Xiaomi Mi 5X review: Popularity contest

Retail box

The Xiaomi Mi 5X comes within a regular paper box. The box contents are basic - a USB Type-C cable and a 5V/2A charger.

The retail box • the Xiaomi Mi 5X

Xiaomi Mi 5X 360-degree spin

The Xiaomi Mi 5X measures 155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm - that's 4mm taller than the Redmi Note 4 but a whisker thinner. It weighs as much as the Note 4 though - 165g.

Design

The Xiaomi Mi 5X comes with a very familiar design - the one we saw just a few weeks ago on the Mi Max 2. And we are glad the company decided to give yet another vote of confidence to this shell as it's both appealing and premium.

You can never go wrong with an aluminum unibody, but the devil is in the details, and it took a while for Xiaomi to get there. After two generations of metal Redmis with plastic strips on the back, Xiaomi has finally adopted the all-metal body and even the new antenna lines. That's why the Mi 5X looks really good and fashionable.

The front is pure Mi however you look at it - most of it is occupied by the 5.5" screen, while the never-changing trio of keys sits below. The glass is said to be made by Corning, but we got mixed information from different official sources, so we can't confirm that with certainty.

Everything else is metal with nice matte finish. The antenna lines run along the top and bottom edge. The fingerprint sensor sits comfortably in the middle too. The dual-camera has a nice polished rim and as it occasionally happens - it is bulging, but only slightly so.

The Xiaomi Mi 5X feels very comfy and secure in hand not only because its size is just right, but also due to the sharp chamfer between the screen and the frame, as well as the mostly matte finish. The build is sturdy and gap-free, and we expect nothing less from an all-metal smartphone in 2017. Xiaomi did an excellent job of keeping up with the trends and delivering on both great build quality and appealing looks, and we liked handling the 5X a lot.

Handling the Xiaomi Mi 5X

Device overview

As we mentioned before, the Mi 5X is like any other Xiaomi on the front. Above the display are the notification LED, a couple of sensors and the selfie camera - all placed to the left of the earpiece.

Below the 5.5" screen are the backlit capacitive keys - Tasks, Home, and Back.

Xiaomi Mi 5X • the earpiece • the Android keys

The hybrid SIM slot is on the left - it can either take one nano-SIM and one microSD card, or two nano-SIMs. The right side has the volume rocker and the power/lock key.

The left side • the SIM slot • the right side • the metal keys

The IR blaster and the second mic are on top of the Mi 5X. The USB Type-C port, the mouthpiece, the audio jack, and the loudspeaker are all at the bottom of the phone.

The top of the Mi 5X • the bottom • the USB port

The dual-camera is on the back accompanied by a dual-tone flash. The fingerprint scanner is around, too, and, as usual, our favorite always-on type.

The back of the Mi 5X • the fingerprint scanner • the dual-camera and its hump