Ever wondered why two identical Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 can differ in color reproduction, brightness or even battery life? The reason often lies in the display manufacturer — Samsung, BOE, Tianma or Huaxing supply screens for the same model, but with different characteristics. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to determine whose panels are installed in your device — from standard MIUI 12 settings to hidden engineering menus and specialized applications.
It's important to understand that the display manufacturer's information isn't always available on the surface. Xiaomi rarely advertises this data in public specifications, and in newer firmware versions (e.g. MIUI 13/14), some methods may stop working. However, for MIUI 12, one of the most common versions, most of the techniques remain relevant. We'll also compare the key differences between the panels of different brands so you can gauge how "lucky" the screen is for you.
1. Method through standard MIUI 12 settings (without root)
Let's start with the simplest method, which doesn't require you to install additional software or enter engineering codes. In MIUI 12, you can find some of the information about the display in the About Phone menu, but the path to it is not obvious:
- Open the Settings. → The phone.
- Tap 7 times in a row on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
- Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → For developers.
- Scroll down to the Hardware block and find Display Information or Hardware info.
This can show the Display ID bar or Panel Manufacturer. If you see abbreviations like SDC (Samsung), BOE, TM (Tianma) or CSOT, that’s the manufacturer of your panel. Unfortunately, this method does not work on all Xiaomi models (for example, on the Redmi Note 9 Pro, data may not be available).
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If there is no display information in the developer menu, try updating the firmware to the latest version of MIUI 12 – sometimes the data appears after the update.
Engineering menu: hidden codes for diagnostics
A more reliable way is to use the engineering menu, which is available through special USSD-These menus are designed to test hardware, and they often display detailed information about components. MIUI 12 are suitable for the following teams:
- 📱 Main engineering menu: ##4636## → Go to the Hardware info tab.
- 🔍 Display test: ##225## (some models show the manufacturer).
- 🛠️ Advanced diagnostics: ##6484## (may contain panel data).
Once you enter the code, you will be taken to the menu where you want to find the Display or Screen section. Look for lines like Panel ID, Manufacturer or Vendor. For example, on the Xiaomi Mi 10 with Samsung AMOLED, you can display SDC AMOLED FHD+, and on the POCO X3 NFC with BOE IPS, you can see BOE NT36672C.
Warning: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose! Incorrect settings can lead to incorrect color reproduction or even damage to the display.
3. Applications for equipment analysis
If the standard methods don't work, third-party utilities will come to the rescue, and they read data from the display chips and display it in a convenient way.-3 Proven applications for Xiaomi:
| Annex | Link (Play Market) | What shows | Need root? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DevCheck | Download | Panel manufacturer, resolution, type (AMOLED/IPS), pixel density | No. |
| AIDA64 | Download | Full Panel ID (for example, SDC_DSI_AMOLED_FHD), displayer | No. |
| CPU-Z | Download | Basic information about the display (without detailing the manufacturer) | No. |
The most informative of these is AIDA64. Once installed, open the Display section and find the Panel line, which will show the full identifier, such as:
- 📌 SDC_DSI_AMOLED_FHD_PT — Samsung AMOLED (colour-rendering).
- 📌 BOE_NT36672C_IPS_FHD — BOE IPS (may be yellow).
- 📌 TM_FT8719_IPS_HD — Tianma IPS (often in budgetary models).
What if the app doesn’t show the manufacturer?
4. Smartphone model analysis: databases and forums
If the software methods didn't work, you can use the databases that enthusiasts collect, like 4PDA or XDA Developers, where users share information about displays in specific models.
- Find your model topic on the forum (e.g., “Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro – Discussion”).
- Use search by keywords: display manufacturer, panel ID, SDC vs BOE.
- Pay attention to screenshots from AIDA64 or the engineering menu that other users are posting.
Example: POCO F3 owners often find that there may be both Samsung E4 AMOLED (premium) and BOE (worst viewing angles) screens in the same batch.
