What Xiaomi smartphone to buy in 2021: a detailed guide to choosing

In 2021, Xiaomi confirmed its status as one of the leaders of the global smartphone market, offering buyers more than 20 new models - from budget devices for 10,000 rubles to flagships with a price tag of over 70,000. But how not to get lost in this variety and choose the perfect smartphone for your tasks? Gamers need powerful chipsets, photographers - advanced cameras, and ordinary users - balanced devices with a long battery life.

This article will help you understand which Xiaomi 2021 models are worth the attention and which are just marketing ploy. We analyzed the specifications, reviews of real users and test results to compile an honest rating. Particular attention will be paid to current issues, for example, why some Redmi models overheat at long loads, and Mi 11 Ultra have difficulties with the proprietary firmware MIUI 12.5.

Spoiler: If you want the most balanced option in terms of price / quality, immediately see the section about Poco F3 — It's one of the few models that doesn't have any critical flaws, and for those who are preparing to buy, we've prepared a new model. FAQ-A block with answers to the most frequent questions about warranty, updates and compatibility with Russian networks 5G.

Flagships 2021: what to overpay for?

Xiaomi’s flagship smartphones in 2021 are the Mi 11 and Mix 4 series. Their key features are the top-end Snapdragon 888 chipsets, 120Hz refresh rate screens and cameras developed in conjunction with Leica or Samsung. But do the average user need these chips?

For example, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has a secondary display on the back for notifications and selfies with the main camera. Sounds impressive, but in practice this screen quickly gets scratched, and its usefulness is questionable - most users turn it off after a month of use, but the main camera with a Samsung GN2 sensor (50 MP) is really one of the best on the market, overtaking even the iPhone 12 Pro Max in DxOMark tests.

Another flagship, the Xiaomi Mix 4, was the brand’s first smartphone with a subscreen front camera, and the technology is still raw: in bright light, the camera is visible, and in games or videos artifacts can appear, but the body here is ceramic, which gives a premium look and protection from scratches.

⚠️ Attention: Flagships Xiaomi 2021 Years often come with global firmware that is not optimized for Russian operators. 4G/5G Your region through FrequencyCheck, for example, Mi 11 Ultra does not support the range n78 (3.5 GHz, which uses MTS for 5G Moscow.

• 📱 Mi 11 Ultra is the best camera, but bulky and expensive (from 75,000) ₽).
• 🎮 Black Shark 4 Pro – flagship for gamers with physical triggers (from 60 000) ₽).
• 💎 Mix 4 is a premium design, but the subscreen camera isn’t perfect yet (from 70,000). ₽).

Middle class: the middle ground

If flagships are overpaying for the brand and “chips”, then the middle segment (Redmi Note 10 Pro, Poco) F3, The Mi 11 Lite offers 90 percent of the features for half the price, and there's no underscreen cameras or ceramic cases, but there's really useful stuff: AMOLED-screens with a frequency of 120 Hz, fast charging 33W And chipsets that are not inferior to the flagships of 2020.

The leader of the segment is considered Poco F3 (He's a Redmi. K40 It is the only smartphone in its price range (from 25,000 USD). ₽) with Snapdragon 870 processor - a modified version of the flagship Snapdragon 865+. In games, it delivers results at the level of the iPhone 11, and in everyday tasks it works without lags. Another plus is the stereo speakers with support for Dolby Atmos, which is rare for the middle class.

The Redmi Note 10 Pro is the choice for those who care about autonomy, thanks to a 5020 mAh battery and an energy-efficient Snapdragon chipset. 732G, The smartphone lasts two days with moderate use, but there's a downside: AMOLED-The screen here is 60 Hz, which is significantly losing Poco F3 smoothly.

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Xiaomi’s mid-range 2021 offers the best price-per-quality ratio, with the Poco F3 or Redmi Note 10 Pro being the best choice for most users.

Budget smartphones: cheap ≠ badly

Budget smartphones Xiaomi (Redmi series) 9 POCO M3) into 2021 They're not disposable devices, thanks to Helio chipsets. G80/G85 battery-powered 5000–6000 They cope with everyday tasks no worse than models for 30 000 ₽ The key is not to expect miracles from cameras and performance in heavy games.

The best example is Poco. M3 Pro 5G. For $15,000. ₽ You get a smartphone with support 5G (Although not all Russian bands, a 5,000 mAh battery and a 90 Hz display. Yes, the Dimensity 700 processor is weaker than its competitors, but it will suffice for social networks, YouTube and light games (Brawl Stars, Clash Royale). 9T It has four cameras (including macro and depth meter), but its screen is only 60 Hz, which is noticeable in 2021.

Critical information: Xiaomi 2021 budget smartphones often come with stripped down MIUI firmware, where some features are missing (e.g. Second Space mode or advanced camera settings) – not a defect, but a marketing ploy – so the manufacturer encourages the purchase of more expensive models.

