Choosing between Xiaomi and Samsung in 2022 is not just a matter of preference, but a strategic decision that will affect your digital experience for the next 2-3 years. Both brands offer devices for any wallet, from budget models for 15,000 rubles to flagships for 100,000 +. But what criteria should be decisive? Should you overpay for the Samsung brand with its ecosystem One UI and Dex Mode, or Xiaomi with their aggressive pricing policies and innovations like 120W charging offer more for the same money?
This year, the smartphone market has experienced serious turmoil: chip shortages, rising component prices and even geopolitical factors have affected the availability of models. For example, the Xiaomi 12 Pro in Russia was officially not sold due to sanctions, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra rose by 20% compared to the S21 Ultra 2021, while both manufacturers have relied on performance (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 chips), cameras (108 and 200 MP sensors) and ecosystem (integration with smart watches, headphones and laptops).
We analyzed more than 50 models from both brands, reviewed reviews from 10,000+ users on Yandex.Market and Wildberries, and conducted our own tests.
- 🔍 Comparison of flagships (Xiaomi 12 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy) S22 Ultra) by 10 key parameters
- 💰 Price niches: where Xiaomi bypasses Samsung, and where the Korean brand justifies the premium price tag
- 📸 Test cameras in real conditions: night shooting, portrait mode, video 8K
- 🔋 Autonomy: why Xiaomi with a battery of 4500 mAh loses Samsung with 5000 mAh
- 🛠️ Service and Repair: Where is it cheaper to replace the screen, and which brand breaks down more often
1. Flagships of 2022: Xiaomi 12 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
If you’re looking for the best smartphone of 2022 without compromise, the choice comes down to two models: the Xiaomi 12 Pro (from 79,990). ₽) Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (from 109,990) ₽). The difference in price is almost 30 000 rubles - is it justified? Let's understand the key parameters.
Productivity:
Both smartphones run on top-end chips — the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (in Xiaomi 12 Pro) and the Exynos 2200/Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (in S22 Ultra, depending on the region). In benchmarks (AnTuTu, Geekbench), the difference is minimal — about 5-7% in favor of Xiaomi. However, in real-world tasks (multi-tasking, games at maximum settings), Samsung shows itself more stable thanks to better optimization of One UI 4.1.
Screen:
Here, Samsung is unquestionably leading. - Galaxy S22 Ultra is equipped with Dynamic AMOLED 2X permittingly 3088×1440, support 120 Hz (1–120 Hz with adaptive adjustment) and peak brightness 1750 Xiaomi has a string. 12 Pro is great too. AMOLED (3200×1440, 120 Hz), but maximum brightness — 1500 And the adaptive frequency is less fluid. The key difference is that the S Pen is supported in the same way. S22 Ultra, making it the only flagship smartphone tablet on the market.
| Parameter | Xiaomi 12 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Exynos 2200 / Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| Screen. | 6.73" AMOLED, 3200×1440, 120 Hz | 6.8" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3088×1440, 1–120 Hz |
| Main camera. | 50 MP (Sony IMX707) + 50 MP (width) + 50 MP (telephoto 2x) | 108 MP (HM3) + 12 MP (width) + 10 MP (telephoto 3x) + 10 MP (telephoto 10x) |
| Battery/charge | 4600 mAh / 120W wired, 50W wireless | 5000 mAh / 45W wired, 15W wireless |
| Features | Harman Kardon Stereodynamics, Cooling with Steam Camera | S Pen, Gorilla Glass Victus+, IP68, Dex Mode |
⚠️ Note: In 2022, Xiaomi 12 Pro was not officially delivered to Russia due to sanctions. MIUI. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was officially sold, but its price increased by 20% compared to the previous year. S21 Ultra.
2. Budget and mid-budget models: where Xiaomi beats Samsung
If your budget is limited to 20,000-40,000 rubles, Xiaomi offers significantly more options than Samsung.+ (24,990 ₽) against the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G (34,990 ₽) — price difference of almost 10 000 rubles with similar characteristics.
Key advantages of Xiaomi in this segment:
- 🔋 Fast Charging: Redmi Note 11 Pro+ supportive 120W (Full charge in 15 minutes, while Galaxy A53 — only 25W.
- 📸 Cameras: Xiaomi often has 108 MP sensors (for example, in the Redmi Note 11 Pro).+), Samsung is limited to 64 MP in this segment.
- 🔄 Screen update frequency: even budget Xiaomi offers 120Hz, while the Galaxy A53 — 90 Hz.
However, Samsung has undeniable advantages:
- 🛡️ Guaranteed Updates: Galaxy A53 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security, while Redmi Note 11 Pro+ — 2 years.
- 🌊 Water protection: IP67 Galaxy A53 Not a lot of Xiaomi’s certification in this segment.
- 🎧 Ecosystem: seamless work with Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch and other Samsung devices.
NFC (if contactless payments are required)
5G support (important for the future)
Android Update Term (minimum 2 years)
IP67/IP68 certification (water protection)
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3.Cameras: Who shoots better in 2022?
