It was a big day for Xiaomi last night, and in more than one way. The company announced its first electric SUV, its first phone and tablet powered by in-house XRING O1 chipset and a smartwatch with a Xiaomi modem.
Tucked in among all the headlines was a more niche, design-focused product of the Xiaomi Civi line. The Civi 5 Pro is only the second Pro model in this series after last year’s Civi 4 Pro. And on the surface, it doesn’t bring any radical changes in terms of specifications or features.
The upgrades are all incremental here. However, if you scale them in comparison to the non-Pro Civi 3, the Civi 5 Pro brings enough forward movement to justify its “Pro” tag. So we thought to look back to see how much of an improvement Xiaomi has made over the last two generations of Civi phones.
A More Capable and Efficient Processor
Perhaps the most defining generational leap is under the hood. The Civi 5 Pro features the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, which brings a notable 31% CPU, 49% GPU, and 44% AI performance improvement over the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in the Civi 4 Pro.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is a 4nm chip anchored by a single Cortex-X4 prime core clocked at 3.21 GHz and supported by a blend of high and mid-performance Cortex-A720 cores. In contrast, the Gen 3 used a less aggressive clock configuration.
Compare that to the Dimensity 8200 Ultra in the Civi 3, and it’s an entirely different class of silicon. The Civi 3 was respectable in day-to-day use but clearly designed for casual users, not power-hungry ones. Even the 8s Gen 3 in the Civi 4 Pro, while solid, is now overshadowed by the better thermals and improved efficiency of Gen 4.
Camera Refinement with Leica Optics
Xiaomi introduced Leica branding to the Civi series with the 4 Pro, but the Civi 5 Pro refines this further with subtle yet important upgrades to both the rear and front camera setups.
The rear system remains a triple camera configuration with the same 50MP wide and 12MP ultrawide sensors, but the telephoto lens has been tweaked: it’s now a 50MP sensor at a 60mm focal length with 2.5x optical zoom, compared to the 50mm lens with 2x zoom in the 4 Pro. This change offers more flexibility for portrait and macro-style shots, with an updated autofocus system that operates from as close as 10cm.
On the front, Xiaomi departs from the dual 32MP camera design of the previous two models. Instead, the Civi 5 Pro goes with a single but more powerful 50MP selfie shooter. This sensor supports 4K video at both 30 and 60 fps, a first for the Civi lineup.
- Also Read: How the Xiaomi 15S Pro is different from the Xiaomi 15 Pro
Battery upgrade
One of the quiet but most practical upgrades comes in the battery department. The Civi 5 Pro now sports a 6000mAh silicon-carbon lithium (Si/C Li-Ion) battery, a sizeable leap from the 4700mAh cell in the Civi 4 Pro and even more so from the 4500mAh pack in the Civi 3.
Despite the larger capacity, Xiaomi keeps the 67W fast charging standard across all three models. But with greater energy density and smarter power management, the Civi 5 Pro should offer better endurance.
Software and Connectivity Improvements
Another way the Civi 5 Pro distances itself is with software and connectivity improvements. It runs Android 15 with HyperOS 2, whereas the Civi 4 Pro shipped with Android 14 and the Civi 3 was limited to Android 13 under MIUI 14. That’s more than just version inflation; HyperOS 2 introduces system-level optimizations and better integration with Xiaomi’s broader ecosystem, from tablets to smart home devices.
In terms of connectivity, the Civi 5 Pro adopts Wi-Fi 7 support, while the Civi 4 Pro tops out at Wi-Fi 6. That change futureproofs the device for faster and more stable wireless connections. Bluetooth also gets a bump to version 5.4 with support for LHDC 5, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive.
Design Tweaks and Build Consistency
At first glance, the Civi 5 Pro looks almost indistinguishable from the Civi 4 Pro. It keeps the same slim 6.55-inch AMOLED display with 68 billion colors, 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR support. The display resolution also remains unchanged at 1236 x 2750 pixels. But look closer, and you’ll see minor yet meaningful changes.
Peak brightness jumps from 3000 to 3200 nits, and Xiaomi has added HDR Vivid support to the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ stack. These tweaks improve visibility in direct sunlight and offer more compatibility with streaming content.
Physically, the phone is now slightly wider (73.2mm vs 72.8mm) and heavier (up to 184g vs 180.9g), likely due to the larger battery. Despite this, the thickness stays virtually the same, and Xiaomi continues offering high-quality material options like glass and eco-leather backs.
The Civi 5 Pro also offers a broader color palette—Gray, Rose Gold, Violet, White, and Brown—compared to the more limited Black, Pink, Blue, and Green options of the 4 Pro.
Final Thoughts
Xiaomi made a major refresh for the Civi line with Civi 4 Pro. The upgrades are more incremental this generation, and it’s perfectly fine. The Civi 4 Pro established the Pro branding and brought in Leica lenses, the 5 Pro stabilizes and expands on that momentum.
Compared to Civi 3, the 5 Pro feels way more refined; a more premium product across the board. And compared to the 4 Pro, it’s a sensible upgrade for anyone who values battery life, slightly better optics, and updated software.
For users who skipped the Civi 4 Pro or are still holding onto older models, the Civi 5 Pro might just be the upgrade worth making.
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The post 5 ways the Xiaomi Civi 5 Pro is different from the last two generations appeared first on Gizmochina.
