’re launching these two new devices in China on Thursday Dec 7. Giving everyone a sneak preview!” Sung tweeted.

The Redmi 5 will reportedly sport a 5.7-inch display with HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440. The flagship phone is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 450 chipset, while the RAM options will be 2GB, 3GB, and 4GB with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB of built-in storage, respectively. The handset is expected to sport a 3,200 mAh battery.

The Plus version is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 625 or Snapdragon 630 SoC and come with different RAM and storage variants and a bigger 4,000 mAh battery. According to Slashleaks, the Redmi 5 will be priced around CNY1,399, and sales will begin on December 10.  The smartphones are expected to run on Android 7.1.2 out of the box, tipping an MIUI 9 build.

If reports are to be believed, Xiaomi has given some major upgrades to next-gen phones, such as new design language and updated hardware. However, the camera does not seem to be different from that of the phones’ predecessors. The Redmi 5 will likely sport a 12-megapixel rear sensor and 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and the same camera specifications are expected on the Redmi 5 Plus as well.

Except for the size, both variants are similar to each other on the outside. Encased in a metal body, both are expected to have a fingerprint sensor on the back underneath the rear camera. Further, images suggest that Xiaomi will offer the phones in black, pink and light blue.

Redmi series is very important for Xiaomi

The Redmi series phones hold special significance for Xiaomi, given the fact that they offer high-end specifications at about a quarter the price of high-end smartphones. The earlier Redmi 4 and Redmi Note 4 saw stellar sales, helping Xiaomi overtake Samsung as the most popular smartphone brand in India.

IDC revealed recently that Xiaomi had toppled Samsung in the top 50 Indian cities, clinching 26.5% of the total smartphone market in the third quarter. During the period, Xiaomi reportedly posted 120% growth with the Redmi 4 contributing the most to the sales. Expanding offline via its Preferred Partner program and Mi Stores also helped push the company’s sales.

Samsung grabbed the second spot with 24.1% of the market share, recording 15% quarterly growth. IDC noted that the Korean firm is still the preferred brand in several Indian cities, given its “deep penetration and reach.” The Galaxy J2, Galaxy J7 Max and Galaxy J7 NXT made up 50% of Samsung’s volume.

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