Xiaomi Mi 5 to debut at MWC on 24 February, confirms Hugo Barra: Everything you need to know

For the first time, Xiaomi will make an appearance during the MWC this year. Company Global VP, Hugo Barra announced that it will showcase the new smartphone during the event, which will be an invitation-only media preview, on the same day as the official launch event in Beijing. This would also be the first time that Xiaomi will unveil a smartphone on a global stage. He made the announcement via social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. https://twitter.com/hbarra/status/692532951104512001 In a  Facebook post, Barra said, “We’re holding an invitation-only media preview on February 24, the very same day of our launch event in Beijing, and I’ll be on stage.” In addition, a report by Nowhereelse.fr offers images of leaked retail boxes of the Xiaomi Mi 5. It is said to be assembled around a metal frame with back covered with a crystal layer of the sapphire curved lateral edges. It will get a physical button under the screen and will be available in white, black, pink and gold color variants. As for a UI teaser, Xiaomi co-founder and CEO Lei Jun posted an image on Weibo offering a glimpse of the of the new MIUI version. Xiaomi’s co-founder Liwan Jiang in the past has also stated that the Mi 5 would be available within a week after February announcement. According to a report from  mydrivers, Xiaomi at the launch will reveal not one but two Mi 5 smartphones. While there have been plenty of rumours about the first model  that is expected to sport a Full HD display and curved 3D-glass back, there is a second model that is said to sport a similar design but packing an all-metal contruction with a QHD (2560 x 1440 pixel) display. Other upgrades that owners of the premium Mi 5 will be treated to include more RAM and better storage options. The premium variant of the Mi 5 is rumoured to include 4GB of RAM, which is up from the expected 3GB on the standard version; and 64GB of internal storage compared to the 32GB base version onboard the standard Mi 5. The rest of hardware details including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset are expected to remain the same. There have also been  leaked images in the past that show off the front and back of the smartphone. The front appears to have a 2.5 D glass while the back is similar to what we have on the Mi Note.