Review Xiaomi Mi 5C: Beautiful, but not necessary?

Xiaomi Mi 5C is an amazing smartphone. And, immediately on two fronts. Firstly, it’s buggy and it’s just impossible to use it normally. Secondly, it is damn beautiful, pleasant in hand and i want to use it. Let’s see how this can be combined in one device.

Review of Xiaomi Mi 5C I propose to start unusually – with the price discussion. Now you can buy Xiaomi Mi 5C for $250 . The main argument against buying this device: “Yes for this money you can buy Xiaomi Mi5!”. Yes, you can and probably need to do this. And the more you use 5C, the more you get stronger in this statement.

In the kit there is nothing unusual: a box, a power supply (9V, 2A), a USB C cable, a clip and a few pieces of paper in Chinese. Boring, standard equipment, but because we go to the main thing.

Xiaomi Mi 5C: Design

Xiaomi Mi 5C – this is the case when the smartphone and on the render, in real life looks great. Perhaps, he looks even better live.

Streamlined, metal case, 2.5D-glass front, neatly inscribed in the back of the device glass inserts – all right.

Remember Mi MiX – the concept of a smartphone that went and bought, right here and now, and not in some kind of 2020 there. And the same Mi Note 2 ? He looks very cool and expensive, well assembled and all that sexy.

So, Xiaomi Mi 5C is something from the same opera, only smaller in size. Fans of compact devices ala iPhone 7 will be delighted. The device is very similar both in appearance and user experience. See for yourself …

His great dignity is that he is very thin and light. The thickness of 7.09 mm – this is straight what you need.

Just now he took Xiaomi Mi5 in his hand and against the background of his younger brother he looks just ugly: a flat screen, wide frames on the sides, sharp angles, biting into the hand. In general, after Xiaomi Mi 5C, the flagship of the previous year is simply more. Yes, any smartphone after our hero – nothing.

By the way, if you take, then only the black version. There are, of course, both golden and pink versions, but this, of course, is not comme il faut.

The edges of the display are almost invisible, the image smoothly passes into the case and dissolves all over the front surface! Kru-that-shadow!

Under the screen there is a physical button “Home”. It has a built-in fingerprint scanner, which starts to read the finger, only when you press the key. Reading speed and correctness of recognition are high. There are no problems here.

First – the device is very slippery. Brushed metal, sloping corners – all this indicates that sooner or later the smartphone will be on the ground. The only question is how soon. Well, and the repair of such a rare device – that’s still an action.

The second is that the protective glass does not fit tightly to the upper end. As a result, dust accumulates there and all this does not look very healthy in the daytime, in the sun.

Xiaomi Mi 5C: Display

Here we have a quite ordinary IPS-screen with a 5.15-inch diagonal and a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Once again I’m convinced that this is almost the ideal ratio. So the screen looks great, but also the case does not swell up to the shovel-shaped state.

At right angles, the display looks great. The brightness is high, the colors are moderately juicy, the contrast is good.

• Brightness 550 nits
• Contrast ratio 1500: 1
• Compliance palette NTSC 94.4%

However, it is worth deflecting the screen along the diagonal axis, as outwardly emerges whitish fog – a typical disease of IPS-matrices.

I do not know why Xiaomi did not install AMOLED here, because it would be logical also from the point of view of power consumption.

Oleophobic coating is, it is very high quality, the finger literally slides off the glass. Another precursor of an early meeting of 5C and asphalt.

Solar bunnies in the sun play on the screen surface in leapfrog, which looks very cool. However, the brightness margin allows you to keep the screen readable.

Specifications Xiaomi Mi 5C

• Processor Surge S1 with 8 cores Cortex A53 and a frequency of 2.2 GHz (64-bit)
• Graphics Mali-T860 MP4
• RAM 3 GB LPDDR3 933 MHz (after rebooting freely 1315 MB)
• Data storage 64 GB eMMC 5.0 (actually available about 53 GB)
• No memory card support
• Display with a diagonal of 5.15 inches and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (density 428 ppi)
• Front camera 8 megapixels (f / 2.2, recording of Full HD movies)
• The main camera is 12 megapixels (f / 2.2, 6-lens, pixel size 1.25 microns, PDAF-focusing, Full HD video recording, no stabilization)
• 2 860 mAh battery
• Android 6.0 OS (upgrade to 7.0 will be)
• The MIUI 8.xxx shell (there is no Russian and GApps and, most likely, will not)
• Sensors: accelerometer, light and distance sensor, gyroscope, digital compass, fingerprint scanner, infrared
• Connectors: USB Type-C (OTG-flash drives work) and audio output 3.5 mm
• Dimensions: 144.38 x 69.68 x 7.09 mm
• Weight 135 grams

Wireless features:

• 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE bands: 38, 39, 40, 41)
• Support for two Nano SIM cards
• Wi-Fi (802.11 ac), Bluetooth 4.1
• Navigation: GPS, Glonass, Beidou

Xiaomi Mi 5C is the first smartphone, which uses a processor of its own production. Rather, Xiaomi does not have its own production facilities, it’s just its own design, created with the participation of foreign forces.

