Xiaomi Mi 5 Release Date, Rumors Update: Specs To Include Qualcomm's New 3D Fingerprint Mechanism

The upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5 is reported to flaunt Qualcomm’s 3D fingerprint mechanism, which eliminates the need for a "capacitive sensor." Pictured above: Lei Jun, Xiaomi founder and chief executive officer, speaks at a company event last year. Reuters/Jason Lee

Following the launch of the powerful Mi 4c smartphone in its home country, the Chinese tech giant Xiaomi is apparently gearing up to release the ambitious flagship “Xiaomi Mi 5.” New reports suggest that the upcoming device could include many advanced features.

Speaking of Xiaomi Mi 5 release date, the new flagship will reportedly hit the store shelves sometime towards the end of 2015. Meanwhile, a fresh rumor unearthed from Weibo points to the possibility of “Qualcomm's ultrasound fingerprint recognition technology.”

This new fingerprint mechanism will apparently be supported natively by the powerful Snapdragon 820 chipset. Qualcomm introduced such a mechanism back in March and acknowledged that by utilizing ultrasonic sensors, this technology will reportedly improve the accuracy of authentication. In the process, it eliminates the requirement of a capacitive sensor. The chip maker will be marketing the new mechanism as “Snapdragon Sense ID 3D Fingerprint technology,” Phone Arena reported.

Technically, Qualcomm's upcoming ultrasonic fingerprint recognition mechanism relies on the 3D map of the device user’s fingers. To top it off, it also takes into account all the “micro-ridges” of the skin. The chipmaker reportedly vouched that the new fingerprint mechanism has the capability to work well even when the finger is wet or dirty. Needless to say, the current-generation fingerprint scanners are not effective in this regard.

Moreover, Phone Arena said that the ultrasonic sensor is so advanced that it can apparently recognize fingerprints via glass, metal and plastic, among other materials. And this is precisely why the new mechanism doesn’t look for a capacitive sensor housed outside the device. Alternatively, OEMs can hide the sensor right beneath the display of the handset.

Moving on to other key Xiaomi Mi 5 specifications, the handset will apparently feature a 5.3-inch display, aided by 1,440 x 2,560 pixels screen resolution. The Snapdragon 820 SoC will be backed by a huge 4 GB of RAM.

When it comes to memory specification, the Xiaomi Mi 5 will come equipped with 16 GB or 64 GB of internal storage space with microSD card slot for further expansion. Apart from a 16-megapixel primary camera, the device is believed to flaunt a 6-megapixel shooter at the front for selfies. Other key features include 3,030 mAh battery and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.