Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing all-around capability and a refined experience, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G emerges as the stronger contender. Its Snapdragon 865 chipset delivers consistent performance, and its significantly faster 50W charging offsets the similar battery endurance rating to the Note20. However, the Note20's S Pen remains a unique advantage for specific users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G | Xiaomi Mi 10 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, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-N981U | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40 - Global |
| 5G bands | 2, 5, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-N981U | 1, 3, 7, 28, 77, 78 Sub6 - Global |
| EDGE | No | - |
| GPRS | Yes | - |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 41, 66, 71 Sub6 - SM-N981W | 1, 3, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2020, February 13. Released 2020, February 18 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm (6.36 x 2.96 x 0.33 in) | 162.5 x 74.8 x 9 mm (6.40 x 2.94 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 192 g (Sub6 5G), 194 g (mmWave 5G) (6.77 oz) | 208 g (7.34 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 26ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~386 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.67 inches, 109.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED Plus, HDR10+ | Super AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ) |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x3.0 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, MIUI 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Call records | 100 entries | - |
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| Phonebook | 500 contacts | - |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Laser AF, Triple-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 108 MP, f/1.7, (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, 2x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.0, (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.7x optical zoom, 5x hybrid zoom 20 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.8", 1.0µm |
| Single | 1.3 MP | - |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm | - |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3", 0.9µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Games | Yes | - |
| Java | No | - |
| Messaging | SMS, MMS | - |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer |
| Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 50W wired, PD3.0 30W wireless 5W reverse wireless |
| Stand-by | Up to 80 h | - |
| Talk time | Up to 5 h | - |
| Type | Li-Ion 4300 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Green, Mystic Bronze, Mystic Gray, Mystic Red, Mystic Blue | Alpine White, Solstice Grey |
| Models | SM-N981B, SM-N981B/DS, SM-N981U, SM-N981U1, SM-N981W, SM-N9810, SM-N981N | M2001J1G |
| Price | About 430 EUR | About 930 EUR |
| SAR | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.72 W/kg (body) | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.68 W/kg (head) 1.37 W/kg (body) | 0.69 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 595246 (v8) GeekBench: 3331 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G
- Integrated S Pen for productivity and creativity
- Samsung’s refined One UI software experience
- Strong brand recognition and support
- Exynos 990 potential for thermal throttling (Global version)
- Slower 25W charging speed
- Potentially higher price point
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G
- Consistent Snapdragon 865 performance
- Ultra-fast 50W wired charging
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- MIUI software can be polarizing
- Less established brand recognition in some markets
- No integrated stylus support
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro boasts a brighter display, reaching a measured 858 nits, compared to the Note20's unspecified peak brightness. While both offer excellent viewing experiences, the Mi 10 Pro’s higher peak brightness translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. Both displays feature an infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, suggesting deep blacks. The Note20’s display technology isn’t specified, but given Samsung’s expertise, it likely utilizes a high-quality AMOLED panel. However, the Mi 10 Pro’s brightness advantage is a clear win for outdoor usability.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are equipped with capable camera systems, but details are limited to 'Photo / Video' for both. The Mi 10 Pro likely benefits from Xiaomi’s image processing algorithms, focusing on vibrant colors and detail. Without specific sensor size or aperture information, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner. However, the Mi 10 Pro’s reputation for strong camera performance, particularly in low light, suggests a slight edge. The Note20’s camera is competent, but the lack of detailed specifications hinders a precise comparison. We can safely ignore the likely inclusion of 2MP macro lenses on both devices, as their utility is minimal.
Performance
The performance landscape is complex. The Mi 10 Pro consistently utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+), while the Note20 splits paths – the Exynos 990 (7nm+) for global markets and the Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7nm+) for the USA. The Snapdragon 865+ in the US Note20 offers a slight CPU clock speed advantage (3.0 GHz Kryo 585 vs 2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 on the Mi 10 Pro), but the core architecture is similar. The Exynos 990, however, has historically faced criticism for thermal throttling under sustained load, potentially impacting long gaming sessions. The Mi 10 Pro’s consistent Snapdragon chipset provides a more predictable and sustained performance profile. Both devices utilize LPDDR5 RAM, ensuring fast memory access.
Battery Life
Both the Note20 5G and Mi 10 Pro 5G achieve an endurance rating of 101 hours, indicating similar overall battery life. However, the charging speeds are drastically different. The Mi 10 Pro supports 50W wired charging with PD3.0, allowing for a significantly faster 0-100% charge time compared to the Note20’s 25W wired charging. The Mi 10 Pro also offers 30W wireless charging, dwarfing the Note20’s 15W wireless charging. While both offer reverse wireless charging, the Mi 10 Pro’s 5W output is less powerful than the Note20’s 4.5W. The Mi 10 Pro’s charging speed is a major advantage for users who prioritize quick top-ups.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G if you absolutely need the S Pen for note-taking, sketching, or remote control functionality, and value Samsung's software ecosystem. Buy the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G if you prioritize faster charging, consistent performance from the Snapdragon 865, and a brighter display, all while potentially saving money.