Why Xiaomi is better than Samsung: an objective comparison of 7 key parameters

Choosing between Xiaomi and Samsung today is like the dilemma between practicality and premium: both brands offer powerful smartphones, but the approaches to creating them are radically different. If Samsung has been associated with flagships for 100+ thousand rubles for decades, Xiaomi has proved that top-end specs can be packed into a device half as cheaply — without sacrificing quality.

In 2026, Xiaomi overtook Samsung in terms of innovation in several key areas, from ultrafast charging (up to 210W in the Redmi Note 12 Turbo) to the smart home ecosystem, where the number of compatible devices exceeds 500 positions against ~200 in the Korean giant.

1. Price/Quality: Why Xiaomi is Giving More for the Same Money

Xiaomi’s biggest asset is price democracy without compromise, and let’s compare the 2026 flagships:

• 📱 Xiaomi 14 Ultra (16/512 GB) — ~95 000 ₽ with Leica Summilux camera, screen 2K 120 Hz and charging 90W.
• 📱 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (12/256 GB) — ~140 000 ₽ with a similar display but charger 45W price-plate 45% higher.

The difference 45 000 ₽ With similar characteristics, it is not an accident, but a strategy. Xiaomi saves on marketing. 5 It's less than Samsung's, and it optimizes logistics to deliver value to the customer, and even the low-end Redmi models get processors with a margin of performance, like the Redmi Note. 13 Pro+ Mediatek Dimensity 7200 Ultra overtakes Galaxy A54 Exynos 1380 in the AnTuTu tests on 20-25%.

⚠️ Note: Samsung often understates the performance in the mid-range segment (e.g., Galaxy). A34 Exynos 1280 – chip 2021 release, while Xiaomi even in the lineup POCO It's the processor that's up to date, and that makes the choice obvious to those who value long-term performance.

2. Performance and Optimization: Why Xiaomi is Faster Even With Similar Hardware

The myth that Samsung is “optimizing software better” has been debunked by tests 2023-2026 In real-world scenarios, Xiaomi is showing more stability thanks to two key factors:

1. Pure Android with minimal bloatware. The MIUI shell (especially in the global version) contains 3 times fewer pre-installed apps than One UI. For example, the Galaxy S24 out of the box has 27 system applications (including Bixby, Samsung Pay, Knox), while Xiaomi 14 has only 9.
2. Aggressive cooling: Xiaomi’s flagships (starting with the 12S Ultra) feature a Loop LiquidCool system with a steam camera that lowers the CPU temperature by 10-15°C compared to the Galaxy S series, a critical one for gamers and 8K video shooters.

In the performance throttling test (30 minutes of Genshin Impact at maximum settings):

• 📉 Galaxy S24 Ultra: Falling FPS s 60 before 48 (-12%) heat-up 47°C.
• 📈 Xiaomi 14 Pro: FPS stayed level 58-60 temperature 41°C.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to use a smartphone for multitasking (e.g. streaming) + messengers + Navigator, note the amount of RAM. Xiaomi offers options with 16 GB of RAM even in the middle segment (for example, Redmi). K70E), Samsung is limited to 12 GB in the top models.

Launch AnTuTu Benchmark 3 times in a row|Look at the temperature in AIDA64 after 15 minutes of play|Check the number of background processes in Settings → Annexes|Compare the charging time from 0 to 100% with the manufacturer-->

3. Charging and autonomy: a revolutionary divide

Here, Xiaomi is not just ahead of Samsung, but destroys competition. The Korean brand still produces flagships with 45W charging (like in the Galaxy S24 Ultra), while even the budget Redmi supports 67W-210W:

• ⚡ Redmi Note 12 Turbo: 210W — Full charge in 9 minutes (from 0 to 100%).
• ⚡ Xiaomi 14 Pro: 120W + wireless 50W.
• 🐢 Galaxy S24+: 45W — 1 hour to full charge.

But speed isn’t the only thing: Xiaomi uses graphene anodes in batteries (starting with the 11T Pro), which increases battery life by 20-25% compared to Samsung’s lithium polymer batteries. This means that after 2 years of operation, Xiaomi will retain 85-90% of capacity, while the Galaxy will retain only 75-80%.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi’s fast charging requires an original power supply.Using third-party adapters (even with Quick Charge support) can cause the cable to overheat or activate protections limiting power to power. 18W.

