iPhone 11 or Xiaomi Mi 10T: An objective comparison of flagships of 2020 - what is more profitable to buy today?

Choice between iPhone 11 and Xiaomi Mi 10T — It's not just a matter of brand preference, it's a balanced decision between two mobile philosophies: both smartphones, launched in 2020, are still relevant in the secondary market, but are suitable for completely different categories of users. 10T On paper, it looks more powerful thanks to the Snapdragon 865 processor and a 144Hz screen, but the iPhone 11 still gets iOS updates and keeps the price better.

In this article, we will discuss 10 key criteria that will help you decide on your choice: from performance in games to battery durability after 4 years of operation. 10T on MIUI 14 compared to the iPhone 11 on iOS 17, and the most important question is which of these smartphones is more profitable to buy in 2026, taking into account the ratio of price / quality?

1.Performance: Snapdragon 865 vs Apple A13 Bionic

At the time of release of Xiaomi Mi 10T It was considered one of the most powerful Android smartphones thanks to the Snapdragon 865 chip with a clock speed of up to 2.84 GHz. A13 Bionic (5nm) still performs best in single-threaded performance tests – for example, in Geekbench 5 it scores about 1,300 points against Snapdragon’s 900 points.

In real tasks, the difference is felt as follows:

• 🎮 Games: Mi 10T Can handle Genshin Impact at maximum settings (60) FPS), iPhone 11 keeps a stable 60 frames / s without overheating, but the graphics will have to be reduced to "average".
• 📱 Multitasking: Android after 10 open apps start hanging, and iOS optimizes background processes better – even after 4 years.
• 🔄 Updates: iPhone 11 will receive support until 2026, and Mi 10T No longer updated (last version) MIUI — 14 based on Android 13).

Critical moment: Snapdragon 865 over time began to brake due to firmware bugs MIUI And there's no optimization for new versions of Android. A13 Bionic still runs smoothly thanks to Apple's closed ecosystem.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to use a smartphone for video editing (for example, in CapCut or LumaFusion), the iPhone 11 will cope faster despite the smaller amount of RAM (4 GB vs 8 GB in the Mi). 10T). The matter is optimization of software for "iron".

2.Screen: 60Hz vs 144Hz - should you overpay?

Here's Xiaomi Mi. 10T The iPhone 11 is definitely winning in two ways:

1. Update frequency: 144 Hz vs. 60 Hz – the difference is felt in games and when scrolling through the social media feed.
2. Technology: IPS Mi 10T supportive HDR10+, The iPhone 11 is the standard one. LCD without HDR.

But there are nuances:

• 🔍 Brightness: iPhone 11 brighter in the sun (625 nits vs. 500 nits in Mi) 10T).
• 🎨 Color Rendering: Apple screen more accurately conveys colors (coverage) DCI-P3), Xiaomi has excessive saturation out of the box".
• 🔋 Energy consumption: 144 Hz eats charge on 20-25% Faster, in Mi. 10T we can switch to 60 Hz, but then the sense of overpayment is lost.

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If you’re not a gamer and you don’t watch a lot of video, the difference between 60Hz and 144Hz will be invisible in everyday tasks, but the bright screen of the iPhone 11 is more comfortable outside.

Camera: Night mode vs 108 MP

On paper, Xiaomi Mi 10T Impressive with the main module at 108 MP (with binning up to 27 MP), but in reality, the iPhone 11 often takes more balanced pictures thanks to Apple's software processing:

Daytime pictures:

• 🌄 Mi 10T gives more detail at 100% magnification, but often overexposure.
• 🍎 iPhone 11 loses in detail, but the colors are more natural. HDR works more stable.

Night shooting:

• 🌙 iPhone 11 wins thanks to Night Mode, which automatically turns on in dark conditions. 10T Requires manual switching to "Night mode".
• 📸 On Mi. 10T Night photos are made noisier due to aggressive noise.

Video:

• 🎥 iPhone 11 videotape 4K@60fps It's a close to professional stabilization. 10T supportive 8K@30fps, but overheats through 10 minutes.
• 🎤 The sound on the video of the iPhone is cleaner due to three microphones with noise cancellation.

If the camera is your priority, pay attention to two key points:

⚠️ Attention: Mi 10T Has problems with autofocus in macro mode - often misses small objects. iPhone 11 does not have a telephoto lens, but 2× Digital zoom works better than 3× hybrid zoom on the Mi 10T.

Battery and autonomy: who lives longer?

By battery capacity Xiaomi Mi 10T It's almost one and a half times ahead of the iPhone 11: 5000 mAh versus 3110 mAh. But in practice, the difference in autonomy is not so big?

