Xiaomi Mi5 set for international debut at MWC 2016, confirms company

Earlier in the week, Xiaomi confirmed that the company will host a launch event in Beijing to unveil flagship smartphone Mi5 on 24 February.

Now, the company's global operations head Hugo Barra (via Twitter) on Thursday has revealed that Xiaomi Mi5 will also be showcased at the upcoming MWC 2016 on the same day next month.This is the first time in the company's history that Xiaomi will be introducing a new smartphone on a global stage.

"Xiaomi #Mi5 media preview in Barcelona on Feb 24—our first time ever hosting an event at MWC. Can't wait!" said Barra on Twitter.

Xiaomi recorded moderate business in 2015 with most (almost 90%) of the company's devices being sold only in China. With Xiaomi Mi5 being showcased at internationally acclaimed MWC 2016, Barcelona, the company seems to indicate that it is ready to foray into more global markets and may possibly debut its first phone in USA. The company currently sells smartphone accessories and now the company may launch Mi5 in America.

Also read: How to apply for free trip to Xiaomi MI5 launch event

As of now, Xiaomi sells its devices mainly in China, India, select south east Asian markets and recently set foot in Hugo Barra's home country Brazil.

Also read: Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi register above-average year-over-year smartphone shipment growth in 2015: IDC

Expected features of Xiaomi Mi5:

Word on the street is that the 5.2-inch Xiaomi Mi5 is expected to come in two variants – one with QHD display (2560x1440p) with 4GB RAM and 64GB inbuilt memory and the other is expected to feature full HD screen with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage.

Rest of the specifications are said to be the same in both the devices. Both will house Snapdragon 820 quad-core SoC (System-on-Chip), 16MP primary camera with dual-tone LED flash and a 13MP snapper on the front.

They are also expected to come packed with Android v5.1 Lollipop OS based MIUI v7.0 OS backed by 3600 mAh battery and boast 4G-LTE network support, finger-print sensor and LED light notification feature.

Since Xiaomi Mi5 is expected to be unveiled on 24 February, the company is most likely to tease key features to build buzz around the launch event. Stay tuned for more updates.

Also read: Xiaomi Mi5 Roundup: Expected features, price, release details

Leaked specifications of Xiaomi Mi5: