Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G vs Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G: Which 5G Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G emerges as the stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 855+ chipset consistently outperforms the Exynos 9825 (and even the Snapdragon 855 variant) found in some Note10 5G models, coupled with significantly faster 40W wired and 30W wireless charging. While the Note10 5G offers the S Pen, the Mi 9 Pro 5G’s superior performance and charging capabilities provide a more compelling overall package.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G | Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 46, 48, 66, 71 - USA | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 41 - China |
| 5G bands | 78 NSA/Sub6 | 41, 78, 79 NSA |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - USA | CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, August. Released 2019, August | 2019, September. Released 2019, September |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame (7000 series) |
| Dimensions | 151 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm (5.94 x 2.83 x 0.31 in) | 157.2 x 74.6 x 8.5 mm (6.19 x 2.94 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 168 g (5.93 oz) | 196 g (6.91 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 42ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~401 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.3 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~90.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.39 inches, 100.2 cm2 (~85.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAMOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China | Octa-core (1x2.96 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 485) |
| Chipset | Exynos 9825 (7 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+ (7 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAMAdreno 640 - USA/China | Adreno 640 (700 MHz) |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4 | Android 10, MIUI 11 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.1, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video | 48 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 12 MP, f/2.2, 54mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.0µm, AF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/120/240fps, 1080p@960fps |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3", 0.9µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 12W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 40W wired, QC4 30W wireless 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Aura Glow, Aura White, Aura Black, Aura Pink, Aura Red | Dream White, Titanium Black |
| Models | SM-N971U, SM-N971N | - |
| Price | About 1100 EUR | About 600 EUR |
Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G
- Integrated S Pen stylus for productivity and creativity.
- Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED display (potentially superior color accuracy).
- Established brand reputation and software support.
- Exynos 9825 variant suffers from thermal throttling.
- Slower 25W wired and 12W wireless charging.
- Potentially higher price point compared to the Mi 9 Pro 5G.
Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G
- Snapdragon 855+ offers superior performance and thermal management.
- 40W wired and 30W wireless charging for incredibly fast top-ups.
- More aggressive price point, offering excellent value.
- Lacks the S Pen stylus.
- Xiaomi’s MIUI software can be polarizing.
- Brand recognition isn’t as strong as Samsung’s.
Display Comparison
Both devices feature similar display sizes, but detailed specifications are limited. The Note10 5G likely utilizes Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED technology, known for its vibrant colors and high contrast. The Mi 9 Pro 5G’s display, while excellent, doesn’t benefit from the same brand recognition. The Note10 5G’s potential for higher peak brightness and color accuracy gives it a slight edge, assuming it’s the standard Samsung panel. However, without specific nit measurements for the Mi 9 Pro 5G, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner.
Camera Comparison
Camera performance is nuanced. Both phones likely feature capable multi-camera systems, but detailed sensor information is crucial. The Mi 9 Pro 5G’s camera system, while details are limited, likely prioritizes image processing for vibrant, social media-ready shots. The Note10 5G, benefiting from Samsung’s image processing expertise, likely delivers more natural-looking images. Without specific sensor size and aperture data, it’s difficult to declare a clear winner, but the Note10 5G’s software optimizations give it a potential edge in dynamic range and low-light performance. The inclusion of OIS on both devices is expected.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipset. The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G boasts the Snapdragon 855+, a refined version of the Snapdragon 855, clocked slightly higher at 2.96 GHz compared to the Note10 5G’s Snapdragon 855 (2.84 GHz in the US/China variant) or Exynos 9825 (2.73 GHz in EMEA/LATAM). The Snapdragon 855+’s improved thermal design and higher clock speeds translate to sustained performance gains in demanding tasks like gaming and video editing. The Exynos 9825, while capable, is known to throttle more aggressively under sustained load, impacting long-term performance. The Mi 9 Pro 5G’s LPDDR4X RAM is comparable to the Note10 5G’s, but the chipset advantage is the key differentiator.
Battery Life
The Mi 9 Pro 5G’s charging capabilities are a significant advantage. Its 40W wired charging (Quick Charge 4) drastically reduces charging times compared to the Note10 5G’s 25W PD3.0 charging. Similarly, the Mi 9 Pro 5G’s 30W wireless charging is double the Note10 5G’s 12W Qi wireless charging. While battery capacity isn’t specified, the faster charging speeds of the Mi 9 Pro 5G effectively mitigate any potential capacity disadvantage, offering a more convenient user experience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G if you absolutely require the S Pen stylus for productivity or creative tasks and are willing to accept slightly lower performance and slower charging speeds. Buy the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G if you prioritize raw performance, faster charging, and a more aggressive price point, making it ideal for gamers and power users.