With the launch of the ‘premium’ Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus priced at $390 (around Rs 22,000), it also launched the Mi 5s at Rs 19,000, the Chinese company, once known just for its cheap but specifications and feature rich smartphones, has challenged Apple and even targetted its latest handset the iPhone 7, which was launched recently. The fight is going to be stiff, even epic. Here’s why.
First of all the price. Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus is a big smartphone and is priced at just about half of the Apple iPhone 7. The Chinese company has provided on its smartphone premium features like dual cameras and pressure sensitive screen that will truly sway consumers who are virtually crazed by the photography bug.
In terms of speed, Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus smartphone is up there with the best having packed in a really fast processor in the form of Qualcomm Snapdragon 821; it also offers 6GB RAM and internal storage of 128GB, a 5.7-inch screen, and of course the a dual-camera system at 13MP-13MP with a f/2.2 aperture. It has dual sensors, with one taking colour photos while the other is black and white
Compare that to the iPhone 7 Plus, which is priced at Rs 72,000 for the ‘cheapest’ 32GB model. iPhone 7 Plus weighs in at 188 grams, 5.5-inch (diagonal) LED‑backlit widescreen, Multi-Touch display with IPS technology, A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture, Embedded M10 motion coprocessor, 12-megapixel wide-angle and telephoto cameras, Wide-angle: ƒ/1.8 aperture, Telephoto: ƒ/2.8 aperture, Fingerprint sensor built into the new Home button, Built-in rechargeable lithium‑ion battery with up to 1 hour longer battery life than iPhone 6s Plus (Up to 21 hours on 3G).
When compared, Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus screen is almost similar to Apple 3D Touch. As far as camera is concerned, the iPhone 7 has a 12-megapixel camera to the Chinese company’s dual 13MP-13MP cameras.
The opportunity for the Chinese company to grab a lion’s share of the market is very much there and its launch of Xiaomi Mi 5s and Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus will definitely provide it a boost as the specifications and features are top of the line. Also, with Samsung Note 7 recall over smokeing batteries costing the South Korean company plenty in terms of negative impact on the brand, companies like Xiaomi and even Apple are set to become the 2 major mobile phone makers left in the ring.
What is going to provide advantage to the Xiaomi Mi 5s and Plus is the pricing backed by top specs in the two most important markets in the world, India and China. America and Europe too are getting price conscious provided they get similar specs and do not go much by reputation. This is especially so as Apple has not really provided anything really new in terms of specs or even design. Also, it has neglected, for now at least, to trot out cheaper versions.