2020 was a watershed moment for the smartphone industry, especially in the mid- and budget segments, where the battle between Honor and Xiaomi reached its climax. Users choosing a new device often find themselves confused, as both brands offer almost identical specs on paper but radically different user experiences.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at who should look at MIUI devices and who would be better suited to EMUI or Magic UI. We won’t just list the specs, but try to understand how these smartphones behave in real life after a few months of use. Choosing between the Honor 30 Pro+ and Xiaomi Mi 10 (or their more affordable versions) requires understanding the intricacies of the ecosystem.
Is it worth overpaying for a brand or is it better to take the model with the best numbers in benchmarks? The answers to these questions will help you not to go wrong when buying, because in 2020 the difference in price could be up to 30% with similar features. Let's figure out which camp is closer to you.
Ecosystems and Software: MIUI vs. EMUI
The biggest difference you’ll encounter right after you turn on your smartphone is the operating system. Xiaomi uses a MIUI shell that’s based on Android but is so deeply redesigned it often feels like a standalone OS. It offers colossal customization capabilities, built-in app cloning features and powerful memory cleaning tools that can sometimes seem redundant.
On the other hand, Honor (at that time under Huawei’s wing) was powered by EMUI or the new Magic UI. These shells are more conservative, strict and stability-oriented. There’s less visual noise, but also less ability to play with the interface without installing third-party launchers. It’s important to note that in 2020, new Honor smartphones were already coming out without Google services, which was a critical moment for many users.
⚠️ Warning: Buying a Honor smartphone released in the second half of 2020, you get a device without a pre-installed Google Play Store.Installing Google services requires additional manipulation through Gspace or Gbox, which can reduce the stability of banking applications.
Xiaomi users often praise MIUI for its “Second Space” feature, which allows you to create an isolated environment on one phone, and for flexible notification management. Honor owners appreciate the optimization of power consumption and smooth animations, which in EMUI often work even better than in stock Android.
Hardware Platform: Processors and Performance
In 2020, Xiaomi was betting on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Flagship chipset Snapdragon 865 became the standard for top models like Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro. This provided not only high performance in games, but also excellent support for third-party cameras and system modifications. For the budget segment used proven solutions of the Snapdragon series 7xx and 6xxx.
Honor, following the strategy of the parent company, actively introduced its own chips HiSilicon Kirin. flagship Kirin 990 5G and its improved version 990 5G+ performance is not inferior to competitors from Qualcomm, and in tasks of artificial intelligence and work with modem 5G even surpassed them.
Performance comparisons in AnTuTu benchmarks show parity in the top segment, but in the mid-budget segment Xiaomi has often been more generous.The Redmi Note 9 Pro series models offered game performance at the level of past flagships at the price of budget.
Why is Kirin better optimized?
If you’re an avid mobile gamer, you should look at the cooling system. Xiaomi in 2020 began to actively use liquid cooling and graphene films even in mid-range models, which allowed you to keep high FPS longer without trottling. Honor relied on intelligent resource allocation, resetting frequencies earlier, but maintaining a comfortable body temperature.
Displays and multimedia capabilities
In 2020, the de facto standard for flagships was the refresh rate of the screen 90 Hz and 120 Hz. Xiaomi was one of the first to introduce 120 Hz in the mass segment, equipping such screens even not the most expensive models. AMOLED-matrix from Samsung in Mi devices provided rich colors and deep black, although calibration “out of the box” often went into cold colors.
Honor also used high-quality products in its flagships. OLED-But he often relied on curved edges ("waterfall"), which gave smartphones a premium look, but made it difficult to use protective glass. Color reproduction on Honor devices has traditionally been warmer and more natural, which was liked by photographers and film lovers.