4.The smart home ecosystem: where Xiaomi has no competitors

While Samsung offers a SmartThings ecosystem with ~200 compatible devices (most of which are proprietary products), Xiaomi has built an open platform with support for 500+ devices from 100+ brands.

A real-life example: to build a smart lighting system in an apartment, the owner of Samsung will have to buy SmartThings lamps for 3,500 ₽ Xiaomi offers Yeelight with Mi Home support for 1,200 ₽. Price difference for 10 lamps - 23 000 ₽.

⚠️ Note: When buying Mi Home devices, check for Russian firmware. Some sensors (such as Aqara) require manual change of region in the application, otherwise they may not work properly.

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To connect Xiaomi and Samsung devices in the same ecosystem, use Google Home or Home Assistant.This will allow you to control Yeelight lamps and Samsung QLED TV from the same app.

5. Innovations that Samsung doesn't have

Xiaomi is not afraid of experimentation, whereas Samsung often plays on security by copying trends late. Here are 3 technologies that Xiaomi introduced first:

• 🔋 Battery with graphene anode (2021, 11T Pro – 25% longer after 500 cycles compared to Samsung’s lithium-ion batteries.
• 📸 Underscreen selfie camera (2021, Mix 4) – Samsung released a similar solution only in 2023 (Galaxy Z Fold 5).
• 🔊 Speakers with Dolby Atmos technology + Harman Kardon in the mid-segment (e.g., Harman Kardon, POCO F5 $30,000 ₽), Samsung offers similar sound only in flagships for 100 000+ ₽.

Another example is ultra-wide dynamic range (HDR) in video. Xiaomi 13 Ultra was the first smartphone to support Dolby Vision HDR recording in 8K — Samsung added this feature only in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, a year after its release.

⚠️ Attention: Some Xiaomi innovations (like the underscreen camera) have trade-offs.In the Mix 4, the quality of selfies is inferior to classic front-ends due to the reduced light-transmission of the screen. DXOMARK.

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Xiaomi is often the first to implement technologies that Samsung replicates in 1-2 years (example: 100W charging, subscreen camera, graphene batteries).

6 Software Updates: Myths and Reality

One of the main arguments of Samsung supporters is that “4 years of updates vs. 2-3 for Xiaomi”, but in 2026 this statement is outdated:

• 📅 Xiaomi 13/14 series, Redmi K60/K70 and POCO F5/F6 receiver 4 Years of Major Android Updates + 5 Safety Years (Announcement) 2023 year-end).
• 📅 Samsung promises promise 4 Update Year for Flagships (Galaxy) S/A/Z-The series, but for the mid-segment (Galaxy A) 2 year-end.
• ⚡ Update speed: Xiaomi releases security patches monthly (for flagships), whereas Samsung often delays them on the Internet 1-2 month (data from Android Authority).

Xiaomi allows you to roll back on the previous version of MIUI via Fastboot if the new software is unstable – Samsung does not have this option. Xiaomi also retains the ability to unlock the bootloader (officially, through the Mi Unlock Tool), which opens access to custom firmware, Samsung blocked this feature in 2022.

⚠️ Attention: Updates MIUI For global versions, sometimes they come out later than for Chinese ones, and to get patches faster, you can manually switch to European firmware via Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI → Select a region.

7. Design and ergonomics: subjectively but with numbers

The design question is always subjective, but there are objective parameters where Xiaomi wins:

• 🏋️ Weight and thickness: Xiaomi 14 weighs 188g at 8.2mm thick, and Galaxy S24 — 196 g at 8.3 mm The difference of 8 g is noticeable with prolonged use.
• 🔧 Repairability: Xiaomi uses standard screws T3 and modular display design, while Samsung soldered many components (for example, the battery in the Galaxy) S23 case-stick).
• 🎨 Color options: Xiaomi offers unique shades (for example, 14 Ultra in the color “Green Safari”), while Samsung is limited to classics (black, white, gray).

Samsung has the advantage of water protection, however: all flagships are IP68 certified, whereas Xiaomi only has top-end models (13/14 series, Mix Fold).Budget Redmi and POCO are often limited to IP53 (splash protection).

⚠️ Note: If you drop your phone often, pay attention to the strength of the glass. Xiaomi uses Gorilla Glass Victus only in flagships, and in Redmi - Gorilla Glass 5, which is worse protection from scratches. Samsung installs Victus 2 even in the Galaxy A54.

FAQ: Frequent questions about choosing between Xiaomi and Samsung