Xiaomi has long been rumored to be working on its Mi 5 smartphone. Now, the grapevine suggests that the handset will be unveiled alongside the highly anticipated Mi Pad 2 tablet. Both Xiaomi devices will allegedly launch in 2015.
The latest news comes via Pan Jiutang, an IHS analyst, who revealed that the numero uno Chinese smartphone maker is working on a second-gen Mi Pad poised for an end of 2015 release. It is expected that the Mi Pad 2, like its predecessor, will also be Android-based. Whether Xiaomi will also look to release a Windows variant of the tablet is uncertain at this point.
This is not the first time that the Mi Pad 2 has been in the news. It was previously rumored that the tablet would launch alongside the Mi 4c on Sept. 22.
Jiutang was also the same analyst who forecast that the Snapdragon 820 SoC from Qualcomm would ship to OEMs by December 2016. He had also predicted that the first smartphone to take advantage of the processor would hit shelves by March 2016.
Now, the analyst has altered his estimations, saying that while the Mi 5 will be the first to sport the Snapdragon 820 SoC, the handset will release in December this year.
In August, Tech Times reported that the Xiaomi Mi 5 popped up on AnTuTu, notching up a score of 73,075. Rumors have been rife that the impending smartphone from the Chinese company would be the first to tout the incredibly powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor.
Jiutang also stated in a post on Weibo that the impending Xiaomi Mi 5, the successor of the Xiaomi Mi 4 that launched in July 2014, may also be delayed to the first quarter of 2016 in the event Qualcomm is unable to push out the Snapdragon 820 SoC immediately to OEMs.
Noted tipster @Leaksfly also took to Weibo to share the specs of the upcoming Xiaomi flagship. The Xiaomi Mi 5 is said to tout a 5.2-inch Full HD display. It will also sport 16MP primary and 8MP secondary cameras. The smartphone will have 4GB of RAM and come pre-loaded with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
A previous leak pointed to the Mi 5 boasting 5.5-inch quad-HD display. The smartphone was then also rumored to house a 16MP selfie camera and 20MP primary one.
With Xiaomi gearing up to launch the flagship Mi 5 smartphone and Mi Pad 2 tablet by the year's end, holiday shoppers will have another option to choose from.
Photo: Jon Russell | Flickr