Sound was another important part of the multimedia experience. The Xiaomi Mi 10 had a full-fledged stereo system with symmetrical speakers, which was rare at the time. The sound was bulky and clean. Honor had a lot of variation: top-end models sounded great, but in the middle segment there was often a mono-dynamic or asymmetrical stereo, where the bottom speaker was significantly louder than the top.
| Characteristics | Xiaomi (Mi 10 / Note 9 Pro) | Honor (30 Pro+ / 9X Pro) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen type | AMOLED, 90/120 Hz | OLED, 60/90 Hz |
| Protection | Gorilla Glass 5/6 | Gorilla Glass (often without a version) |
| Sound. | Stereodynamics (Harman Kardon) | Stereo (top) / Mono (base) |
| 3.5 mm connector | Yes (in Redmi Note 9 Pro) | No (in flagships) |
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Check the screen when buying: Turn on the white picture at maximum brightness and look for green or pink hues around the edges - this is a frequent defect of AMOLED-matrixes in 2020.
Photo and video: the race of megapixels
Photography in 2020 was a battleground of technology, with Xiaomi using Samsung’s 108-megapixel HMX sensor to capture images in incredible detail in good light, but processing algorithms often caused excessive sharp and aggressive noise cancellation, especially in nighttime.
Honor (together with Huawei) continued to develop the concept of a RYYB matrix that lets more light through, producing phenomenal results in night shooting, where competitors simply went blind. The Honor 30 Pro+ flagship with a periscopic telephoto lens provided a zoom that no Xiaomi smartphone at that time could replicate.
⚠️ Attention: Xiaomi's 108MP only works in a special mode. By default, the camera shoots at 12MP using pixel binning technology. Don't expect all photos to weigh 30MB.
Video shooting is Xiaomi’s strength: 8K recording support (albeit with a crop) and 4K 60fps quality stabilization made the Mi 10 the preferred choice for video bloggers. Honor traditionally did better at stabilizing photos at zoom, but video was often written with noticeable jerks when shaking, despite having optical stabilization.
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For night shooting and zoom, Honor is better suited, for video and detail in daylight - Xiaomi.
Autonomy and charging speed
Batteries got bigger in 2020 and processor power consumption grew. Xiaomi in the Redmi Note 9 Pro model set the bar at 5020 mAh, which became the standard for survival. The Mi 10 flagships had 4,780 mAh, which provided a confident day of operation. The charging speed of 30W was good, but not a record.
Honor responded with ultra-fast charging technologies. Flagship models supported 40W and some up to 100W (though in 2020 this was more of an exception). Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging became the norm for the upper segment of both brands, but the Honor implementation was often faster thanks to better thermoregulation.
Optimizing background processes in EMUI allowed Honor to stay on standby longer. MIUI, being more voracious due to the abundance of background services and advertising (in the free version), required more frequent recharging or manually adjusting energy saving.
- 🔋 Xiaomi: Focus on larger battery capacity (5000)+ mAh) in the middle segment.
- ⚡ Honor: Leadership in wired and wireless charging speeds.
- 🛠 Both: Support for fast charging bundled (adapter in box), which was already a rarity for other brands in 2020.
☑️ Check before buying a used smartphone in 2020
Design and ergonomics
Design ideas in 2020 for both brands followed the path of experimenting with the back cover. Xiaomi introduced models with camouflage prints and matte glass that collected less prints. Honor became famous for the “hologram” effect and shimmering stripes on the back that changed color depending on the angle of light.
In terms of ergonomics, Honor often made smaller flagships with narrow bezels, while the Xiaomi Mi 10 was a fairly large and heavy device to get used to. Using plastic in the frame on some Redmi and Honor models reduced the tactile sensation, but made smartphones lighter.
The location of the camera modules also varied: the vertical stripe of Honor vs. the square block of Xiaomi.It is a matter of taste, but it is worth considering that the protruding unit of Xiaomi’s camera could interfere with the phone lying comfortably on the table, while Honor often made the camera less protruding.
Final verdict: who to choose?
Choosing between Honor and Xiaomi in 2020 is a choice between two philosophies: If you want the most features, you like to dig into settings, you shoot videos often, and you desperately need Google services out of the box — your choice is Xiaomi. It's a rational choice for a pragmatic person who wants everything at once.
If you value stability, you want best-in-class night photography, a zoom camera, and you're willing to put up with the lack of Google services (or you can bypass them) -- look at Honor. It's a choice for those who put quality and autonomy first.
Both brands offered products in 2020 that are still relevant today, and the key is to be clear about what trade-offs you’re willing to make for the sake of saving or for a specific function.