• 💰 Poco M3 Pro 5G — cheapest 5G-smartphone (from 15,000) ₽), but with a weak processor.
• 📸 Redmi 9T — four cameras and a 6,000mAh battery, but a 60Hz screen (from 14,000) ₽).
• ⚡ Redmi Note 9T — Best Budget Game for Playing Thanks to Dimensity 800U (18,000 ₽).

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Before buying a budget Xiaomi smartphone, check the MIUI version in the settings (Settings → About phone). If the version is below 12.0.3, update the firmware manually - this will fix bugs with autobrightness and GPS operation.

For photographers: Which camera is better?

If your priority is photo and video, then in 2021 Xiaomi has three worthy options: Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11 Pro and Redmi Note 10 Pro.

The Mi 11 Ultra is the undisputed leader thanks to the Samsung GN2 (50 MP) sensor with a 1.4 μm pixel size and optical stabilization. In night mode, it bypasses even the Huawei P40 Pro, and 8K video is obtained in detail. However, the secondary camera (48 MP) often overshadows the images, and MIUI processing algorithms sometimes blur the details.

Redmi Note 10 Pro surprises with its 108-megapixel camera for 22 000 ₽. Of course, the real resolution of the images is 12 MP (thanks to pixel binning), but the detailing is at the level of flagships of 2019. The main disadvantage is the lack of optical stabilization, which makes the video when moving get "twitched".

For selfies, the Mi 11 Lite is better suited with a 16-megapixel frontal and soft processing that smooths the skin without the effect of a plastic doll. But the Black Shark 4 Pro, despite its high price, has mediocre cameras - it is only bought for games.

⚠️ Note: In smartphones Xiaomi 2021 mode "Professional camera" (RAW) It's disabled by default in the global firmware. To activate it, go to Camera Settings. → Additionally. → Format RAW And turn on the option. Without that, the pictures are saved in compressed form. JPEG detailless.

What to choose instead of Black Shark?

The Black Shark line is marketed as “gaming smartphones,” but in 2021 their relevance is in question. For example, the Black Shark 4 Pro with a Snapdragon 888 processor costs 60,000. ₽, then F3 (Snapdragon 870 shows 95% of its performance in games for 25,000 ₽. So why pay more?

The answer is physical triggers and liquid cooling, and in Call of Duty: Mobile or Genshin Impact, this has the advantage of keeping your fingers open and the CPU temperature is 5-7.°C is lower than the competition, but for most games (e.g., the game, PUBG Mobile or Brawl Stars – These chips are redundant.

The alternative is Redmi. K40 Gaming Edition (sold as Poco in Russia) F3 GT). The same physical triggers, but the chipset is weaker (Dimensity 1200), but the price is from 35 000. ₽. Another plus is magnetic shoulders for a comfortable grip, which come with a complete set.

• 🎮 Black Shark 4 Pro – Best Cooling and Triggers, but Expensive (from 60,000) ₽).
• 💥 Poco F3 GT — cheaply ₽, but weaker in hard games.
• ❄️ Redmi Note 10 Pro - budget option for light games (from 22 000) ₽).

Install the latest version MIUI|Disable background activity of applications|Enable productivity mode|Use a cooler (for Black Shark)-->

Autonomy: Which smartphones last longer?

If you need a smartphone that will work 2-3 days without recharging, pay attention to models with a battery from 5000 mAh and energy-efficient chipsets. In 2021, the leader in autonomy was Redmi 9T with a battery of 6000 mAh. With moderate use (social networks, calls, instant messengers), it lasts up to 4 days, and in standby mode – up to 2 weeks!

But there's a nuance: the Redmi 9T is equipped with a Snapdragon 662 processor, which is poorly optimized for gaming. If you want performance + autonomy, choose the Poco M3 Pro 5G (Dimensity 700 + 5000 mAh) or Redmi Note 10 Pro (Snapdragon 732G + 5020 mAh).

The flagships Mi 11 and Mix 4 support 120W, but their batteries (4500-5000 mAh) discharge in a day. But the Redmi Note 10 Pro with 33W charges in 1 hour and lasts 2 times longer.

MIUI 12.5: Pros and cons of the new firmware

In 2021, Xiaomi released the global update MIUI 12.5, which brought both improvements and new bugs.

• ✅ Less advertising in system applications (but not in all regions).
• ✅ Optimize performance – apps open 20% faster.
• ✅ New gestures for navigation (e.g. swipe down for quick access to panels).

But there are also critical issues:

• ❌ Notification Bugs – Some messengers (e.g. Telegram) don’t show alerts.
• ❌ Overheating on models with Snapdragon 888 (especially on Mi 11 Ultra).
• ❌ Reset settings after the update (occurs in 5-10% of users).

To avoid problems, make a backup before updating via Settings → About Phone → Backup. If after the update the smartphone started to slow down, try resetting the cache:

1. Turn off the phone.


2. Press the buttons Power + Volume up.




3. From the Recovery menu, select the Wipe Cache Partition.




4. Reset the device.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi 2021 smartphones