Xiaomi Mi 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S21: comparison of two flagship phones
(Image credit: Xiaomi/Samsung)
Two of 2021's biggest smartphones have already landed, and we've compared the
Samsung Galaxy S21
and
Xiaomi Mi 11
so you can see how they match up and if either is worth your money.
After an exclusive unveiling in China at the end of December, the Xiaomi Mi 11 was launched globally in early February, ready for (digital) store shelves. We already knew the specifications of the phone, but now we have a better idea of its price. and its availability, so we can really see how it presents its price.
Launched on January 14, the Samsung Galaxy S21 was the first flagship of 2021, and it's the bottom end of its lineup, with the
Galaxy S21 Plus
and
Galaxy S21 Ultra
costs more.
The S21 and Mi 11 have a lot in common, like their Snapdragon 888 chipset and high screen refresh rate, but there are also a lot of differences, so we've broken them down beat by beat.
Samsung Galaxy S21
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Xiaomi Mi 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 price
The Samsung Galaxy S21 will set you back a reasonable amount - it starts at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249 for 128GB of storage and that goes all the way up to $849 / £819 / AU$1,349 for 256GB.
We don't have prices for the Xiaomi Mi 11 in most regions yet, but we do have costs in Euros. For 128GB of storage, you'll pay €749 (about $900, £660, AU$1,175), and for 256GB you'll pay €799 (about $960, £700, AU$1,250). These conversions are vague and won't represent accurate prices in other regions, but very roughly it looks like the phones cost similar amounts.
It's worth pointing out that both smartphones are more affordable than their predecessors, the
Samsung Galaxy S20
and
Xiaomi Mi 10
(or at least the latter is based on the limited pricing information we have), so both are good value in this department.
Another thing to know is that, for the most part, Xiaomi doesn't release its phones in the US, so if you live there, your choice is much easier.
Xiaomi Mi 11
(Image credit: Xiaomi)
Design and display
The Xiaomi Mi 11 is considerably bigger than the Galaxy S21 The Mi 11 has dimensions of 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.1mm and a weight of 196g, so in all departments it's more of a beast than the Samsung phone at 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm and 169g.
Both phones have rear cameras in the top left corner, but while that back on the Samsung phone is made of 'Glasstic', which is a glass-like plastic, Xiaomi uses a new type of glass called Corning Gorilla Glass. Victus, who is supposedly incredibly tough.
Neither phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack or expandable storage, and both use the USB-C standard for charging. Additionally, both have in-display fingerprint scanners.
Speaking of screen, this is where the size of the Xiaomi Mi 11 becomes most apparent - its display measures 6.81 inches diagonally, which dwarfs the 6.2-inch Samsung Galaxy S21.
The Mi 11's AMOLED display has a 1440 x 3200 resolution, also known as 2K, along with HDR10+, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1,500 nits. The Samsung Galaxy S21 has some of the same specs, but only 1080 x 2400 resolution and 1300 nits peak brightness.
Samsung Galaxy S21
(Image credit: TechRadar)
While the Xiaomi Mi 11 has a higher resolution screen, as the screen is much larger, the actual pixel count isn't much higher - although it still wins there.
Both phones use punch-hole cutouts for the front camera - top left for the Xiaomi phone and top center for the Samsung handset - and they also both use the aforementioned Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, so they're supposed to be difficult to scratch.
Another thing to mention is that the Xiaomi Mi 11 has a curved edge screen while the Samsung Galaxy S21 has a flat screen.
Cameras and battery life
The Samsung Galaxy S21 and the Xiaomi Mi 11 both have four cameras, but they are very different ranges.
The Galaxy phone has a 12MP primary, 12MP ultra-wide, 64MP telephoto camera (with 3x hybrid zoom) and a 10MP selfie camera. sensors used are large, so images are brighter.
By comparison, the Xiaomi device has a 108MP main, 13MP ultra-wide, 5MP telemacro and 20MP selfie camera - so you'll be taking much higher resolution shots with the Mi 11, but the telemacro shooter might not be as useful than Samsung's telephoto lens - it certainly has fewer megapixels.
Xiaomi Mi 11
(Image credit: Xiaomi)
Both phones have AI optimization to improve your shots, but another point of comparison is the different camera modes they have that could improve your photography or videography.
Samsung has Single Take, which lets you take a variety of photos and videos of a subject with one press of the shutter button, which is a great tool for getting fantastic shots. It also has Director's View, which lets you Allows you to record videos from both front and rear cameras at the same time.
Xiaomi has the latter mode as well as Night Video and Night Photography on the main, ultra-wide, and front cameras. There's also AI Erase, which lets you remove people from the background of your photos, and many other tools for video recording.
When it comes to battery capacity, the Xiaomi Mi 11 has a much larger power pack at 4600mAh, compared to the Galaxy's 4000mAh. battery life may not be much different.
Samsung Galaxy S21
(Image credit: Samsung)
The Samsung phone has 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, that is when you use the phone to power other wireless devices. Xiaomi beats these specs across the board with 55W, 50W, and 10W respectively.
Specifications and performance
The Samsung Galaxy S21 and Xiaomi Mi 11 both use Qualcomm's high-end Snapdragon 888 chipset, so they're likely to be on par when it comes to performance - well, except in Europe, where the Samsung phone instead uses the Exynos 2100 chipset, however that's about as powerful too.
They also both have 8GB of RAM and both phones work equally well
Android 11
, but they have their companies' respective overlays to provide a different experience. The Galaxy S21 uses One UI and the Mi 11 uses MIUI - the big differences between them are their looks and some brand-specific features as well.
As with most new flagship phones launched, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and Xiaomi Mi 11 are both 5G phones - your mileage with this next-gen connectivity will depend more on your network and location than on the phone, we can't so not really using that as a point of comparison.
Xiaomi Mi 11
(Image credit: Xiaomi)
Carry
If one of these smartphones was significantly cheaper than the other, it would be the clear winner, but as things stand, it's too close to call.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 has a large, high-resolution display that will be perfect for playing games or watching movies, which its high-end processor will no doubt help.
For photography fans, however, the Samsung Galaxy S21's three impressive cameras and range of photography features and modes might make it the best choice, with Single Take a real game-changer when it comes to phone photography.
How you use your smartphone probably dictates which of these devices is best for you.
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S20: comparison of flagship Samsung phones
Tom Bedford
Personal Writer, Phones
Tom's role on the TechRadar team is as a writer specializing in phones and tablets, but he also covers other technologies such as electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness trackers, and more.
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