After countless leaks and speculations, the Xiaomi Mi 5c has been launched in China. A special device for the manufacturer, it is powered by the ‘Surge S1’, Xiaomi’s in-house processor. The new octa-core SoC is built on a 28nm process, and can be wound up to 2.2GHz.
The new processor’s GeekBench 4.0 CPU multi-core benchmark and GFXBench Manhattan off-screen benchmark, show that the Surge S1 beats the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, MediaTek Helio P10, as well as Helio P20 in performance. Xiaomi says that it took only 28 months for the processor to travel from concept to reality and it is now being successfully produced and integrated into a smartphone on a large scale.
The Surge S1 SoC integrates a Mali-T860 quad-core GPU that brings 40 percent improved power efficiency, when compared to previous-gen Mali-T760. There’s also a 32-bit DSP for better voice processing for calls, along with dual microphones for noise reduction. The chip integrates 14-bit dual ISP and a Surge ISP algorithm which is said to improve camera light sensitivity by up to 150 percent, along with dual noise reduction algorithm which preserves detail in low light.
The Mi 5 will be available in China at a starting price of CNY 1499 (Approx Rs.14,600) and will be available in shades of Black, Rose Gold and Gold. Featuring an all-metal body, the Xiaomi Mi 5c will carry 3GB of RAM and 64GB of on board storage. The 5c gets a 5.15-inch full-HD curved glass display with a pixel density of 428ppi. Running Android Marshmallow 6.0 Out-of-the-box with MIUI 8 on top, the phone will get a Nougat upgrade in March. It is powered by a 2860 mAh battery with support for fast charging.
Optics on the Xiaomi Mi 5c include a 12MP rear camera with large 1.25-micron pixels, an f/2.2 aperture, and LED flash. At the front, there is an 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 aperture, and 27mm wide-angle lens. A fingerprint sensor has been embedded into the Home Button. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac dual-band, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, USB Type-C, a 3.5mm audio jack, and FM radio.
