How to choose a Xiaomi smartphone: the key differences of the models Redmi, POCO, Mi and Black Shark

Xiaomi offers dozens of smartphone models under different brands — Redmi, POCO, Mi and Black Shark. At first glance, they look the same: similar cases, MIUI and even prices sometimes overlap. But in practice, the difference is huge — from budget chips to flagship processors, from plastic rear panels to ceramics, from 60 Hz to 144 Hz. This article will help you to understand what Xiaomi models differ and which to choose for your tasks.

We will analyze 4 key lines (Redmi, POCO, Mi, Black Shark), compare them on 10 parameters – from the processor to battery life, and give specific recommendations for gamers, photographers and ordinary users. At the end of the article you will find a table with the technical characteristics of popular models from 2023-2026 and answers to frequent questions.

Xiaomi Lines: Who is each intended for

The first thing to understand is that Xiaomi segments its smartphones not only by price, but also by target audience. Even within the same lineup (like the Redmi Note 12) there are models with different chips and cameras.

• 🔹 Redmis are budget and mid-budget smartphones, perfect for everyday tasks: social networks, calls, photos on memory. 4/6 Or MediaTek Helio G.
• 🔹 POCO — "Redmi's improved versions with a focus on performance. Often the same chips, but with better cooling, 120 screen+ Hz and optimized software. Popular among gamers.
• 🔹 Mi (or just Xiaomi) are flagships and premium models. Top processors (Snapdragon) 8 Gen 2/3), Best cameras (with Leica), frameless screens. 50 000 ₽.
• 🔹 Black Shark – gaming smartphones with physical triggers, active cooling and a 144 Hz screen. for eSports and heavy games (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile).

Example: Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and POCO X5 Pros can cost the same (~30 000 ₽), But the first one offers a better camera (200 MP), and the second one offers a smoother screen (120 Hz) and optimization for gaming.

⚠️ Attention: Models with prefix Pro/Pro+ In the Redmi and Mi lineups, they often have completely different chips and cameras than the base ones. 12 It's running on Snapdragon. 4 Gen 1, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ — MediaTek Dimensity 1080. Always check the full name!

2.CPUs: Snapdragon vs MediaTek vs proprietary chips

The processor is the brain of a smartphone, which controls speed, game support and even battery life. Xiaomi uses chips from three manufacturers:

• 🔧 Qualcomm Snapdragon is the most balanced. Good for gaming, photography and multitasking. Series: Snapdragon 4/6 — budget 12C, POCO M6) Snapdragon 7 — Middle class (Redmi Note) 12 Pro, POCO X5) Snapdragon 8 — flagships (Xiaomi) 13T, Black Shark 6 Pro)
• 🔧 MediaTek Dimensity is often cheaper than Snapdragon, but not always worse.+ Xiaomi 12T Pro beats Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in benchmarks.minus is worse optimization for games.
• 🔧 Xiaomi's own chips are rare. C1 (It's used in the Mi Mix Fold 2, and you don't expect it in mass-produced models.

By comparison, the POCO F5 on the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is ~700,000 in AnTuTu, while the Redmi Note 12 on the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 is ~350,000. Double the difference!

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If you plan to play Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile at high settings, choose models with a Snapdragon 778G and higher. MediaTek Helio G and Snapdragon 4 will only pull on minimal graphics options.

3. Screens: AMOLED vs IPS, refresh rate and HDR

The screen is something you interact with all the time. Xiaomi offers three types of displays:

• 📱 IPS LCD — They're cheap, but they're mediocre in viewing angles and color rendering. 12C, POCO M6. Update frequency is usually 60 or 90 Hz.
• 📱 AMOLED — Deep black, high contrast, support HDR10+. All models from Redmi Note 12 Pro and higher have frequency: 90-120 Hz.
• 📱 E4 AMOLED — premium screens in Xiaomi 13/14 and Black Shark. 3000 thread, 120–144 Hz, support for Dolby Vision.

Critical difference: in budget models (up to the current budget) 20 000 ₽) frequently IPS-resolution-screen HD+ (720p), And that's really damaging. A2+ screen 6.52" permittingly 1600×720 — It's all 269 ppi (dots per inch), whereas POCO X5 Pro — 1080×2400 (395 ppi).

For comfortable viewing of video and games, we recommend:

• 🎮 For games: AMOLED 120-frequency+ Hz (POCO F5, Black Shark 5).
• 📺 For the video: AMOLED supportive HDR10+ Dolby Vision (Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 12 Pro)+).
• 💰 Budgetary option: IPS from 90 Hz (Redmi Note 12).

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A 120Hz screen isn’t always better than 90Hz, it depends on optimization. For example, the POCO X4 Pro (120Hz) loses in the smoothness of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (120Hz) due to the worst processor.

4 Cameras: megapixels vs real quality

Xiaomi loves megapixel marketing tricks. For example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ has a 200MP core module, but the real quality of photos depends not on this, but on:

• 📸 Sensor size (the larger the better light absorption).
• 📸 Apertures (f/1.7 better f/2.2).
• 📸 Software processing (Leica algorithms are used in Mi flagships).

