Xiaomi or Huawei: an objective comparison of smartphones in 2026 on key parameters

Why the Choice Between Xiaomi and Huawei Has Become More Difficult

5 years ago, the answer to the question “Which is better – Xiaomi or Huawei?” was obvious: the first brand offered budget devices with top-end features, and the second – premium flagships with revolutionary cameras. Today the boundaries are blurred: Xiaomi released Xiaomi 14 Ultra with cameras from Leica for 150,000 rubles, and Huawei returned to the Nova line with prices from 20,000 rubles. Now both manufacturers compete in all segments – from ultra-budget Redmi and Huawei Enjoy to flagships with Kirin 9000S and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips.

This article will help you figure out which brand is right for you. We will analyze real tests in 2026 (rather than specifications from manufacturers’ sites), take into account Huawei’s restrictions due to US sanctions, and reveal why even in the same price range, brands’ devices solve different tasks. For example, the Huawei P60 Pro shoots video in 4K, but the Xiaomi 13T Pro processes photos faster in Lightroom. Details are below.

1.Performance: Kirin vs Snapdragon in 2026

After the sanctions of 2019, the company lost access to advanced TSMC process technology, but in 2023-2026 released Kirin 9000S (5 nm) and Kirin 9010 (7 nm) in Chinese factories. These chips are inferior to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in Xiaomi 14 Pro on synthetic tests (by 15-20% in Geekbench 6), but have two key advantages:

• 🔋 Power efficiency: Huawei Mate 60 Pro with Kirin 9000S It keeps a charge 2-3 hours longer than the Xiaomi 14 with the same battery capacity (5000 mAh).
• 🎮 Optimization for Games: Thanks to Architecture Mali-G78 firmware EMUI, Huawei is more stable in holding FPS Genshin Impact on maximum settings (tests from GameBench).
• 🚫 Restrictions: Due to sanctions, Huawei can not use the GPU from ARM In the last generation, therefore, in the graphics tests (3DMark Wild Life loses Xiaomi by 25-30%.

On the other hand, Xiaomi uses Qualcomm and MediaTek chips that are free of sanctions problems. For example, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ on the Dimensity 7200 Ultra beats the Huawei Nova 12 with Kirin 830 in all respects except autonomy. And the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in Xiaomi 14 Ultra is still the most powerful mobile processor on the market.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to use a smartphone for Deeplab, Stable Diffusion or other neural networks, choose Xiaomi with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. NPU-blocks due to sanctions, which slows down the work of AI applications 2-3 times.

2.Cameras: Leica vs Xiaomi Imaging Brain

Huawei has traditionally led the way, even after leaving the top segment in 2020, with the Mate 60 Pro and P60 Art flagships equipped with Leica Summilux variable aperture lenses (f/1.4–f/4.0), allowing low-light shooting without noise, and XMAGE processing algorithms are still considered the best for portrait photography (DxOMark tests, 2026).

Xiaomi is not far behind, however: the Xiaomi 14 Ultra uses the Sony IMX989 (1 inch!) sensor with Leica optics (yes, the same lenses as Huawei). The main difference is the software processing: Xiaomi Imaging Brain is better at HDR and night shooting, but loses in skin color and detail at zoom × 5–×10.

The key takeaway: if you want professional photography (especially portraits and videos), take Huawei. For universal photography (from macro to astrophoto), the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is better. And if the budget is limited, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ with a 200 MP camera will beat the Huawei Nova 12 in daylight detail.

3.Software: MIUI vs EMUI/HarmonyOS

It's complicated. Huawei moved to HarmonyOS (OpenHarmony's own OS) after the sanctions, but smartphones still use Android 13-based EMUI (without Google services).

• ❌ No Google Play: You will need to install apps through Google Play APK AppGallery (where there are not many popular services).
• ✅ More autonomy: HarmonyOS optimized for Kirin, so Huawei lives 10-15% longer than Xiaomi with the same batteries.
• ⚠️ Banking App Problems: SberBank Online, Tinkoff, and Others May Not Work Due to Google Mobile Services Lack.

Xiaomi uses MIUI based on Android 14 (with support for all Google services).

• ✅ Full compatibility with Google Pay, YouTube Premium, Netflix HD.
• ✅ Regular security updates (monthly vs quarterly at Huawei).
• ❌ Too many pre-installed apps (especially in Redmi).