Use an exact model of a smartphone (e.g., "Redmi K40" rather than "Xiaomi 2021")
Filtering results for the last year
Search for screenshots from AIDA64 or engineering menu
Check comments with reference to "lottery" (lottery displays)
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It is also useful to study the panel comparison tables for popular models, for example, for the Xiaomi Mi 11 distribution is as follows:
| Manufacturer | Type of panel | Features | Frequency of occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung | AMOLED E4 | Best brightness (1300 nits), accurate color reproduction | ~30% |
| BOE | AMOLED | Greenish shade with low brightness | ~50% |
| CSOT (Huaxing) | AMOLED | Worse autonomy, possible "Gray effect" | ~20% |
Physical examination and tests (for experienced users)
If you can't identify the manufacturer software, you can try visual tests, and different panels have characteristics that can be seen under certain conditions.
- 🔦 Backlight uniformity test: Turn on a white background at full brightness in a dark room. BOE often have yellowish spots on the edges.
- 🎨 Color rendering check: open the image with gray gradients. Samsung panels transmit them smoothly, and Tianma/CSOT can show stripes.
- ☀️ Brightness in the sun: Samsung screens are usually better read in bright light (brightness 1000)+ Nit against 400-600 nits from competitors).
For more accurate analysis, you can use the Display Tester app (available on the Play Market) which contains tests on:
- 📊 Gradients (checking bit depth of color).
- 🔄 Viewing angles (on BOE IPS The colors are inverted at 30.°).
- ⚡ Response time (y) AMOLED it's lower than that IPS).
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Visual tests don't give 100% guarantee, but they help confirm data obtained by other methods, for example, if AIDA64 showed BOE, and the gradient test showed yellowness, this is an indirect confirmation.
⚠️ Attention: Some tests (such as flickering backlights) may be harmful to vision. Do not run them longer than 1-2 minutes and use the mode DC Dimming in the settings MIUI 12 if available.
Manufacturers Comparison: Which Display Is Better?
Now that you know how to define a panel brand, it's logical to ask, which one is better? The answer depends on your priorities -- color reproduction, autonomy, or smartphone price.
| Criteria | Samsung | BOE | Tianma/CSOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color rendering | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (best) | ⭐⭐⭐ (It may be cold or warm) | ⭐⭐ (greenish) |
| Brightness (thread) | 1000–1300 | 400–800 | 350–600 |
| Autonomy | Medium (AMOLED is more energy efficient than IPS, but Samsung is often brighter) | High (IPS consumes less at average brightness) | Low (worse optimization) |
| The price of a smartphone | More expensive (found in flagships) | Medium (the most common variant) | Cheaper (budget models) |
Fun fact: Xiaomi often uses a “display lottery” even within the same model, for example, in Redmi K50 Gaming can meet:
- 🎮 Samsung E4 AMOLED (120Hz, 1300 nits – the best option for gamers.
- 📺 BOE AMOLED (120Hz, 700 nits) – cheaper, but with worse viewing angles.
If you are unlucky with the display, do not despair: some of the shortcomings can be corrected in the settings of MIUI 12:
- 🔧 Turn on Adaptive Brightness to smooth out the backlight jumps on BOE.
- 🎨 Use the Color Profile (in Settings) → Display) for shade calibration.
- 🌙 Activate the Dark Theme on AMOLED-charge-saving screen.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When determining the display manufacturer, users often face some common problems, and here are the most common ones and how to solve them:
- Engineering menu not open. 🔹 Solution: Check if the code is entered correctly (no spaces!) on some models (e.g, POCO M3) The engineering menu is blocked - try the alternative codes: ##36446337## or ##64663##.
- Apps show different data. 🔹 Solution: Trust AIDA64 DevCheck – they read data directly from the display controller. CPU-Z often wrong.
- The developer menu has no information about the display. 🔹 Solution: Update the firmware to the latest version MIUI 12 or use Mobileuncle Tools (requires root).
⚠️ Attention: If you are using ADB To access hidden settings, be careful with commands like adb shell dumpsys display. Incorrect settings can cause permanent damage to the color calibration.
Another nuance: on some smartphones (for example, Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite), the display manufacturer may differ depending on the region of sale, for example, European versions often get Samsung, and Asian versions – BOE.