In terms of performance, this is the same as the extremely popular now Qualcomm Snapdragon 625. The system works stably, does not lag, does not brake anything. Games on average graphics parameters feel confident. We put high settings and get a slightly twisted picture (20-25 FPS) – it’s not that. 4K-video is played without the slightest hint of delay.

I did not notice any throttling. Conducted the test AnTuTu times 8-10 in a row, and the number of virtual parrots with each time only increased. Yes, the device has warmed up, however hot I would not name it.

However, the processor has one significant difference from the more famous and time-tested competitors – the built-in modem simply disgustingly catches the connection

I can not say anything negative about the navigation. Cold start takes 10 seconds, then satellites appear in the sky one by one.

Xiaomi Mi 5C: Cameras

In front we have an 8-megapixel module. The lens with aperture f / 2.2. Self-portraits are quite decent – both on the smartphone screen and on the computer look good.

A 12-megapixel camera with a one-section flash of warm light is located behind it. The aperture of the six lens is f / 2.2.

Among the classmates from the middle price segment, our hero makes good pictures. An advanced photo solution Xiaomi Mi 5C can not be called, but you can shoot something from time to time for yourself and even periodically for social networks.

The HDR mode should be used constantly. He does not draw out the dark parts of the pictures, sometimes he draws the sky, when it is overexposed.

I have only two claims to the quality of the photo. First, in any photo, the left side of the frame always floats. Algorithms, the lens, the sensor – I do not know what it is connected with.

The second – to achieve ringing sharpness is impossible. All the images seem to be slightly blurred and the surrounding lighting does not affect it. It is worth to sin on the firmware and optimization of algorithms. I’m 99% sure that it’s them.

Xiaomi never made an emphasis on video. The smartphone removes Full HD movies at 25 frames per second. The picture is satisfactory, the sound is not bad.

Xiaomi Mi 5C: Sound quality

The external speaker here is one, located to the right of the USB Type-C port. In terms of quality and volume, it is average. Nothing outstanding, but nothing disgusting.

The only thing that upset – castrated standard player in the custom assembly. In official firmware – this is a very functional and beautiful application, and in my case it’s just sadness and despondency.

Separately pleased with the volume margin in the headphones. I listened to music on 60 percent and it was with a head. Already 80-90 percent of the ears will start to splash the blood. I did not try, but it was such a feeling that developed during the test.

Xiaomi Mi 5C: Software

For those who are familiar with smartphones from Xiaomi, the built-in shell will not bring any surprises. Android 6.0 here is changed beyond recognition, all applications are rendered on the main screen. The shell is stylish, but most importantly, it is functional.

I especially like two extremely convenient chips: “Second Space” and “Dual Applications. Using the first function from one smartphone, you can make two independent devices. In one, for example, there will be an account for work: your contacts, your mail, applications and other settings. The second space can be fully customized for personal needs, put a naked girl on the desktop, ponapihat toys and go into all the rest, soft and heavy.

The “Dual Applications” tool clones the installed programs, and, third-party ones too. You can, for example, install two WhatsApp and each of them will work independently of each other. Krutyak!

There is no Russian and, most likely, will not. The output of firmware with the support of all other languages ​​is accompanied by sales of Xiaomi smartphones in other markets (at least in India), but there are no such plans for Xiaomi Mi 5C, therefore, there will most likely be no official localization.

With Google services, the situation is exactly the same. Neither the application store, nor account support, nor synchronization – nothing is there.

Nevertheless, there are custom, unofficial assemblies with both Russian and GAPPS. To me, the smartphone came with just such firmware (version 8.1.10.0.0). And it is quite a decent work, nothing bugs and does not lag. Even Sberbank recognized the firmware as adequate and did not cut off payments inside the application. The only nuance is that there will not be updates by air. Sew new versions will have to be done manually.

Another critical point is notifications. They do not come by default. You need to go to the “Security” application and enable the autoloading of the utilities you need, and afterwards display all the checkmarks for each program separately. Then it becomes more or less.

Xiaomi Mi 5C: Battery life

Another depressing parameter is the battery. We have only 2,860 mAh. Obviously, such a battery was inserted here because they wanted to make the case as thin as possible. Undoubtedly, it turned out for the developers, but the autonomy suffered greatly.

Since even in the city center the smartphone is very badly kept by the network, my device was discharged for one light day. From 6 am to 5 pm there were approximately 13 percent. At the same time, the screen did not last more than 2.5 hours.

If the device is properly loaded (music, social networks, toys), then it will die even earlier.

Xiaomi Mi 5C: Conclusion

During the first two hours after unpacking the Xiaomi Mi 5C , I had a first impression of the smartphone. I already wrote about him in Telegram and I will repeat again:

And do you know what changed in a week? Nothing! Moreover, to all other things negative experience from battery was added.

But here that is surprising. I want to leave Xiaomi Mi 5C myself and make it my main device. I like it so much outwardly that I am ready to give it a chance in the hope that sooner or later all the tight moments will be finished (at least communication) and the smartphone can be used more or less comfortably. Still, it is unreal beautiful and easy to use.

Its money, and this will remind $250 , it is never worth it. Two hundred dollars – yes. But give more for it, when for the same money you can snatch Xiaomi Mi5, – there is no point. True, this old man against the background of a young fugitive does not look so great. But there’s someone who: either checkers, or go. And I choose checkers.

Source: xiaomi