Real Tests (2026):

• 📱 Mi 10T mode 144 Hz discharges for 5-6 hours of active use (social networks, messengers, music). 60 Hz — 7-8 hours.
• 🍏 iPhone 11 hold on 6-7 After the battery is optimized, but after 4 years of operation lost 20% capacity.

Charging:

• ⚡ Mi 10T supportive 33 Watt fast charging (0-100% post 60 iPhone. 11 — only 18 Watt (0-80% post 90 minute).
• 🔄 Xiaomi doesn’t have wireless charging, but iPhone does (but slow 7.5W).

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If you plan to use your smartphone as a powerbank for other devices, you can use it. 10T supports reverse charging USB-C (5 watts).

5. Design and ergonomics: glass vs aluminum

iPhone 11 and Xiaomi Mi 10T They differ dramatically in materials and assembly:

• 🏗️ Body: iPhone - aluminum + glass (Gorilla Glass), Mi 10T — Plastic with a metal frame. One looks premium, but slippery; the other less stamped, but collects prints.
• 📏 Dimensions: Mi 10T thinner (8.8mm vs 8.3mm on iPhone) and lighter (216g vs 194g), but because of the flat back panel, it is less comfortable in the hand.
• 🔊 iPhone 11 has stereo sound with support for Dolby Atmos, Mi 10T — monodynamic (sound is 30th quieter%).

Dust protection: Here the unconditional victory for the iPhone 11 – certificate IP68 (It can withstand immersion for 2 meters to 30 minutes. 10T There is no protection at all, which is critical for active use.

The iPhone 11:

- Battery status (C Settings) → Battery. → Status)

- Work on Face. ID (There should be no error messages)

- The presence of the original power supply (5W or 18W)

Xiaomi Mi. 10T:

- Integrity USB-C port (often shattered)

- Absence of "yellow spots" on the screen (defect) IPS-matrix)

- The operation of the proximity sensor (sometimes glitch after firmware)

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6.Software: iOS vs MIUI

This is the most subjective, but also the most important criterion. iOS on the iPhone 11 offers:

• ⏳ Long-term support: Updates to 2026 (IOS 17 is available now).
• 🔒 Security: Closed ecosystem, fewer viruses, no bloatware.
• 🎯 Optimization: Even after 4 years, there are no lags when switching between applications.

MIUI 14 on Xiaomi Mi 10T:

• 🛠️ Customization: You can change icons, fonts, always display the percentage of charge.
• 📱 Multiconference: Support for floating windows (e.g., YouTube at the same time) + Telegram).
• ⚠️ Advertising: In standard applications (for example, in Browser or Music) banners periodically pop up.

A critical moment for MIUI: After upgrading to Android 13, many users complain of problems with autobrightness and spontaneous reboots. solved by rolling back on custom firmware (for example, Pixel Experience), but this requires unlocking the bootloader.

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If you want stability and security, choose the iPhone 11. If you like to "dig" in the settings and not afraid of custom firmware - Mi 10T.

7.Price and price/quality ratio in 2026

In the secondary market (according to Avito and Yula data for May 2026), prices were distributed as follows:

• 🍏 iPhone 11 (64 GB) – 25,000–35,000 ₽ (depending on the state of the battery).
• 📱 Xiaomi Mi 10T (128 GB - 15,000-22,000 ₽.

Which is better? Depends on priorities:

• 💰 Budget up to 20,000 ₽: Mi 10T — The best hardware option for that money, but be prepared for the cost of battery replacement (~3 000 ₽) and possible problems with the.
• 📈 Investing in the long term: iPhone 11 serve out 2-3 without loss of productivity, but the overpayment is ~10 000 ₽.
• 🎮 For gamers: Mi 10T 144 Hz and Snapdragon 865 will be better, but note that in a year or two you will have to change to a new smartphone.

Hidden costs:

• iPhone 11 may need battery replacement (~5 000–7 000 ₽ service-centre).
• Mi. 10T plug-in USB-C (~2 000 ₽ substitute).

The bottom line: Who's the fit?

We make clear recommendations based on your needs:

Alternative: If you like the design of the iPhone but don’t have enough money for the iPhone 11, consider the iPhone SE (2020) (~20 000 ₽). It is weaker in camera, but has the same processor. A13 Bionic and iOS support until 2026.

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If you are buying a smartphone on 1-2 The year – take Xiaomi Mi 10T. If you plan to use it longer or resell it, the iPhone 11.

FAQ: Frequent questions about choice