The battle of flagship killers, anyone?
Ever since its launch, many have questioned whether the Xiaomi Mi 5 is better than the OnePlus 2. Launched at Rs. 24,999, the Mi 5 does go toe-to-toe with the OnePlus 2, but OnePlus’ device also belongs to the older generation. The Snapdragon 820 is everything that the Snapdragon 810 wasn’t, and the OnePlus 3 is expected to be the true competitor to Xiaomi’s flagship phone(s) for the year.
Nevertheless, the OnePlus 3 is yet to launch, and not much is known about the smartphone. The fact that the OnePlus 2 is now cheaper makes it a very good phone to buy as well. But is it a better buy than the Mi 5? Let’s find out.
Build and Design
The OnePlus 2 is a very well-built device, but doesn’t look as good as the Xiaomi Mi 5, does it? Its Sandstone Back isn’t as premium as the Mi 5’s curved glass rear, and the phone is nowhere close to being as ergonomic as the Xiaomi Mi 5.
That said, the Sandstone back does offer better grip than the glass of the Mi 5. The OnePlus 2 isn’t slippery, and though it’s heavier than the Mi 5, it basically comes down to individual preference.
Hence, while to us, the Xiaomi Mi 5 looks and feels like the more premium device, we’ll have to call this one a tie.
Performance
It’s Snapdragon 820 v. Snapdragon 810 here. The OnePlus 2 has an older SoC, along with a larger FHD display. The Xiaomi Mi 5 is one of the most powerful smartphones in the current generation of devices, and easily outperforms the OnePlus 2. That includes both benchmarks and real world performance.
That is quite expected from the Snapdragon 820, but what's interesting is how well the OnePlus 2 manages the Snapdragon 810's heating issues. The Xiaomi Mi 5 is very good with heat regulation, as we explained earlier, in this story. The device doesn't go above 40 degrees, unless pushed really hard. However, despite the Snapdragon 810 SoC, the OnePlus 2 is able to maintain just over 40 degrees, during resource intensive tasks. Of course, this can be done by thrttling the processor, which also results in lesser power. The Mi 5's SoC can run up to 1.8 Ghz, while the OnePlus 2's processor usually runs, throttled, at around 0.8-1 Ghz.
Xiaomi Mi 5 Heat Graph
OnePlus 2 Heat Graph
However, for regular users, if you mind bugs, then neither of these phones are for you. Both of their software are riddled with bugs, some of which can be mighty irritating at times. For example, the Mi 5 doesn’t let you access Google Now On Tap. Similarly, the Google Search bar on the home screen keeps disappearing on the OnePlus 2.
Camera
The Mi 5’s weakest element is its camera. The 16MP shooter on the Mi 5 lacks sharpness, which helps the OnePlus 2 edge past it. The OnePlus 2 provides more sharpness in daylight, while under indoor conditions, the phone provides both sharper and brighter photos than the Mi 5, which shoots dull images. The competition is closer in low light conditions, though.
Xiaomi Mi 5 Camera Samples (L-R) Daylight,Studio White Lights,Indoor Fluorescent Lights,Low Light (Click to enlarge)
OnePlus 2 Camera Samples (L-R) Daylight,Studio White Lights,Indoor Fluorescent Lights,Low Light (Click to enlarge)
Battery
As far as battery life is concerned, the two phones are evenly matched. On heavy usage, the OnePlus 2 can last for about 14 hours, while the Xiaomi Mi 5 can go up to 16 hours. The Geekbench 3 battery test returns double the time for the Xiaomi Mi 5, when compared to the OnePlus 2. The same, however, doesn’t translate in real world performance. While the Xiaomi Mi 5 does have slightly better battery life, both phones should be enough for regular usage.
Storage
The OnePlus 2 gets some big marks in the storage department. While 32GB of storage works for most regular users, when it comes to internal storage, more is indeed merrier. The OnePlus 2 may not have a microSD slot, but with 64GB of storage, you shouldn’t need one anyway. In addition, having data on internal storage improves performance as well.
Bottomline
The Xiaomi Mi 5 is a flagship-class smartphone, but it isn’t the flagship killer that many expected it to be. It’s a really good device, especially at Rs. 24,999, but the camera is where it's weak. The Mi 5 has a better display and better performance than the OnePlus 2, but the latter has a better camera. That said, we would still recommend the Mi 5 over the OnePlus 2, as it is our winner in this comparison. Except the camera, the Mi 5 either beats or matches up to the OnePlus 2 in all other departments.
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Prasid Banerjee
Trying to explain technology to my parents. Failing miserably. View Full Profile
