Xiaomi Mi 5


A new rumor from China is discussing the possible price level of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5. Since all of its predecessors have been launched with a CNY 1,999 asking price (US$ 308), you may have expected the situation to remain the same this time around too.

It's being speculated that the phone will in fact start at CNY 2,499 (US$ 385), or even CNY 2,999 (US$ 462). If either of these levels pans out, then the Mi 5 is on track to be the most expensive of all the non-phablet Xiaomi flagships.

Apparently the price increase is meant to boost the Chinese company's brand image. It wants consumers to perceive it as more premium than before. The Mi 5 has been rumored to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset, 3 GB of RAM, Android 6.0 Marshmallow underneath the latest iteration of MIUI, and a fingerprint sensor. Although it's been in the news a lot already, the Mi 5 may not arrive until April.