If you depend on the Google ecosystem (like using Google Photos for backups or Google Maps for navigation), Xiaomi is the only option.For the Chinese market, Huawei offers alternatives (like Petal Maps instead of Google Maps), but they do worse.

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On Huawei without Google services, you can install GSpace or MicroG to work with Google Play, but this requires root rights and may violate the warranty.

4. Autonomy and charging: who is faster, who is longer?

Xiaomi’s charging speed is a big hit for all competitors: flagships support 120W (full charge in 18 minutes), and Redmi Note 13 Pro+ even 210W (in 9 minutes!).However, such modes reduce battery life: after 500 cycles, capacity drops by 20-25% (data from tests by Battery University).

Huawei has taken a different approach: maximum charging power is 88W (in the Mate 60 Pro), but with support for wireless charging on 50W (Xiaomi has a maximum of 30W).In addition, HarmonyOS is more aggressively optimizes background processes, so the Huawei P60 Pro with a 4815 mAh battery lives longer than the Xiaomi 14 Pro with 4880 mAh:

⚠️ Note: If you travel frequently, please note that Huawei with HarmonyOS may not support VoLTE and VoWiFi from some Russian carriers (for example, Tele2.

5. Price and price/quality ratio

Here Xiaomi traditionally wins: even the flagships Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro are 15-20% cheaper than their counterparts from Huawei. ₽) Huawei Nova 11 (35 000) ₽) in all respects except the design.

However, Huawei offers unique chips in the premium segment, which competitors do not have:

• 🔄 Foldable smartphones: Huawei Mate X5 (200 000 ₽) thinner and lighter Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 has the best cameras.
• 🎨 Design: Huawei P60 Art with ceramic case and engraving is one of the most beautiful smartphones of 2026.
• 🛡️ Mate 60 Pro is certified by the Mate IP68 Kunlun Glass 2, which is 10 times stronger than Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (JerryRigEverything tests).

Comparison of prices for similar models (Yandex Market, May 2026):

Check the IMEI on imei.info (not blacklisted)

Make sure the battery holds ≥80% of its original capacity (AccuBattery)

Test all cameras manually (especially zoom)

Check out NFC and 5G (if needed)

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Ecosystem and additional devices

If you already own a gadget from one of the brands, the choice is obvious. Xiaomi offers the widest ecosystem:

• 🏠 Smart home: Yeelight light bulbs, Mi Robot vacuum cleaners, Aqara sensors.
• 🎧 Audio: headphones Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro with LDAC noise-blower.

Huawei is betting on premium accessories:

• 🎧 FreeBuds Pro 3 with active noise making and support LE Audio.
• ⌚ Watch Ultimate with pressure sensor for divers (up to 100 m depth).
• 🖥️ MateBook X Pro is one of the best ultrabooks of 2026.

The key difference is that Xiaomi devices are cheaper and compatible with Google Home, while Huawei offers deeper integration between gadgets (like the Multi-Screen Collaboration for working with a laptop), but only in its ecosystem.

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If you already have a smartwatch or headphones from one of the brands, buying a smartphone of the same brand will give additional features (for example, unlocking Xiaomi 14 over Mi Band 8 or transferring files between Huawei devices at a speed of 1 Gbps).

Repairability and support

Xiaomi is definitely winning this:

• 🔧 Xiaomi’s Displays, Batteries and Cameras Are 30-50% Cheaper (IFixit Data).
• 🛠️ Service centers: in Russia, they are 3 times more than Huawei.
• 📦 Guarantee: official warranty for Xiaomi – 24 months, Huawei – 12 months.

Huawei is more difficult to repair because of:

• 🔒 Closed architecture: For example, in the Mate 60 Pro, the battery is glued to the body, which makes it difficult to replace the battery.
• 💰 Expensive spare parts: screen for P60 Pro is worth it. ~25 000 ₽ (against ~15 000 ₽ Xiaomi 14 Pro).
• ⚠️ Software problems: after unofficial repairs (for example, a display replacement) Widevine can fly L1, Netflix will stop showing in the HD.

⚠️ Note: If you buy Huawei with root rights or custom firmware, there is a high risk of losing access to AppGallery and banking applications.

FAQ: Frequent questions about choosing between Xiaomi and Huawei