Xiaomi's Mi 6 and the OnePlus 5, are both without a doubt, flagship killer phones in their own right. Both the phones pack in-class hardware at rock-bottom prices. If that wasn't enough, both the phones scream premium from every nook and corner. Take a look.
Design and build quality
The OnePlus 5 apparently took three years in the making. It has been OnePlus' most challenging project to date, the company reiterates. "We developed and focus tested over 100 variations before finalizing a subtle curvature that perfectly matches look and feel with durability." In hindsight, the OnePlus 5 is an all-metal smartphone. The phone comes in Slate Gray and Midnight Black versions. Because the Midnight Black or matte black version is hard(er) to make, it will be exclusive to the 8GB RAM/64GB storage version which means that it will cost you more.The OnePlus 5 -- at 7.25mm -- is also OnePlus' thinnest phone ever, and yet it packs in a fairly respectable 3,300mAh battery inside that although 100mAh smaller than the one on-board the OnePlus 3T, is claimed to offer up to 20 per cent better battery life in comparison.The design may not be the most original - in fact the OnePlus 5 looks ridiculously like the iPhone 7 Plus - but at least, it looks good, while at it. It is, without a doubt, OnePlus' best-looking phone ever. That besides the fact that the phone that it so blatantly copies starts at Rs 60,000 and gives you mere 32GB of internal storage for that price.The front, in the case of the OnePlus 5, is carved out of 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and has a physical home button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner. It is touch-sensitive and non-clickable. The phone also supports both physical capacitive and on-screen navigation buttons. A OnePlusThe Xiaomi Mi 6, on the other hand, boasts of a glass and stainless steel sandwich design. The Mi 6 apparently took seven years in the making and there's no denying that it's a gorgeous piece of tech just like its predecessor phone, the Mi 5. The Mi 6's stainless steel construction requires a 50-step manufacturing process and over 270 individual operations, according to Xiaomi. Moreover, the phone is available in slew of options ranging from white to blue.The Mi 6, just like the bezel-less Mi Mix, has a limited edition ceramic version that's quite honestly a sight to behold. It is also supposedly stronger than the 'regular' glass Mi 6 versions. Although, Xiaomi doesn't specify whether or not the Mi 6 ships with a protective covering, it says the Mi 6 is splash resistant.The Mi 6 has a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. Xiaomi has incorporated an under-glass -- ultrasonic -- fingerprint scanner in the Mi 6 which means you'll be touching a barren area of glass to unlock the phone. The phone just like the Mi 6 comes with physical capacitive keys for back and app switching.At 168 gram, the Mi 6 is heavier than the OnePlus 5, but, it's certainly more premium and sturdier - if a little slippery and glossy - in comparison. The design isn't the most original here as well and the phone looks a lot like Huawei's Honor 8, but, then again, it looks really good while at it, especially the ceramic variant.
Display
The OnePlus 5 comes with a 5.5-inch full-HD AMOLED display with a 1920x1080 pixels resolution. The company uses an Optic AMOLED panel and claims that it is able to produce "colours that are more vivid and true-to-life than other AMOLED displays while offering excellent battery life."The Xiaomi Mi 6, meanwhile, comes with a 5.15-inch 1080p display "with reduced glare and 0.15-nit adjustments (total 4096 brightness levels)."
Software
The OnePlus 5 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat-based OxygenOS version 4.5.1. OxygenOS, like always, sticks dangerously close to stock Android and offers an almost bloat-free experience out-of-the-box. The only extra apps it chips in is a file manager, gallery and a voice recorder. Think of it as a third-party Pixel.Even though OxygenOS stays true to Google's OS 9 out of 10 times, it has added a few in-house features that although more a novelty, are useful nonetheless. Key among them is Shelf, a home screen that holds all your recent apps, quick contacts, custom widgets, memos and reminders, all in one place. A system wide Dark theme, manual Night mode and gesture support are other notable inclusions. The latest OxygenOS version also brings in features like reading mode, expanded screenshots, auto night mode, gaming do not disturb mode and secure box.OxygenOS comes with bare-minimum customisation options, but the OnePlus 5 more than compensates for it by offering an unlocked bootloader. This means you can root it, ROM it as and when you like and it won't void the phone's warranty. A OnePlusThe Mi 6 also runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out-of-the-box but with Xiaomi's custom skin MIUI 8.2 on top. Latest software iteration does not necessarily translate to drastic changes in Xiaomi's interface though. There's generally very little difference between a Marshmallow-based MIUI and a Nougat-based MIUI which could be a deal-breaker for stock Android fanatics.If, however you are not a "stock Android fanatic", MIUI 8 offers all the bells and whistles that you'd want from a fully-functional operating system, including themes. And it's getting better with time. Some of its features like scrollable screenshots, second space and dual apps are worth mentioning.
Hardware
The OnePlus 5 is powered by a 2.45GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor coupled with Adreno 540 GPU and 6 gigs and 8 gigs of RAM. You get 64GB and 128GB of internal memory straight off the bat, but expandable storage is not supported.The Xiaomi Mi 6 is every bit as powerful on paper. It also comes with a 2.45GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor clubbed with Adreno 540 GPU and 6GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB/128GB internal memory which is non-expandable.The Mi 6, in addition, comes with a stereo speaker setup, while the OnePlus 5 comes with a bottom firing mono speaker. The Mi 6, however, doesn't ship with a 3.5mm audio jack.
Camera
The dual camera system in the OnePlus 5 features "a tailor-made 16-megapixel camera, supported by a 20-megapixel telephoto camera.While the 16-megapixel camera -- Sony IMX 398 -- features a large f/1.7 aperture, the secondary 20-megapixel camera -- Sony IMX 350 - features an f/2.6 aperture. The primary lens in the case of the OnePlus 5 "can capture 34 per cent more light than the OnePlus 3T camera." At the same time, it can "autofocus up to 40 per cent faster and more accurately than the OnePlus 3T." The dual camera system on-board the OnePlus 5 is capable of shooting photos with shallow depth of field, or bokeh effect through a specialized portrait mode. There's also a dedicated Pro Mode for pro users. The system is also capable of recording 4K videos and shooting in RAW file format. Sadly, the OnePlus 5's rear camera system isn't assisted with Optical Image Stabilisation. On the front, the OnePlus 5 ships with a 16-megapixel camera.The Mi 6, on the other hand, (also) comes with a dual camera setup on the rear - 12-megapixel+12-megapixel - where one lens is wide-angle while the other is telephoto. The Mi 6 offers 2X optic zoom and 10X digital zoom and should technically result in clearer distant shots and professional bokeh effects in portraits. The dual camera system on-board the Mi 6 is assisted with 4-axis OIS. On the front the Mi 6 comes with an 8-megapixel camera.
Battery
While the OnePlus 5 is backed by a 3,300mAh battery, the Mi 6 offers a bigger 3,350mAh battery. Both the phones support fast charging.
Pricing and availability
While the base 6GB RAM and 64GB storage version of the OnePlus 5 will cost you Rs 32,999, the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage option will be available for as high as Rs 37,999.The Mi 6, on the other hand, has been priced at RMB 2,499 (roughly Rs 23,463) for the 6GB RAM/64GB memory version, RMB 2,899 (roughly Rs 27,219) for the 6GB RAM/128GB memory version and RMB 2,999 (roughly Rs 28,152) for the limited ceramic edition.
Conclusion