Xiaomi Mi 5

Xiaomi takes the cameras seriously on the Mi 5 and uses a 16Mp Sony sensor and a sapphire cover for the main camera. It has what the Chinese company calls 4-axis optical stabilisation and can record video at 4K. It has its limits, though. There’s no 1080p60 mode and slo-mo is a mere 120fps at 720p. But these minor gripes aside, this is a surprisingly good camera on a phone that’s half the price (or less) than the other flagships on test here.

The app is a little confusing at first because you have to swipe in from the left to change modes and options. Also, settings are separate for video and photos, and it’s easy to accidentally apply digital zoom when swiping to access these options.

There are a few unusual options, such as a long shutter setting up to 32 seconds: something you won’t even find on the HTC 10, which is limited to two seconds.

Typically, cameras on mid-range phones have no hope of competing with the best out there, but the Mi 5 holds its own. Photos aren’t as sharp as the Samsung S7 or the Google Nexus 6P, but they’re respectable. Colours are generally natural and exposure good. In our portrait photo we discovered that face detection didn’t always work: it focused on buildings in the background. But when it works – which is most of the time – you won’t be

disappointed. In low light it doesn’t embarrass itself. 4K video is nice and sharp, and stabilisation is effective too. Even audio is clear.

Key features

Rear: 16Mp; 4K; 1080p at 30fps Optical image stabilisation: Yes Front: 4Mp; 1080p video Panorama: Yes Slo-mo: 720p at 120fps Rear: Time-lapse: Yes