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Xiaomi is about to launch their first mobile for the Philippines, the Xiaomi Mi3. The Mi-3 will probably sell at around 12000 PHP, if Xiaomi follows a pricing strategy like in other asian countries. With this pricing the Xiaomi MI3 will definitely be on of the hottest smartphones on the Market and might even be able to compete with strong local brands like Cherry Mobile and Myphone. While these local brands are positioned more on the low end spectrum, the Xiaomi Mobile is a full blown Flagship Smartphone with High End Specs and extremely attractive price. We will compare Samsung’s Top Flagship in the Philippines, the Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Xiaomi MI 3 in this review.

Xiaomi Mi3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5

 

DESIGN

In terms of Design The Xiaomi Mi3 is the clear winner. Xiaomi gave the MI3 a beautiful case utilizing magenesium alloy. The Mi3 is also coated with three layers of thermal graphite film. Overall the 8.1mm device has a very elite and expansive look aboiut it and reminds a lot on the design of the HTC One Series. The Samsung Galaxy S5 utilizes the same plastic look we know already from the S4. The S5 is definitely still one of the Top End Flagships, but in terms of design it can definitely not compete versus Xiaomi or HTC.

Verdict: Xiaomi MI 3. Xiaomi shows love for details with this beautiful smartphone. Samsungs plastic cover can not compete.

Display and Screen

The Xiaomi MI3 and Samsung S5 both sport 1,920×1,080 Full HD resolution Displays. The Screen of the S5 is slightly larger with 5.1 inches vs the 5.0 inches display of the Mi-3, but this makes no difference for every day usage.

The Mi 3 sports a 5.0 inch Full HD LCD Display with IPS Technology. Via In-Plane Switching Technology (IPS) users can experience great color consistency from all different viewing angles. The MI 3′s backlit display is connected directly to the touch screen, so colors seem deeper and richer.

On the Other Hand the Galaxy S5 utilizes the Super AMOLED display which we know already from their other phones like Galaxy Note 3 or S4. Overall AMOLED displays are of very high quality and offer great colors. The S5 display comes with a pixel density of 432ppi and is definitely one of the top displays in the Philippines.

Both screens, the MI3 and S5 have the same Full HD resolution of 1,920×1,080. The Xiaomi Mobile has a slightly higher pixel density of 441ppi vs 432 ppi on the S5 display. That is because the Galaxy S5 is slighly larger. For normal users this 2% difference in pixel denisty should not be signifcant.

Verdict: Tie. Both smartphones have one of the highest quality HD displays in the Philippines available. The S5 is with 5.1 inches a tad larger while the MI-3 display has a higher pixel density of 441 ppi. In terms of displays you definitely have a great choice with both mobiles.

Xiaomi MI 3 vs Samsung S5: Hardware and Specs

The Galaxy S5 runs the newest version of the Quadcore Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 which is the strongest strongest processor in the Philippines The Snapdragon 801 of the S5 is clocked at 2.5 GhZ and it comes with 2GB of RAM. The Xiaomi Mi3 runs on the precessor CPU, the quadcore Snapdragon 800, which is also used in the Samsung Galaxy S4. Xiaomi’s mobile cpu is clocked at 2.3 Ghz. Both the Xiaomi MI 3 and the Samsung S5 processor use Krait 400 architecture and Adreno 330 GPU. Both the S5 and Mi-3 have 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM which is significantly faster then DD3 Ram and uses less power.

The Xiaomi MI-3 and Samsung S5 come both with 16GB of internal memory in the basic version. Both mobiles have the ability to extend the internal storage up to 128GB via Micro-SD.

The Galaxy S5 is Samsung’s Flagship in the Philippines. As such it has some special apps and features that we should at least talk a bit briefly in this review. One feature makes the S5 especially efficient, the Ultra Power Saving Mode. This feature allows for huge power savings, using only minimal ressources. That is especially important with a power hungry Snapdragon 801 and 5 inch Super AMOLED screen. Other popular feaures are Air Gestures and Inbuild Finger Print Application like the iPhone 5s.

Verdict: Samsung Galaxy S5. The Hardware and Specs of the S5 are a tad better then the Xiaomi MI3 with an updated version of the Snapdragon 800, the 801 which runs higher clocked at 2.5 GhZ. Both devices come with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, so that was a close call.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Xiaomi Mi-3 Camera and Pictures

The Samsung Galaxy S5 sure got a lot of attention for their camera. The S5 utilizes a 16 Megapixel ISOCELL Camera with very great picture quality. Check out this Video where Samsung is making fun of Apple for their camera on the Iphone 5s.

Xiaomi Mi3 Camera Sample

The XIaomi Mi3 on the other hand sports a 13 Megapixel Camera with Sony BSI Senor and Dual LED Flash from Philipps. The 5 piece lens of the Mi3 comes with inbuilt infrared filter, f/2.2 aperture and sports 28mm wide angle.

Both smartphones offer great camera and are able to shoot amazing pictures If you like taking Selfies or videochatting the S5 and Mi3 are equipped with a 2 Megapixel Front Camera.

Verdict: Tie.

Software

The Xiaomi MI3’s Operating System is MIUI V5. MIUI V5 is a custom ROM based on Android 4.4.1 Kit Kat and Android Open Source Project (AOSP). MIUI V5 has a lot of changes from Stock Android, especially removing the App Drawer and other design changes. Xiaomi VP, and Ex Googler, said that the goal for MIUI V5 was to leave enough customization options for Android seniors, while making it as simple and intuitive as possible.

The Samsung S5 Operating System is Touch WIZ UI, which we can find on their other smartphones like the NOTE 3 as well. There are some new features like MyMagazine, to aggregate your News and Social Media on a second screen. But Touch WIZ Ui basically stays a heavily customized Android.

Verdict: XIAOMI MI3. MIUI V5 gives users a multitude of customization options while being very intuitive and simple to use. With Touch WIZ UI for S5 a lot of users have been complaining that its overloaded with Samsung Feautres and has little customization possibilities.

Overall Winner: Xiaomi MI3. With a price of 12000-13000 PHP, the Xiaomi Mobile comes 60 Percent cheaper then the Samsung Galaxy S5 in the Philippines. The Xiaomi Mi3 is a full FLagship and has nearly the same specs and hardware as the S5. The only slightly negative point of the MI3 is missing LTE, which is only a small point in the Phillpines at the moment. For 12000 PHP the XIAOMI MI 3 is a real flagship Killer

Overall we are very excited with the launch of Xiaomi in the Philippines with the MI3. The Philippines Market is getting very competitve with strong local brands like Cherrry Mobile and MyPhone on the one hand and Premium Brands like Apple and Samsung on the other hand. A new competitor who combines the low prices of Cherry Mobile with the Specs of Apple and Samsung might just be what the Philippines need. Xiaomi Philippines is promising to deliver exactly that.

 

In the end the Users will win in Philippines, which is the best.