Xiaomi 5G Mi MIX 3 is just £520 and you can buy it this May

Xiaomi has today announced its first 5G-ready smartphone, Mi MIX 3 5G. Taking to the stage in Barcelona at MWC 2019, Xiaomi showed off its new super-fast handset, which will be available to buy this May. And it comes at a very Xiaomi-like (affordable) price.

As the name suggests, the MIX 3 5G takes the existing Mi MIX 3 and adds 5G wireless technology using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile platform with the Snapdragon X50 modem.

Xiaomi says its set its sights on a 5G solution in May 2016 by establishing a team to start exploratory research on 5G standards. It then developed strategic 5G partnerships with service providers such as 3, Sunrise, TIM, Vodafone and others.

With the announcement of Mi MIX 3 5G, Xiaomi is now one of the first smartphone manufacturers to produce a 5G phone for commercial use.

“Xiaomi has spent tremendous efforts developing a 5G smartphone solution and Mi MIX 3 5G represents Xiaomi’s quest to create innovative products for everyone,” said Wang Xiang, Senior Vice President of Xiaomi. "We are also delighted and honored to be working with our partners to make 5G a reality for even more users all over the world."

To support applications requiring high-levels of device performance during extended periods of use, such as multi-player gaming or live streaming, Xiaomi says it has developed a "highly-advanced" hybrid cooling system for Mi MIX 3 5G. A thermal material apparently quickly captures heat generated by the device under demanding scenarios and delays temperature increases. Then, a passive heat pipe composed of six layers of graphite disperses heat at "a speed three times faster than a typical dual graphite sheet."

Camera-wise, the Mi MIX 3 5G inherits the same 12MP AI dual camera from Mi MIX 3. For selfies, Mi MIX 3 5G offers a 24MP + 2MP dual camera setup. It also continues with the MIX 3 pop-up camera via a magnetic slider, which can be customised to perform functions such as answering calls or starting up the camera app. The slider design means that the bezels are super-thin, achieving a high screen-to-body ratio. That screen, by the way, is a 6.39” 2340 x 1080 FHD+ Samsung AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.

MI MIX 3 5G PRICE AND RELEASE DATE
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"5G is here, right now in 2019. 2019 is the year of 5G!" proclaimed Xiaomi on stage at MWC. "This transition will be faster than the 4G transition. We have a mature smartphone user base and educated users. So we expect to see a much faster transition. Xiaomi is very well positioned to capitalise on this opportunity."

The Mi MIX 3 5G will be available this May, with a starting price of €599 (about £520), in Onyx Black and Sapphire Blue.