Xiaomi launched its first smartphone for the Malaysian Market on May 19 2014, the popular MI 3. The MI 3 retails at only RM 779, which reminds of other shocker Product Launches like the RM 698 for the Moto G last year. While the Moto G was positioned more for the Mid-Segement the Xiaomi MI3 is a full blown Flagship Killer because of its High-End Specifications and unbeatable price. In this review we will compare the Xiaomi Mi3 with Samsung Top Smartphone in the Malaysian Market the Samsung Galaxy S5.

XIAOMI MI3 Vs Samsung S5

DESIGN

When it comes to Design the clear Winner is Xiaomi’s MI3. The MI 3 has a beautiful metal casing which uses Magnesium alloy, similiar to the HTC ONE series. The smartphone frame is coated in three layers of thermal graphite film. On top of that it has nice features like 120-laser cut speaker grills and metal reinforced USB ports. Overall this gives 8.1 mm body of the MI 3 a very premium touch to it. On the other hand the Samsung Galaxy S5 uses the plastic cover we know already from the Samsung S4. While the S5 is still a premium smartphone, it surely doesnt win against the High End Design of the Xiaomi device. Yet recently the Head of Design for Samsung Galaxy S5 quit his job and this might be one of the reasons.

Winner: Xiaomi MI 3

Display and Screen

Both smartphones come with 1,920×1,080 Full HD resolution displays, but the Screen of the Samsung Galaxy S5 5 is slightly larger with 5.1 inches. The display of the Xiaomi MI3 is only 5.0 inches, but this shouldnt make a big difference for everyday use.

The Samsung S5 sports the Super AMOLED Display which we know already from other popular Samsung Smartphones like the Galaxy Note 3. The Pixel Density is at 432ppi and it offers amazing colors and is overall a beautiful display.

One the other hand the MI3 uses a 5.0 inch FUlL HD LCD Display with IPS Technology. The IN-Plane Switching Technology offers amazing color consistency from different viewing angles. As well MI 3’s backlit display is fused directly to the touch screen, which will let colors appear deeper and richer.

As mentioned both displays the MI 3 and the S5 offer the same resolution of 1080p. The Xiaomi MI3 has a higher pixel density with 441 ppi vs the 432 ppi of the S5 because of the slightly wider screen of the S5. In every day use these 2% more pixel density will not make a difference for the user.

Winner: This one is a TIE. Both Smartphones have very high quality full HD displays with a resolution of 1080p. While the S5 is slightly larger with 5.1 inch the MI 3 has a higher pixel density of 441 ppi. When it comes to display you have a very good choice with both phones.

Hardware and Specs

Both devices the Xiaomi MI3 and the S5 utilize one of the best processors available for Android in Malayia at the moment. The quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with Adreno 330 GPU and Krait 400 Technology. The Krait 400 Architecture makes this processor more then 30% faster then the Snapdragon 600. While the MI 3 runs the quadcore Snapdragon 801 at 2.3 GHZ, the S5 is slightly faster with 2.5 GHZ. Both devices have 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM which is faster then DD3 Ram and uses less power.

For internal storage the Xiaomi MI 3 comes with a 16GB Version Storage in the Standard Version. While the S5 has the option to extend the memory up to 128 GB of internal memory via Micro-SD, it seems for now that the MI 3 doesnt have any option to extend the internal storage of 16 GB. We will have to wait if there will be more storage versions offered for the MI3 then the basic 16 GB.

The S5 is the most popular Samsung Smartphone at the moment and definitely the flagship. As such it offers some features that should at least be mentioned here in our review. One of the most spectacular is the ultra power saving mode, which allows for huge power savings because the phone uses only minimal ressources. This is very important with todays power hungry smartphones. Also Include are different motion based apps like Air Gestures and it has an inbuild Finger Print Scanner and hear rate monitor.

Winner: For Hardware and Specs the S5 is the Winner. While both the MI 3 and S5 use the same processor, the S5 is a tad faster with 2.5 GHz. What is bothering us a bit that so far it seems that the Xiaomi MI3 only offers 16GB and is non extendable. Nevertheless for a third of the price of the S5 you still get nearly identical specs, so its still a close race.

Camera and Pictures

The Samsung S5 Camera got a lot of media attention and this for a reason. Check this Ad where Samsung is teasing Apple for having 16 Megapixel Camera, double what Apple offers in the Iphone 5s.

The Camera of the Samsung Galaxy S5 delivers pictures with a 16 Megapixel ISOCELL Camera and offers truly astonishing picture quality. You can check our article here to read some more about the picture quality of the S5. The Xiaomi MI3 sports an 13 Megapixel Camera with Dual LED Flash from Phillips. The 5 piece lens has an inbuilt infrared filter and f/2.2 aperture as well as a 28mm wide angle .

With these cameras and lenses, both of the smartphones offer fantastic pictures and a solid performance. If you are into selfies or videochats via Skype or Hangouts, both the MI 3 and the S5 are equipped with 2.0 Megapixel Front Cameras.

Winner: Tie.

Software

The Xiaomi MI3 comes with MIUI V5, a custom ROM based on Android 4.3 and Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The MIUI ROM has quite a few visual changes from STOCK Android, like removing the app drawer and other design tweaks. According to Xiaomi VP Barra the aim for MIUI v5 the aim was to make the OS very intuitive and easy, while offering enough customization options for experienced Android Users.

The Samsung S5 utilizes its characteristic Touch WIZ UI which we know alread from its other smartphones. You get some new applications like MyMagazine which help you to aggregate your favorite Media And Social Media on a second screen.

Winner: XIAOMI MI3. With MIUI V5 you get a lot of customization options and its easy and intuitive to use. While the Touch WIZ UI is pretty seasoned, a lot of users complain that its overloaded and lacks customization options.

Winner:

Xiaomi MI3. With a price of 779 RM, that is half of the Samsung Galaxy S5 in Malaysia, you get a full blown FlagShip Smartphone. The MI 3 is totally equivalent on Specs and Hardware. Only slightly negative points were missing LTE and 16 GB of internal memory, while missing LTE is not a real minor point is at the moment in Malaysia. You can call the MI 3 a real Flagship Killer.

We are very excited by this entry in the market of Xiaomi with the MI 3. The Malaysian market is getting increasingly competitive with new companies from China like Xiaomi and Huawei who offer high value smartphones for extremely competitive prices. It is going to be exciting to see how other brands like Lenovo Malaysia or even Samsung will defend themselves.

In the end the Consumer will in Malaysia will win, which is great.