Xiaomi Mi 5 renders hint at possible design (physical home button included)

Yash GargDecember 24, 2015

Will 2016 mark the return of the physical home button? More and more phones are starting to have physical home buttons, something that could probably be attributed to the rising popularity of the fingerprint sensor on the front.

One of the most important phone releases next year is going to be that of the Xiaomi Mi 5. The phone has seen multiple delays, and critics as well as the media — besides ‘Mi fans’ of course — are expecting something worth the wait.

Renders of the phone have started appearing, depicting a design rather in line with Xiaomi’s usual taste but with a slight difference — a physical home button.

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Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 3 was the first phone from the company to have fingerprint sensor, and it’s almost a given that the Mi 5 will sport one also. Now that rumours and renders of a physical home button have started to appear, one would assume that the fingerprint sensor sits on top of exactly that — instead of on the rear, which is the case with the Redmi Note 3.

Also worth noting is the fact that the renders depict a USB Type-C port on the Xiaomi Mi 5. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it’s nice to know anyway.

What’s more, word is that the fingerprint sensor on the Mi 5 will be the smallest the world has ever seen on a smartphone.

Whether or not that happens, we will know during the launch which is expected to take place in the very early part of 2016.

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About the author
Yash Garg
Yash is a blogger by profession, builder of things by passion and foodie by birth. You'll usually find him talking about technology, music, travel and the game of cricket on the streets of Pune when not busy writing or speeding his way through the country! Read more on retro handheld gaming on RETRO91

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SnowyCat
December 24, 2015
I’m a bit worried, with the phones I saw those huawei style fingerprint sensors on the back always appeared to be Way more reliable and accurate
Except for the iPhone that has a huge home button the ones on the front and especially the small ones had a lot of miss reads
- MattD
  December 24, 2015
  That’s not really the point: those small home buttons weren’t accurate because they were cheap, old ones… Size doesn’t matter that much, quality is more important by far!
  No home button takes all of your finger to read, it would take 4cm of chin for an home button, it’s always just a fraction!
  That said, we’d really need to wait for the final product, the renders we’ve seen so far are clearly fake, this one included!

Tajwar
December 24, 2015
If that’s what it looks like count me out
MattD
December 24, 2015
This is clearly a mi note with a photoshopped… Like… compressed mtouch, definitely not a real render.
However too many rumors about a fisical home button, so there really are chances to see one this time around… At least, something like that fits the design better than that mx4 pro button we saw days ago!

Levi Smith
December 24, 2015
This leaked image looks more promising: http://i.imgur.com/dm3wbPT.jpg
- Guaire
  December 25, 2015
  This one looks like real deal.
  It looks like lack of 2.5D glass on the front. Screen to body ratio not good by any means. Slim side bezels, slim fingerprint scanner and angle of the shoot make it more prominent.
- zdanee
  December 25, 2015
  Ugh… hope it’s just a prototype, this is just plain ugly…
- Acer_Predator
  December 27, 2015
Filipp
December 24, 2015
too ugly to believe

V.K
December 24, 2015
Very disappointing.
Mi5 should bring a super attractive design, the best one in Xiaomi devices history.
I personally liked a lot the render with the silver metallic rounding and the oval fingerprint button, that looks like a better designed Samsung note 5.
In my opinion the main defferentiating parameter between almost identical SD820 devices coming out in 2016 will be be design.
Think for example, where would you base your decision between the upcoming LETV, Meizu, Xiaomi, all of them having similar killer specifications.
Also take into consideration the upcoming Samsung s7 and iPhone 7 design which will set new standards in that department and the fact that the price gap between Chinese and known flagships is closing.
I have owned the mi2s, Meizu Mx4, the Mi4 and know the Letv x800 because i appreciate the ratio, specs/price/design.
With prices of Chinese flagships rising what is going to stop me from jumping of the Xiaomi train for a killer looks LETV or with a couple hundred dollars more, the new Samsung and leaving once and for all the Chinese smartphone market?
Come on Xiaomi, I loved mi2s and mi4, i loved miui and the differentiation from the masses, please don’t disappoint me!
- Guaire
  December 25, 2015
  That was too good looking for to be true.
  Mi5 won’t be best looking SD820 device IMO. Deciding factor will be price again, I guess.

yalok
December 24, 2015
The slim fingerprint scanner doesn’t make any sense with such a fat bottom bezel!
Angry Mobile Nerd
December 24, 2015
Hate to rain on their parade but I think the fingerprint sensor in the already released Sony Z5 Premium’s side power button is smaller than this.

Ulti
December 25, 2015
This looks pretty realistic unfortunately so this is probably what the Mi5 will look like. I guess they just wanted to try look different from Samsung and Apple with their home button so they ended up with that.
If the date on the screenshot is any hint, we may see the Mi5 released on Jan 15th.
John Hyatt
December 26, 2015
Hope it’s fake, because this is just an ugly Apple/Samsung crossover. Xiaomi should stick to their own design.
Davit Petrosyan
December 26, 2015
Anyone that can gues the dimensions?
Acer_Predator
December 27, 2015