In 2022, Samsung made a major leap in photography, especially in the flagship segment. Galaxy S22 Ultra with its 108-megapixel sensor and 10x optical zoom leaves behind most competitors, including Xiaomi 12 Pro. However, in the middle price segment (Xiaomi 11T Pro vs Galaxy S21 FE) the fight is on an equal footing.
We tested both flagships in real-world conditions:
- 🌃 Night photography: S22 Ultra handles noise better and keeps more detail in the shadows. - Xiaomi 12 Pro occasionally over-hits frames.
- 👤 Portrait Mode: Samsung has more accurate edge trimming (especially hair) and natural skin treatment.
- 🎥 Video 8K: both 8K@24fps, but S22 Ultra offers better stabilization and fewer artifacts when moving.
- 🔍 Zoom: Samsung is here without competitors — 100x Space Zoom (digital) vs. Space Zoom 2x Optical in Xiaomi 12 Pro.
Details of camera test
Critical information for photographers: In 2022, Xiaomi first used the Sony IMX707 (50 MP) sensor in the 12 Pro, which is 48% larger in area than the IMX586 (48 MP) in the Mi 11. This gave an increase in the dynamic range by 2 steps (according to DxOMark), but Samsung with its Nonacell technology is still a long way off.
4.Performance and games: Snapdragon vs Exynos
In 2022, Xiaomi completely switched to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in flagships, while Samsung used its Exynos 2200 (in some regions).
Genshin Impact (Call of Duty Mobile)
- 🎮 Xiaomi 12 Pro shows you 10-15% higher frame rate in Ultra mode, but warms up stronger (up to) 47°C against C. 43°C S22 Ultra).
- 🔥 Samsung better optimizes cooling in Exynos 2200 – throttling only starts after 40 minutes of intense load.
- 🖥️ In DeX Mode (Desktop Mode) S22 Ultra allows you to connect the monitor to the 4K@60Hz, Xiaomi is limited by 1080p.
Multitasking:
Here, Samsung is taking a lead with 12GB of RAM (in the S22 Ultra) and better One UI optimization. In the test of switching between 15 apps (including Chrome with 20 tabs, Instagram, YouTube in 4K), the Xiaomi 12 Pro started killing background processes after the 8th app, while the S22 Ultra held all 15 without rebooting.
💡
If you play mobile games frequently, look out for the Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro (2022) which features physical triggers, liquid cooling and a 144Hz screen – the perfect choice for esports disciplines.
5. Autonomy and charging: why Samsung lives longer
Paradox 2022: Xiaomi offers the fastest charging on the market (up to 120W in the Redmi Note 11 Pro+), but in actual autonomy loses Samsung.
Reasons:
- 🔋 Battery capacity: S22 Ultra has 5000 mAh vs 4600 mAh Xiaomi 12 Pro.
- ⚡ Optimizing energy efficiency: One UI More aggressively closes the background processes than MIUI.
- 📡 Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in Samsung are better optimized for networking 5G, This saves up to 15% of the charge.
Test results (Screen is always on, 50% brightness, Wi-Fi, 5G):
| Model | Working hours (hours) | Charging 0-100% |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 12 Pro | 6 hours 45 minutes | 18 min (120W) |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | 8:12 min | 65 min (45W) |
| Redmi Note 11 Pro+ | 9:30 min. | 15 min (120W) |
| Galaxy A53 5G | 10:5 min | 70 min (25W) |
⚠️ Attention: Fast charging 120W Xiaomi reduces battery life on the 20-25% after 500 cycles (Battery University tests) If you plan to use your smartphone longer 2 years, it's better to limit yourself 67W or 33W.
6.Ecosystem and Services: Where Samsung is Out of Competition
If you already have Samsung devices (watches, headphones, tablet), the choice is obvious - the Galaxy ecosystem is one of the most developed on the market. In 2022, Samsung added:
- 🌐 Samsung Knox – hardware encryption for enterprise users.
- 🖱️ DeX Mode – a full desktop with mouse and keyboard support.
- 🎧 Seamless Switch – automatic switching of sound between Galaxy Buds and smartphone speakers.
- ⌚ Health Platform – data synchronization with Galaxy Watch 5 (sleep monitoring, ECG, pressure).
Xiaomi is also developing its own ecosystem (Mi Home, Xiaomi Wear), but there are nuances here:
- 🔄 Updates: Many features (e.g. sync with Mi Band 7) only work on the same system. MIUI.
- 🌍 Localization: some services (e.g. Mi Pay) do not work in Russia.
- 🔒 Security: MIUI It collects more data than one. UI (report-on Top10VPN 2022).
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If you are interested in privacy, in the MIUI settings, disable the options Mi Analytics, Personalized Ads and User Experience program in the Settings → Additional → Privacy.
7.Service and repair: what is cheaper to fix?
In 2022, Samsung leads in terms of availability of service centers (more than 200 in Russia), while Xiaomi has about 50.
| Service | Xiaomi 12 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen replacement | 18 000–22 000 ₽ | 25 000–30 000 ₽ |
| Battery replacement | 3 500–4 500 ₽ | 6 000–7 500 ₽ |
| Replacement of the main camera | 8 000–10 000 ₽ | 12 000–15 000 ₽ |
| Duration of repairs (days) | 3–7 | 1–3 |
Where Xiaomi wins:
Where Samsung wins: