Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus revealed by Xiaomi; new models could further increase brand popularity in India

Xiaomi has just revealed the latest designs of the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus. Although there no pricing details were disclosed, the phones appear to be on par with high-end smartphones on the market today.

Xiaomi's Director of Product Management Donovan Sung teased images of the phone in a photo tweet. The sneak preview revealed that they would release both phones on Dec. 7.

Based on the photos, Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus' screens seem to sport an aspect ratio of 18:9, a feature seen in many of the latest handheld devices. They also appear with slim bezels, a feature popularized by phone giants Apple and Samsung. However, unlike the iPhone X, Both Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus do not appear to be completely bezel-less.

One of the Redmi series' strongest pulls is in its pricing. These phones have the features one could ask for in a high-end phone, but at a cheaper price. For instance, The Verge notes that the predecessor Redmi 4 was priced at around $108. At this rate, the phone offered a 5-inch, 720p display, a 13-megapixel camera, a 4,100mAh battery, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 453 processor.

The Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus is also an active contributor to further growing the Xiaomi brand in countries like India. In a blog post, they reported that they had been recently named "India's No. 1 Smartphone Brand" by the International Data Corporation (IDC) Quarterly Smartphone Tracker for the third quarter of 2017.

In the said 2017 quarter, Xiaomi got 23.5 percent of the mobile phone market share and reportedly shipped 9.2 million units of products in India.

Also, the post reported that Xiaomi is the fastest growing smartphone brand in India, leading with a 270 percent year-on-year growth. Oppo lagged second at 100 percent, and Vivo placed third at 80 percent.

News
Over 320,000 people sign petition opposing Macron's '21st century mark' on Notre-Dame
Over 320,000 people sign petition opposing Macron's '21st century mark' on Notre-Dame

Over 323,000 people have signed a petition in opposition to new stained-glass window designs for Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Nicki Minaj says she has rekindled her relationship with God
Nicki Minaj says she has rekindled her relationship with God

Rapper Nicki Minaj opened up about her recently reignited relationship with God and what inspired her to speak out for persecuted Christians, suggesting that her rise in the music industry made it more challenging to maintain the spirituality of her youth. 

Legal action launched challenge to civil service participation in LGBT Pride events
Legal action launched challenge to civil service participation in LGBT Pride events

The Christian Institute has initiated legal proceedings against Keir Starmer in a bid to end civil service participation in controversial Pride marches. 

National Lottery Heritage Fund awards £7.3m to historic churches
National Lottery Heritage Fund awards £7.3m to historic churches

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded more than £7.3 million to help maintain four historic churches.