Why Xiaomi Mi 5, Redmi Note 3, Mi Max and others don't have waterproof feature

Xiaomi has turned into one of the world's major smartphone makers in just a couple of years. The company's strategy of offering handsets with the latest technology at a reasonable price has earned good dividends. However, its popular devices, including the flagship Xiaomi Mi 5, Redmi Note 3 and the latest release Mi Max, don't have waterproof feature that most gadget lovers would like to see, and there is a reason behind this.

With incidents of mobile phones slipping into water bodies being a common occurrence, companies like Samsung have made its flagship devices waterproof. Xiaomi fans too would love to see this feature in its devices. But it appears like that may not happen any time soon for the simple reason that the move will increase the price of a handset considerably, and the company is known for selling feature-rich smartphones at a reasonable price.

According to Money163 website (via PlayfulDroid), Xiaomi's founder Lei Jun has hinted that the company is not yet ready to make a handset with waterproof feature, arguing that it may turn ineffective even with slight damage. He went on to say that introduction of the feature will increase the price of a device by 20-30 percent. However, he didn't rule out the possibility of making a device with waterproof feature in the future, but only when its fans and users are willing to pay more.

Xiaomi's current flagaship smartphone, the Mi 5 comes with a price tag of 1999 Yuan (around $300) for the 32GB storage and 3GB RAM model, 2,299 Yuan (around $351) for the 64GB internal memory and 3GB RAM variant, and 2,699 Yuan (around $413) for the 128GB storage and 4GB RAM model. Its price is very reasonable considering the fact that its specifications are almost at par with some devices sold at double the price.

The device has a 5.15-inch full HD screen with 1,920x1,080 pixel (428 ppi pixel density). It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, an Android 6.0 Marshmallow based MIUI v7.0, a 16MP Sony IMX298 main camera with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus, OIS, dual-LED (dual tone) flash, 1/2.8" sensor size and 1.12 µm pixel size, a 4MP front-snapper with f/2.0 aperture, 1/3" sensor size and 2µm pixel size, and a 3,000mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology.