Xiaomi smartphones: 10 real shortcomings, which are silent sellers

Xiaomi smartphones have long been popular due to a combination of affordable prices and impressive specs. However, behind the bright numbers in the specifications and aggressive marketing hide systemic problems that can spoil the experience of use. In this article, we will examine the key shortcomings of the brand’s devices, from software bugs to hardware errors that manifest themselves after a few months of operation.

It's important to understand that this is not just isolated cases, but mass complaints from users on forums, reviews and service centers, backed up by independent tests. We analyzed data from 2022-2026, including Redmi models, POCO and Xiaomi's flagship 13/14 lineups, to identify common patterns, and if you're planning a purchase or are already facing problems, this will help us figure out whether to put up with shortcomings for the sake of saving.

1.MIUI: Advertising, espionage and the eternal bugs

The MIUI shell is the main pain of Xiaomi owners, and even in the latest versions (14-15), users are faced with aggressive advertising in system applications, background activity and unjustified data collection. For example, in 2023, Forbes researchers found that Xiaomi transmits browsing data even when permissions are turned off – through the built-in Mint Browser browser.

But worse than advertising are system bugs:

• 🔄 Reboots on the Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5 (Especially when using a camera or a game).
• 📱 Interface freezes after updates (e.g. versions) MIUI 14.0.3–14.0.6).
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge due to background processes com.miui.analytics and com.xiaomi.midrop.

In 2026, Xiaomi promised to fix the situation with advertising in European firmware, but users from Russia and Asia still receive “raw” builds with bugs. The alternative is the installation of custom firmware such as Pixel Experience, but this deprives of warranties and requires unlocking the bootloader.

Batteries: Rapid degradation and capacity cheating

One of the most common drawbacks is battery problems, and tests by GSMArena showed that Xiaomi smartphones’ battery capacity dropped by 20 to 30 percent after 12 to 18 months of active use, such as the Redmi Note 11 Pro+, which claimed 4,500 mAh, delivered a real 3,200 to 3,500 mAh a year later.

Causes of degradation:

• 🔥 Overheating due to weak cooling system (especially in budget models).
• ⚡ Aggressive fast charging (up to) 120W Redmi Note 12 Turbo, which accelerates wear and tear of elements.
• 📉 The real-capacity fraud: in POCO M5 Instead of the declared 5000 mAh tests revealed 4600-4800 mAh.

⚠️ Note: If your Xiaomi smartphone has been running out in 3-4 hours with moderate use, check the battery status through the engineering menu (#4636.

3. Cameras: Marketing vs Reality

Xiaomi likes to brag about megapixels and collaborations with Leica, but in practice, cameras are often disappointing.

• 📸 Image processing: algorithms MIUI aggressively smoothing out textures, adding unnecessary HDR It is a great way to get things done (especially on Xiaomi). 13T Redmi Note 12 Pro+).
• 🌃 Night shooting: Despite Night Mode modes, photos in the dark are noisy and blurry (DxOMark tests confirm the lag behind Samsung and Google).
• 🎥 Video: Lack of stabilization in the 4K/60fps budget-based (POCO M5s, Redmi 12C).

For comparison, the Google Pixel 7a with a 12 MP camera in real conditions bypasses the Xiaomi 13 Lite with 50 MP in detail and color reproduction, while Xiaomi often does not support the ProRAW or 10-bit HDR formats, which even the mid-budget iPhone SE has.

4 Software updates: slow and unstable

Xiaomi promises 3-4 years of updates for flagships, but in practice:

• 🐢 Budget models (Redmi) 10A, POCO C50) Get 1-2 major updates, then stay on an outdated version of Android.
• 🔄 Updates often introduce new bugs, MIUI 14 for Xiaomi 12T «break-up NFC Bluetooth.
• 📅 Delays with security patches: in 2023 Xiaomi releases critical patch for vulnerability CVE-2023-2129 on 2 A month later, Samsung and Google.

For comparison: Samsung updates even budget Galaxy A-series 4 years, and Google gives 5 years of support for Pixel 6a. Xiaomi even flagships like Xiaomi 11T Pro stop receiving updates after 2.5 years.

5. Assembly quality: plastic, glue and backlashes

Material savings are another sore for Xiaomi, even in models for 40-50,000 rubles (Xiaomi 13, Redmi K60) there are:

• 🧩 Lufts of the body (especially in the area of the camera and buttons).
• 🔧 Weak screen glue - after the first drop, the display often peels off (according to statistics of service centers, every 5th display is not visible). POCO X4 Pro comes with this problem).
• 🔊 Speaker rattling at maximum volume (typical for Redmi Note) 11S and POCO M4 Pro).

To check the quality of the assembly before buying:

1. Click on the screen in the area of screws (in the corners) - there should be no deflections.
2. Shake the phone – you should not hear any extraneous sounds (camera or battery backlash).
3. Check the buttons – they should be pressed clearly, without creaking.

⚠️ Warning: If you buy Xiaomi with your hands, be sure to check the tightness of the case.Many models (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro) don't have official water protection (IP53), But sellers often lie about IP68.

6.Service support: long repairs and warranty failures

According to Roskoshestvo (2023), Xiaomi ranks second to last among brands in terms of speed and quality of service.

• ⏳ The warranty repair period is from 2 weeks to 2 months (for comparison, Samsung and Apple cope in 3-7 days).
• 🚫 Denials of warranty repairs due to “mechanical damage”, even if a factory defect (for example, detachment of the screen plume in the interior of the vehicle) POCO F4).
• 💰 Overpriced parts: battery replacement in Redmi Note 11 costs 5-7 thousand rubles (30-40% of the cost of a new phone).

To minimize the risks:

• Buy smartphones only from official dealers (list on the website mi.com).
• Immediately after purchase, register the device in Mi Account and save the check.
• If you break down, demand a written refusal in warranty repair - this will help to challenge the decision through Rospotrebnadzor.

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If the service center refuses to accept the phone under warranty, citing “moisture intrusion”, demand a free diagnostic with the issuance of the certificate. Often, moisture indicators are triggered due to condensation, not actual flooding.

7.Performance: Trottling and cheating with processors

Xiaomi often uses "stripped" versions of processors, for example:

• 📉 Redmi Note 12 Pro received MediaTek Dimensity 1080, but with a limited clock speed (up to 2.6 GHz instead of 2.8 GHz in the standard version).
• 🔥 In games (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile) many models (POCO X5, Redmi 12) start trolling (decrease performance in 15-20 minutes, losing up to 40% FPS.
• 🧊 The cooling system in budget smartphones is often a thin graphite film instead of copper tubes (as in the Samsung Galaxy). A54).

To check the actual performance:

1. Install the Throttling Test CPU from Google Play.
2. Run the test for 30 minutes – if performance has dropped by more than 30%, your phone has serious cooling problems.

8 Ecosystem and compatibility: a closed world with limitations

Xiaomi is actively promoting its ecosystem (Mi Home, Mi Fit, Mi Pay), but it only works within the brand.

• 🔗 Smart devices Xiaomi (lamps, robot vacuum cleaners) often conflict with gadgets of other brands (Samsung SmartThings, Google Home).
• 💳 Mi Pay does not support many Russian banks (unlike Samsung Pay or Google Pay).
• 🎧 Xiaomi Wireless Headphones (Buds) 4 Pro, FlipBuds Pro) have sound delays when connected to a non-container.-Xiaomi device.

Xiaomi also blocks some features for regions, such as 5G SA (Autonomous 5G) in Russia on Xiaomi 13, although the hardware module supports this standard.

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If you use smart devices from different brands, Xiaomi’s smartphone can create integration problems, and then you’d better consider alternatives like Samsung or Google.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's flaws