Xiaomi unveils Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus flagships

Xiaomi has beefed up its flagship Android line, announcing an updated Mi 5 and introducing a Plus version at a launch event today in China. Its new smartphones should allow it to better compete against Apple's new iPhone 7 and Samsung's popular Galaxy S7.

The Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus pack the latest and greatest mobile processor from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 821, new cameras, different fingerprint sensor, bigger battery, and more. Prices start at $299, for the Mi 5s, and go up to $389, for the Mi 5s Plus, making them very competitive against their main rivals.

The Mi 5s features a 5.12-inch display with a maximum brightness of 600 nits and force touch sensitivity. Meanwhile, the Mi 5s Plus gets a 5.7-inch display, but this one lacks the force touch capability. The Snapdragon 821 processor is clocked at 2.15GHz and paired with 3GB, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, depending on the model.

The Mi 5s now features a Sony-made IMX378 sensor, which is claimed to capture 61 percent more light than the iPhone 6s Plus sensor. It is a 12MP unit with an f/2.0 lens, that can take 4K videos at 30FPS. The Mi 5s Plus gets an even better camera.

Xiaomi has followed in the footsteps of other smartphone makers by introducing a dual-camera setup on the back of the Mi 5s Plus. There are two sensors, 13 MP each, that are touted to take great photos. The setup is similar to the one on the Huawei P9, with one color sensor and a black and white sensor.

Both devices also get dual-SIM support, a typical feature now in Xiaomi's lineup, 4G LTE, USB Type-C, and a metal and glass construction. They also get a new fingerprint sensor that is of the ultrasonic and not the capacitive variety. The benefit is that it can work through the glass panel, allowing Xiaomi to have one less cutout on the front. It is hidden right below the display -- to make it easy for users to find it with their fingers, Xiaomi has carved out the glass above it.

Now, let's talk a bit about storage and RAM. As you go up in storage with the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus you also get more RAM. This should temp buyers to opt for the pricier models, as they offer a larger increase in capacity for not much more money.

The base Mi 5s features 64GB of UFS 2.0 storage coupled with 3GB of RAM. It goes for $299. The $345 model, on the other hand, gets 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. On the Mi 5s Plus side of things there are also two versions, one with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM that goes for $344 and the other with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM costing $389.

Available colors for the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus include pink, gold, silver and gray.