XIAOMI fans have something to look forward to toward the end of the month, as the Chinese technology brand just announced it will debut the Xiaomi Mi 5X and MIUI 9 on July 26 at an event in China, per the official MIUI forum.

The Mi 5X, it bears noting, is different from the upcoming Redmi 5, a budget phone which has been leaked earlier this week and is said to arrive later this year. The 5X is tipped to feature a dual-camera setup resembling that of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, though it remains to be seen whether both share the same core functionality.

The Xiaomi Mi 5X is tipped to feature a dual-camera setup resembling that of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus.

In any case, it won’t be the first Xiaomi device to sport two cameras on the same panel; the Redmi Pro and the Mi 6 have a dual-camera system, which makes taking bokeh-laden photos quick and easy. Rumor also has it that the Mi 5X will get a metal unibody construction, with iPhone 7-like antenna bands and a 5.5-inch, 1080p display. 

SEE ALSO: Please let these be the specs and prices of the Xiaomi Redmi 5

A midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 system-on-a-chip with 4GB of RAM is presumed to power the assembly. And that’s fine, except the Mi 5 that came before the 5X was a flagship device based on a more powerful Snapdragon 820 platform. Which is why we think the Xiaomi Mi 5X will be marketed as a midrange camera phone and not as a successor to a top-end Xiaomi.

READ ALSO: #RevuLive: Xiaomi Mi 6 first impressions, OPPO F3 vs Vivo V5s

As for MIUI 9, the next update to one of the most popular Android skins around will bring a lighter and more streamlined experience while introducing several new features, including a revamped lock screen and native split-screen multitasking (because the software update will be based on Android Nougat). 

Battery life across devices will also see an improvement, in part as a result of Xiaomi removing certain functions that won’t be missed by many, such as Child mode. MIUI 9 should be available for download before August 16, but it’s still not clear if it will be rolled out globally on July 26. 

MIUI 9 should be available for download before August 16, but it’s still not clear if it will be rolled out globally on July 26.

According to the announcement, only a limited number of devices will receive the update promptly, so don’t fret if you can’t download it right away. Xiaomi already confirmed that the Mi 6 will be among the first to get it. 

Additionally, Xiaomi will reveal something big on July 19, so stay tuned for that.

Image via Weibo

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