woman using a smartphone
A consumer checks out smartphones. Reuters/File

The recently released HTC One A9 is already much talked about and the device ships with the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow on board. Very soon, there’s going to be another device on the block, Xiaomi’s Mi5, to compete against One A9. The rumoured specifications of Mi5 seem to be good enough to challenge the One A9.

Display

HTC One A9 sports an all-metal body and comes in a 5-inch full HD Amloed display with 1080p resolution. To freshen-up the lineup, HTC introduced the device in Deep Garnet, Opal Silver and Carbon Grey and Topaz Gold. The unibody handset is protected by 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4.

On the other hand, the Xiaomi Mi 5 will reportedly feature a 5.2-inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. Protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4, the handset is expected to be shipped with a fingerprint scanner for authentication.

Processor and Memory

Xiaomi Mi5 is slated as one of the first handsets to debut with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor on board with MIUI 6.0 on top of that. The device will be unveiled on Dec. 3, according to Phone Arena.

Just before that, Qualcomm is expected to launch its super powerful Snapdragon 820 SoC on Nov. 20. The newest chip is said to be 35 percent faster and 30 percent more power efficient than its predecessor.

On top of that, Xiaomi Mi5 will be equipped with 32 GB and 64 GB of built-in storage space and could come packed with a massive 4 GB of RAM and a 3,030 mAh battery. With a more powerful processor and bigger RAM, the Xiaomi Mi5 stands to win the battle in terms performance.

Powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 617 chip coupled with four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.5GHz and four A53 clocked at 1.2GHz, the HTC One A9 offers two internal storage options that can be further expanded via microSD card slot.

The model housing 2GB of RAM comes with a native memory of 16 GB. A 3 GB variant comes packed with 32 GB in-built storage. The HTC One A9 houses a 2,150 mAh battery and supports Quick Charge 2.0 and 3.0 ensuring super fast charging.

Camera

With regards to its camera features, the HTC One A9 features a 13 MP main camera sensor with optical image stabilisation, RAW capturing and stabilised time-lapsed video recording capabilities. It also comes with a 5 MP selfie shooter at its front.

In the camera department, Mi5 is a winner. Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship will allegedly sport a 16 MP rear camera with optical image stabilization, touch focus, face or smile detection and 2160p video recording along with a 5 MP front snapper.

Operating system

Apart from the recently unveiled LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus, the HTC One A9 is the only handset that comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box with HTC Sense UI on top. Thus, it will come with all the new features of the new operating system, including Doze mode, Now on Tap, Android Pay, auto backup and apps permissions to name the few. On the other hand, Xiaomi’s Mi5 is supposed to be run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with MIUI 6.0.

Price

Xiaomi Mi5 is rumoured to launch on Dec. 3 with a starting price of US$315 (AU$444). In the meantime, HTC One A9 is already up for pre-orders in Western Europe. Vodafone UK listed at the phone on a monthly package staring with £35 (AU$75).

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au or tell us what you think below.