In the world of modern mobile technology, Xiaomi is one of the leading brands, offering devices in almost every price segment. However, it is extremely easy for a newcomer to encounter the Chinese giant’s range for the first time to get confused in the endless flow of numbers, letters and names. The question of what is the name of Xiaomi’s most popular smartphone line is often controversial, as sales statistics vary from region to region, and the names of brands within the holding have changed over time.
To make the right choice, you need to understand the hierarchy of devices that the company has built. Historically, Xiaomi’s main brand (formerly known as Mi) was the flagship device, while the mass segment was occupied by sub-brands. Today, the ecosystem has become even more extensive, including the Redmi Note series, Redmi digital, POCO and the flagship line of Xiaomi Digital. Understanding these differences is the key to buying a gadget that will not disappoint with its characteristics.
In this article, we will analyze the evolution of names, determine the absolute leader in sales and help you navigate the current offers in the market. The Chinese manufacturer is famous for its flexibility, so knowing the range will allow you not to overpay for marketing tricks and choose the device that meets your needs.
The evolution of branding: from Mi to Redmi and POCO
To answer the question of popularity, you need to first understand the history. For a long time, the company used a dual strategy: premium brand Xiaomi Mi and budget-medium Redmi, which allowed to reach different audiences without blurring the image of the main company. However, in 2021, a landmark event occurred: the Mi brand was abolished, and all flagship devices began to appear simply under the name Xiaomi with a digital index.
In parallel, the POCO brand, which was originally positioned as a separate line within Redmi, but later gained complete independence. It was POCO that inherited the philosophy of “top iron at an affordable price” that once made Xiaomi famous.
Today, we see a clear division: Xiaomi (formerly Mi) is about technology, experimentation and premium; Redmi is about balance and accessibility; POCO is about performance for enthusiasts. The most popular and popular lineup globally right now is the Redmi Note series, which sets standards in the mid-range price segment around the world.
Redmi Note: the absolute leader of popular sympathy
If you look for the answer to which line sells the most, the numbers point to the Redmi Note series, which comes out regularly, about every six months, and each time offers improvements that are noticeable to the average user, the popularity of this series is due to the perfect balance between cost, screen quality, battery capacity and camera.
Unlike the basic Redmi models with a digital name (e.g. Redmi). 13C), The Note series offers more advanced features. AMOLED-screens with high refresh rate, fast charging power of 67 watts and even 120 watts, as well as optical image stabilization (OIS) And in cameras, which is rare in this price range, these are the devices that are most often the favorites of the people".
Importantly, there is also a gradation within the Note series, with Pro, Pro+ and standard models, and the differences between them may be in terms of body material (plastic versus glass), wireless charging, or zoom quality, and users often choose Pro versions because the price difference is minimal and the increase in functionality is significant.
It’s worth mentioning that these phones may be called differently in different regions, such as the Redmi Note in China, which may be called the Xiaomi Note in the global version, or even go under the POCO brand with a redesign, a marketing strategy aimed at avoiding competition between their own products on store shelves.
Xiaomi Digital: Technologies of the Future
The series, formerly known as Mi (Mi 1, Mi 2.. Mi 11), now bears the proud name of Xiaomi with a digital index (Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 14, etc.), a showcase of the company’s capabilities, where the most advanced developments are implemented.
A key feature of these smartphones is a partnership with the legendary company Leica, where engineers work together to customize optics, color transmission and image processing algorithms, resulting in photos with characteristic “artistic” handwriting, which is highly valued by professionals and mobile enthusiasts, and cameras here often feature inch sensors, which is physically impossible to implement in cheaper models.
In addition, the Xiaomi Digital series always gets the top-end Snapdragon 8 series processors first.This ensures maximum performance in games and heavy applications.The body materials are also premium: ceramics, titanium, Gorilla Glass Victus protective glass and IP68 moisture protection.
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When buying a flagship series, pay attention to the version of the processor: in some regions, models on MediaTek Dimensity chips can be supplied, which are slightly inferior to Snapdragon in emulation and support for custom firmware.
But for all its advantages, it's not the most popular, and the high price cuts off most of the audience who prefer to spend money on other needs, while getting 90% of the flagship's functionality for half the price in mid-range devices.
