Xiaomi is known for its budget-focused smartphones while Samsung has a stronger foothold in the high-end premium market. Both companies a attract different set of people but they cross paths when their respective flagships are released with competitive features. Smartphone shoppers are always looking for great features at minimum cost, which is where Xiaomi excels, and some have a strong brand preference, which undoubtedly is Samsung's strong suit.
Samsung and Xiaomi are planning to launch their flagships Galaxy S7 and Mi 5, respectively, next year, bringing a new sense of competition to the premium market. Consumers' interest in both phones has been excessive in recent weeks. There have been rumours and leaks about the possible specifications of the handsets, so we found it fitting to compare Galaxy S7 and Mi 5 based on what we believe is the real deal.
Design
Metal is the new trend for premium smartphones and Xiaomi is very likely to feature a full-metal body for its Mi 5, especially after the company announced full-metal Redmi Note 3. Most design structure will resemble the company's current flagship, Mi 4, otherwise.
As for Samsung, which is known to experiment with new designs in smartphones, the Galaxy S7 design will not be a massive overhaul compared to Galaxy S6. Of course, there will be an "Edge" variant with dual-sided curved screen and metal and glass combination but the Galaxy S7 will mainly focus on under-the-hood upgrades such as processor, display, camera and battery.
Display
With the crazy demand for big screen phones these days, it is evident that Samsung and Xiaomi flagships will feature big displays.
As per the rumours, Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will sport 5.2-inch and 5.7-inch displays sizes, respectively, with eye-popping 4K or at least Quad HD (2K) resolution. In order to stay ahead of the game, the Korean tech giant will pack some latest tech like Clear Touch from Synaptics that will replicate iPhone 6s' 3D Touch feature.
Xiaomi will try to keep up with the competition by packing a 5.2-inch Quad HD display in its Mi 5 smartphone, complete with Gorilla Glass 4 protection. Rumour has it that the Chinese tech giant will replicate the 3D Touch feature in its Mi 5 smartphone but authenticity of that claim is yet to be confirmed.
Camera
Exact details of the camera in Galaxy S7 and Mi 5 are unknown but rumours paint a vague picture of what to expect. Xiaomi Mi 5 is said to feature a 16MP primary camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), dual LED flash, PDAF and an improved 5MP front snapper with wide-angle lens.
As for the Galaxy S7, there is going to be a much better 23MP camera with Sony's IMX300 sensor. The front camera details are unknown but we can safely assume it will range between 5MP to 8MP.
Processor, RAM and storage
Samsung is expected to launch two variants of Galaxy S7 based on the markets. One of the variants will sport company's own Exynos 8890 octa-core processor while another variant will be powered by Qualcomm's 2.2GHz Snapdragon 820 chipset. To support this, Galaxy S7 will have 4GB DDR4 RAM with 64GB storage. A recent report suggested that Samsung might bring back the microSD card option in its Galaxy S7, a move that will bring smiles to many faces.
On the other hand, Xiaomi Mi 5 will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset, 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage. Sadly, Xiaomi has no plans to bring the microSD card option for further expansion.
Battery
Xiaomi is expected to pack a 3,030mAh battery in its Mi 5 smartphone. Samsung Galaxy S7 will likely borrow the 2,550mAh battery from its predecessor and support fast charge and wireless charging technology.
