The smartphone market in 2021 was a revolution, and Xiaomi was at the center of this event, offering users an incredible variety of devices. The question of which phone to buy has become more difficult, as the gap between the budget and flagship segments is rapidly narrowing. This year, the vendor introduced lines that set new standards for performance and quality of photography, making premium features available to a wide audience.
The choice of a particular model depends on a variety of factors: your budget, camera requirements, gaming ambitions and desire to get the most performance in 2021.Some users are looking for compact devices, others are chasing huge screens and powerful batteries. We analyzed current offers to help you not get confused in a sea of specs and marketing titles.
In this article, we’ll break down the best devices released or popular in 2021, dividing them into logical categories, learn about the nuances of Snapdragon and MediaTek processors, the features of AMOLED and IPS screens, and why software support has become more important than ever. Let’s determine which gadget will be the perfect companion for you.
Flagship solutions for demanding users
If you’re looking for a device that won’t give up on speed even in a few years, you should look at the top flagships. In 2021, the benchmark was the Xiaomi Mi 11 series and the later Xiaomi 11 lineup for the global market. These smartphones were the first to receive the Snapdragon 888 chipset, which provides tremendous computing power for heavy gaming and artificial intelligence.
But when you buy a flagship, it's important to understand what you're paying for, and it's not just about the processor, but also about the materials in the case, IP68 water protection, and wireless charging, and the cameras in these models are optically stabilized and have large arrays that allow you to take professional-level pictures even in nighttime shooting.
⚠️ Note: The flagship Mi 11 series models on the Snapdragon 888 processor can be trolled (decreased performance) under prolonged loads due to the peculiarities of heating the chip.
The screen deserves special attention. In 2021, the standard for the premium segment was the WQHD+ matrix with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. This provides incredibly smooth scrolling of the interface and clarity of the picture, which is noticeable to the naked eye. If multimedia experience is important to you, the presence of stereo speakers, tuned by Harman Kardon engineers, will be a nice bonus.
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When buying a flagship, pay attention to the configuration: in 2021, Xiaomi, like other brands, began to exclude chargers from the box of some models, check this before paying.
Best choice: subflagships and the middle class
The most popular segment of the market is traditionally the middle ground, where devices that offer 90% of the capabilities of flagships for 60% of the price. In 2021, the king of this direction was the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite series and Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. These smartphones are incredibly thin, light and stylish, which is rare in the modern market.
This class of devices often uses previous-generation processors or stripped-down versions of top-end chips, such as the Snapdragon 732G or Snapdragon 778G. For most users, this power is more than enough for a comfortable experience on social networks, watching 4K videos and even running demanding games on average graphics settings.
Often in this segment, there are trade-offs in the materials of the case. Instead of glass and metal, plastic is more often used here, but the build quality remains high. The screens are usually AMOLED at 90 Hz, which is a great indicator. Cameras are good in daylight, but can be inferior to flagships in complex lighting.
When you buy a mid-range device, you often get a quick charge bundle, which is very convenient. A charge rate of 33W or 67W allows you to fully replenish the battery in less than an hour. This is the case when price/quality reaches its peak, making the purchase rational.
Budget smartphones: maximum for minimum money
The budget segment in 2021 was no longer synonymous with the word “bad”; the Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro line showed that even for a little money you can get a full-fledged smartphone with a great screen and good autonomy.
The emphasis on low-cost models is on battery and basic functionality. You rarely see optical stabilization or water protection, but basic needs are completely closed. Processors like the Helio G96 or Snapdragon 678 are coping with everyday tasks. It is important to pay attention to the amount of internal memory, since in public sector people often use a slower type of eMMC 5.1 memory instead of fast UFS.
- 📱 Screen: Frequently used IPS matrix, though AMOLED It is also in the budget segment.
- 🔋 Battery: The de facto standard is 5000 mAh, providing 2 days of operation.
- 📸 Camera: The main module can be at 48 or 64 MP, but without optical stabilization.
- ⚡ Charging: Normally 18-33 Wh, the power supply often comes complete.
Don't expect public sector workers to be fabulous in photo processing or interface speed in a couple of years, but as a second phone, a device for a child or an elderly person, they're perfect. When choosing, carefully examine reviews for ads on the system, as they're more common in cheap models.
Hidden advertising in public sector
Gaming smartphones and specialized devices
A separate category of users is gamers, and they were all excited about Black Shark 4 and its modifications in 2021, and they're not just designed to play games, they're designed to win games, and they're all about tactile recoil, extra touch buttons on the body, and of course, cooling.
Gaming smartphones often have aggressive designs and backlights, but their internal design is respectable. Special processor resource allocation algorithms allow high FPS (frames per second) to be kept stable. The presence of magnetic keys that physically protrude from the body gives a real advantage in shooters.
However, buying a gaming smartphone is a trade-off: cameras are usually mediocre, and the design is not to everyone's liking. If you don't play PUBG or Genshin Impact 5 hours a day, you'd better take a regular flagship that's more versatile in everyday life.
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A gaming smartphone only makes sense if mobile gaming is your main hobby, otherwise a regular powerful flagship will be more convenient for daily use.
Comparative Characteristics Table
To make a final decision, let’s put the key parameters of popular categories into a single table, which will help you visually assess the difference between the classes of devices and understand where you are willing to compromise.
| Parameter | Flagship (Mi 11) | Middle class (Mi 11 Lite) | Budgetary (Redmi Note 10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 732G / 778G | Snapdragon 678 |
| Screen. | AMOLED 120Hz WQHD+ | AMOLED 90 Hz FHD+ | AMOLED 60 Hz FHD+ |
| Camera. | 108 MP + OIS + Zoom | 64 MP/50 MP | 48 MP (without OIS) |
| Materials | Glass/Metal | Plastic/Glass | Plastic. |
| Price (roughly) | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
As you can see from the table, the difference in price is often due to the materials of the case and the presence of additional camera modules, such as a TV or ultra-wide with autofocus. Processor power in the middle class has long ceased to be a narrow neck for conventional tasks.
Software and support
Choosing a phone in 2021, the issue of the shell cannot be ignored: Xiaomi uses the MIUI interface (or HyperOS in later updates), which is famous for its functionality but is sometimes criticized for its abundance of features. In 2021, versions based on Android 11 and Android 12 were relevant.
It’s important to understand that budget models often get fewer security updates and major versions of Android than flagships. If you plan to use a phone for 3-4 years, then having an update guarantee becomes a critical factor. Flagships usually get support for 2-3 years, whereas budget employees can stay on one version of the OS.
⚠️ Warning: When buying a device, make sure you choose the Global Version rather than the Chinese version with the cross-cutting shell (NFC) and frequency.
Having an NFC module for contactless payment is another important aspect. In 2021, even in the mid-range, it has become standard, but in the frankly cheap models (Redmi 9A, Redmi 10C), this module is often missing. Check the presence of this chip in the spec if you plan to pay with your phone in stores.