With the recent release of the step-up Mi 5s flagship, it is said that Xiaomi will be expanding the lineup even further, this time with a Mi 5c addition.
Android Pure reports that a mystery Xiaomi handset has been teased via China-based social media site Weibo. While the device is still unnamed, speculations suggest that it may already be a prototype, bound to launch soon.
Although the device in question has been associated with a number of upcoming Xiaomi devices like the Mi Note 2 and Mi 6, it is speculated that the device might be another current-gen addition, the Mi 5c. The design of the back panel is consistent with the Mi 5 lineup, although with improvements. In addition, with the release of the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus, an expansion for a Mi 5c iteration is already expected by fans as part of the Mi flagship lineup. The previous-gen Mi 4 series launched with both Mi 4s and Mi 4c additions releasing after the base version.
Meanwhile, even though it can be considered as a step-down version for the Mi 5, there are improvements revealed on the supposed image leaks. One noted change is the addition of an e-ink display below the rear camera. While it is unclear what the ticker screen does, the supposed leaked image places the screen to be a secondary display, with time, date, and notifications counter displayed on it.
Other purported specs for the Mi 5c include a 5.5-inch display with 2.5D glass, a MediaTek chipset, at least 2 GB of RAM, and the Android Marshmallow layered with Xiaomi's own MiUI platform. As a watered-down Mi 5, the Mi 5c is expected to carry a price tag of around $180 to $230.
While Xiaomi has yet to come out with release details, it is likely that the Mi 5c is already in the pipeline, as the leaks have already started coming out. This means that the upcoming lineup addition may still make it as a late 2016 release.
