After launching the Xiaomi Mi 4i just a few days ago, Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi is believed to be working on its next flagship device, called the Mi 5, which has now been tipped to include a fingerprint sensor.

Earlier leaked specifications of the Mi 5 had suggested that the handset will sport a 5.2-inch QHD resolution (1440 x 2560 pixels) display and would be powered by 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 SoC, paired with Adreno 420 GPU and 3GB RAM. The Xiaomi Mi 5 has been expected to feature a 16-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front camera and a 3,600mAh battery, and will be available in 16GB/64GB built-in storage models.

Xiaomi has teamed up with the Android Open Kang Project (popularly known as AOKP) for its MIUI 7 custom user interface based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. AOKP develops custom Android ROMs for smartphones and tablets, and Xiaomi is working closely with the ROM maker on MIUI 7, internally codenamed MiKangy, which will debut on the Mi5. The MIUI 7 custom user interface will allow each Mi 5 owner to have a unique experience with their phone, which is likely to be rolled out in the fourth quarter of this year.

According to the latest media reports, a Xiaomi patent detailing a fingerprint recognition method has been spotted at China's State Intellectual Property Office. The reports of the patent being filed by Xiaomi for a fingerprint recognition method have led to speculations that the technology could be used in the Mi 5.

Until now, only high-end devices like the Apple iPhone 5s, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One Max, Apple iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and HTC One M9 , have featured a fingerprint scanner. The technology allows users to unlock their devices by placing a finger on the home button of the smartphone.

However, Xiaomi patent's details show that its fingerprint scanner can be operated through the handset's buttons and could be built into the capacitive keys of the smartphone, unlike being embedded in the physical keys, as in the case of smartphones from Apple and Samsung. If the reports of Xiaomi incorporating fingerprint recognition technology in the Mi 5 are indeed true, then it would certainly make the company's next flagship device a truly premium offering.