Xiaomi’s newest phones include dual-lens camera and under-glass fingerprint reader

Hot on the heels of the launch of the iPhone 7 Plus, Apple’s first smartphone with dual reverse-facing cameras, China’s Xiaomi has joined the double camera club with Mi 5s Plus announced today.

It in fact announced two phones, Apple style. The Mi 5s Plus and Mi 5s were both unveiled today as follow-ups to Xiaomi’s flagship Mi 5 which came out earlier this year. Dual camera aside, the devices both include a fingerprint scan which is contained under the front glass. Xiaomi said the technology “recognizes a 3D map of each user’s fingerprint through ultrasonic waves” meaning that it can sit on the front of the phone without a need for a physical button.

Both devices will be available in China from September 29. The Mi 5s (which is 5.15-inches) will be priced from 1999 RMB ($299) while the larger 5.7-inch Mi 5s Plus will cost upwards of 2299 RMB ($345).

The devices are both powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, but the Pro clocks higher and features 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, while the Mi 5s packs 3GB RAM and 64GB storage as standard with a more expensive combination of 4GB RAM and 128GB storage for 2299 RMB. Likewise, a higher specc’ed version of the Mi 5s Pro will feature 6GB RAM and 128GB storage for 2599 RMB, that’s around $390.

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Xiaomi’s Mi 5s

Beyond the internals, the cameras are the most obvious difference here — like the new iPhones. The Mi 5s comes with a 13-megapixel Sony IMX 378 shooter, while the Pro sports two of the same. Xiaomi said that they work in tandem, with one lens capturing images in color and the other in black and white only to produce clearer images with less noise and more detail.

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Xiaomi’s Mi 5s Plus

As is often the case with new Xiaomi products, we don’t have details on international availability yet, but we’d expect that, as a flagship series, they won’t remain limited to China.

Xiaomi also outed its newest smart TV — the Mi TV 3s — today. It said the latest version includes AI technology which classifies content and remembers preferences, helping to serve up personalized programing for users. Xiaomi has also added content from Tencent Video for the first time, which is in addition to existing deals with iQiyi and Youku, two of China’s biggest video content portals.

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