POCO: The Choice of Gamers and Rationalists
The POCO brand deserves special attention, as it is often confused with a standalone company, although formally it belongs to the Xiaomi ecosystem. POCO's philosophy is simple: "Everything you need, nothing you don't." This means that you get a powerful processor here, but maybe save on case materials or having wireless charging.
The most famous lineup within the brand is the POCO F (e.g., POCO F5, F6). These devices are often called "flagship killers." They come out a little late after the Chinese flagships Redmi K-series and offer similar performance, but in a simpler execution and at a significantly lower price. For those looking for the maximum FPS in games, it's often the best choice on the market.
There is also the POCO X and POCO M series, which are based on the global versions of the Redmi Note and Redmi digital respectively, popular for their aggressive design and often vibrant color gamut aimed at youth audiences. Offering aggregators often single out POCO as the brand with the best value for money.
☑️ What to look at when choosing POCO
Some users are specifically refashioning devices to get the experience as close as possible to “pure” Android or, conversely, to the full functionality of MIUI.
Comparative table of smartphone lines
To organize information and quickly understand the differences between the main areas of the company, we have prepared a summary table that will help you determine at a glance which class of devices is right for you, and avoid confusion when searching for reviews.
| Lineage/Brand | Target audience | Key features | Example of model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi (Digital) | Enthusiasts, pros, connoisseurs of photos | Leica top cameras, premium materials, IP68 | Xiaomi 14 Ultra |
| Redmi Note | Mass User (Most Popular) | Balance of price and quality, AMOLED screens, fast charging | Redmi Note 13 Pro+ |
| POCO F | Gamers, rationalists | Maximum processor power, savings on the body | POCO F6 |
| Redmi (Digital) | Budget segment, children, seniors | Low price, large battery, basic functionality | Redmi 13C |
As you can see from the table, the Redmi Note is central to offering features that were not long ago the lot of flagships, and it is the series that sets the tone in the market and forces competitors to reduce prices or improve the characteristics of their budget customers.
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Redmi Note is a “middle ground” that meets the needs of 80% of users without requiring overpayment for excessive flagship features.
Technical details: what to look at besides the name
Knowing the name of the line is only half the battle, and many console modifications can come out inside the same series (like the Redmi Note 13). 4G, 5G, Pro, Pro+. The difference between them can be enormous. 4G It can have a mid-range processor and a 90Hz screen, while the version 5G will receive a more modern chipset and a screen of 120 Hz, but will lose AMOLED-matrices IPS.
So you should always check the exact name of the model before you buy, either in the settings of an existing device or on a box. → The phone. → Version. MIUI/HyperOS (You need to tap the logo several times, and it will show the full technical name, for example, 23124RN87G.
⚠️ Note: When ordering smartphones from Chinese stores (AliExpress, Ozon Global), carefully check the firmware version. ROM) It has built-in Google Play and support for Russian out of the box, while the Chinese version has a native version (CN ROM) It may require reflashing for full-fledged work in our latitudes.
For Russia and CIS countries, the B7, B20 and B3 bands are critical for high-quality 4G/LTE reception. In some “export” versions of popular lines, these ranges may be absent, which will lead to poor signal in buildings and outside the city.
How do I check for frequency support?
Global Versions vs. Chinese: What's the Difference
Xiaomi’s popularity has led to a huge amount of parallel imports in the market. It’s often possible to find the same model (especially the Redmi Note or POCO series) significantly cheaper if it’s designed for the Chinese market.
Chinese versions (CN) often have a richer package (for example, a case in the box that is not in the global box) and support for faster Wi-Fi standards. However, they lack pre-installed Google services, notifications can come with a delay due to aggressive energy saving systems, and may also be missing Russian (English and Chinese only).
Global versions (Global) are certified to work in Europe and other regions, guaranteed to work with Google Pay (NFC), have all the necessary communication frequencies and a full interface translation, and it is recommended to overpay for the global version, unless you are an experienced user who knows how to unlock the bootloader and install custom firmware.
⚠️ Attention: Buying a smartphone with an unlocked bootloader (Global) ROM Bank customers may refuse to work due to security breaches, and automatic system updates can “fly” turning the phone into a brick when trying to upgrade.