Xiaomi Mi5 Leaks in New Renders, Shows Large Physical Home Button

One of the first smartphones powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor that will be available on the market, the Xiaomi Mi5, is expected to be announced next month.

The last Xiaomi flagship device dates from more than a year ago, but the Chinese company was forced to delay the launch of the Mi5 in order to pack one of the best chipsets soon to be available on the market, Snapdragon 820.

In fact, things are a bit unclear when it comes to Mi5, as some sources claim Xiaomi plans to launch a few versions with different chipsets inside.

The most expensive could be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor while the cheaper version should be powered by MediaTek's Helio X10 CPU.

Even though the phone hasn't been officially announced yet, a few new renders of the Mi5 have just leaked online (via Gadgetzarena).

These are some of the best-looking pictures showing the Xiaomi M5. It's also the first time that we see the bottom side of the smartphone, which appears to feature a Type-C USB port.

Still no Quad HD display for Xiaomi's flagship smartphone

Since the handset comes with a long physical Home button on the front, it's safe to assume that the Mi5 will pack a fingerprint sensor under this button.

Rumor has it that Xiaomi Mi5 will come with a 16-megapixel main camera, as well as an 8-megapixel camera on the front.

The smartphone may pack either 3GB or 4GB of RAM, depending on the model. Also, the Mi5 should sport 32GB or 64GB of internal memory, but there's no mention of microSD card slot.

Last but not least, Xiaomi Mi5 is likely to be powered by a 3,600 mAh battery, and it should sport a 5.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) rather than Quad HD resolution.

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XOLO Black with 3GB RAM, Android 5.0 Lollipop Launched for $180

Many Android fans in India remember XOLO's Black smartphone launched back in July, which packs an octa-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, and a 5.5-inch display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution.

It looks like the Indian OEM has decided to kick it up a notch and has launched an upgraded version of the popular XOLO Black.

The new smartphone has been officially introduced in India with the same name, but surprisingly, at lower price and with better specs.

Although XOLO Black sports a similar 5.5-inch OGS (One Glass Solution) capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution and features Corning Gorilla Glass 3 coating, the device packs more RAM than the previous model.

While the original XOLO Black comes with 2GB of RAM, the new model features 3GB of RAM inside. Both variants are equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipsets and pack 16GB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 64GB via microSD card slot.

According to a new report, the improved XOLO Black will be available for purchase in India beginning December 29. Customers will be able to pick this one up for just Rs 11,999 outright, which is about $180 or €165.

Exclusive to Snapdeal

It's also worth mentioning that XOLO Black will be exclusively available in India through major retailer Snapdeal. Keep in mind that you will have to register on the retailer's website for the pilot flash sale on December 29.

XOLO Black ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system right out of the box and the company's HIVE Atlas UI on top of it.

Other highlights of the phone include a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus, LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording, a 2-megapixel front-facing photo snapper, and a 3,200 mAh battery.

Last but not least, XOLO Black offers both 4G LTE and Hybrid dual-SIM support, as well as other connectivity options such as 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS with AGPS.

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HTC One X9 officially announced in China

The HTC One X9 has been officially announced in China. Powered by an octa-core MediaTek processor, the One X9 is a premium smartphone that doesn’t command a premium price tag. Equipped with a 5.5-inch display, the One X9 features a good-looking design that’s been combined with a metal unibody. HTC claims that it takes more than 300 hours and 50 advanced steps to assemble one of these beauties.

On the inside of the One X9 ticks MediaTek’s high-end Helio X10 processor, which is comprised of 8x Cortex A53 cores clocked at 2.2GHz. The 64-bit chipset is paired with a PowerVR G6200 GPU clocked at 700MHz, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. The One X9 has anUltraPixel front camera, great for low-light conditions and selfie lovers. Turn the device around and you’re greeted by a 13MP camera that’s armed with OIS and capable of 4K video recording. There’s also support for RAW image capture, which serious mobile photographers are sure to appreciate.

The One X9 comes with a large 3000mAh battery, which HTC claims can last about 15 hours of voice calls over 3G, 10 hours of high-definition video playback, and 40 hours of uninterrupted music playback. Support for fast charging is present, which is said to be 30% faster than charging with a regular 5V, 1A charger.

Just like most other high-end HTC handsets, the One X9 has powerful BoomSound speakers on the front side, which when coupled with Dolby Audio makes for an immersive audio experience. Also, the speaker holes are such that they are effectively water- and dust-proof. The handset is capable of powering professional hi-fi headphones, thanks to the in-built amp that can drive power output of up to 0.98V.

The One X9 is HTC’s smallest 5.5-inch device ever, as specified on their website, having a width of only 75.9mm. The display, which boasts 170-degree wide viewing angles and high contrast for good daylight visibility, is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass. HTC opted for a Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) panel instead of Quad HD or 4K. The resultant improvement in battery life is sure to be appreciated by end users.

HTC’s website doesn’t mention the Android version running on the One X9, but seeing that the One A9 released with Marshmallow out-of-the-box, we would be surprised if it weren’t the same case with their new smartphone. Perhaps one of the best part about the One X9 is its price, which is 2399 yuan in China, or roughly $370. Keep in mind the phone is currently a Chinese exclusive, but let’s hope that HTC introduces the One X9 to other markets across the globe at the same aggressive price point.

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LG V10 proves its popularity in the US with 450,000 units sold in 45 days

The LG V10 is one of the best Android smartphones you can buy right now, and apparently many folks in the U.S. agree. According to The Korea Herald, LG says it has sold upwards of 450,000 V10 units in the United States roughly 45 days after the initial launch of the phone. This translates to about 10,000 units sold per day, which is surely an impressive feat.

The company said the handset has proven most popular with the younger generation, with about 37% of its buyers falling between the ages of 25 and 34. This is perhaps partially due to the ease of creating high quality video content on the V10, and the fact that it’s the first smartphone to employ a manual video recording mode.

As a refresher, the LG V10 features a 5.7-inch IPS Quantum Display with 2560 x 1440 resolution and a secondary 2.1-inch display that can be used for app shortcuts, notifications and much more. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 4GB of RAM, and comes with 64 gigabytes of on-board storage with microSD card expansion up to 2 terabytes. It has one of the best cameras on the market, and as previously noted, has a Manual Video Mode for more granular control when taking video.

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