Compare the real possibilities:

Example: Xiaomi 13 Ultra has "only" 50 MP, but due to the sensor size of 1 inch and optimization Leica bypasses the quality of the Redmi Note 12 Pro + with its 200 MP. For social networks, there is enough budget camera, but for professional shooting you need a flagship.

⚠️ Note: Many Xiaomi models have software-based megapixel magnification (pixel binning). For example, 108 MP camera in the pixel binning. POCO X5 The Pro actually takes 12MP shots and then zooms them in. That's not a hoax -- that's how most smartphones work, but don't expect a "real" 108MP.

5. Battery and charging: myths and reality

Xiaomi is famous for fast charging, but not all technologies are equally useful.

• ⚡ Battery capacity: 5000 mAh is the standard for most models, with exceptions: Xiaomi 13 (4500 mAh) and Black Shark (4,650-5,00 mAh).
• ⚡ Fast charging: 33W budget (Redmi Note 12) 67-120W mid-range (POCO X5 Pro, Redmi Note 12 Pro+) 200W – flagships (Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition – charges in 9 minutes!)
• ⚡ Wireless charging: only available in flagships (Xiaomi) 13/14, Mi Mix Fold).

One important thing is that the charging speed depends on the power supply. For example, the POCO F5 supports 67 watts, but the package comes with a 33 watt unit. To get the declared 67 watts, you need to buy the original Xiaomi adapter.

Autonomy (unrecharged time) depends not only on the battery capacity, but also on the processor.

• 🔋 Redmi 12C (Helio G85 + 5000 mAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) — 2 day of moderate use.
• 🔋 POCO F5 (Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 + 5000 mAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) — 1.5 day-to-day active use.
• 🔋 Xiaomi 13 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 + 5000 mAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) — 1 day (because of the powerful chip).

Turn off fast charging after 80%|Use a dark theme on AMOLED-screen|Close background applications manually|Update the software (new versions) MIUI Optimize energy consumption)

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6. Design and Materials: Plastic vs Glass vs Ceramics

Appearance and tactile sensations are subjective, but they affect durability. Xiaomi uses:

• 📱 Plastic is cheap, it doesn't beat, but it looks cheap. 12C, POCO M6.
• 📱 Glass is a premium look, but it's slippery and it beats. Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Xiaomi 13.
• 📱 Ceramics/metal is rare, only in flagships (Mi Mix Fold 2, Xiaomi 14 Ultra).

Also note:

• 🔒 Water Protection: Only in Flagships (IP53 Redmi Note 12 Pro+, IP68 Xiaomi 13).
• 🔊 Location of speakers: stereo speakers are in POCO and Mi, mono - in budget Redmi.
• 📏 Thickness and weight: Black Shark games weigh 200+ gram and Xiaomi 13 Lite – only 171 g.

Example: Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and POCO X5 Pro are the same, but the first has a glass case and a 200 MP camera, and the second – a plastic case, but stereo speakers and a 120 Hz screen.

7.Software: MIUI and its features

All Xiaomi smartphones run on MIUI, the Android-based shell, but there are nuances:

• 🤖 Android version: budget models (Redmi) A2+) Get Android 12 with MIUI 13, and flagships (Xiaomi 14) – Android 14 with MIUI 15.
• 🔄 Updates: Xiaomi promises to 2-3 Updates for the flagships and 1-2 For example, the Redmi Note. 11 (2022) It will not get Android anymore. 14.
• 🗑️ Advertising and Blaatware: budget models have many pre-installed apps (e.g. Mi Browser, Mi Video) that can be removed via Settings → Annexes.

How to check the version of MIUI and Android:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Check out the MIUI version and the Android version.
3. To force check updates go to Settings → Software Update.

⚠️ Note: In models for the Chinese market (marked China) ROM) There is no Google Play and there are restrictions on installing third-party apps. Buy only global versions (marked Global). ROM) Check the availability of Google services before buying.

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To speed up MIUI, turn off animation: go to Settings → Special features → Delete animations. This will make the interface 10-15% faster.

8 Prices and Price/Quality: What to Choose in 2026

Xiaomi smartphone prices range from 10,000 to 150,000 ₽. Here are the best options for different budgets:

Buying tips:

• 🛒 For social networks and calls: Redmi Note 12 or POCO M6 Pro (up to 20,000) ₽).
• 🎮 For games: POCO F5 Black Shark 5 (30,000-50,000) ₽).
• 📸 For photo: Redmi Note 12 Pro+ Xiaomi 13 Lite (30,000-60,000) ₽).
• 💼 For business: Xiaomi 13 or Mi Mix Fold 3 (from 80,000) ₽).

Before buying, check:

Availability of NFC (if required for payment)| 5G support (if your operator provides)| MIUI (Global ROM) | Availability of warranty in Russia (official dealers)

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