Samsung Galaxy Note20 vs. Xiaomi Mi 11i: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing raw performance and fast charging, the Xiaomi Mi 11i is the clear winner. Its Snapdragon 888 chipset delivers a noticeable performance edge, and the 33W charging is significantly faster than the Note20’s 25W. However, the Note20’s S Pen and more refined software experience still hold appeal for productivity-focused users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 | Xiaomi Mi 11i |
| 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, March 29 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2021, May 31 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back | - |
| Dimensions | 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm (6.36 x 2.96 x 0.33 in) | 163.7 x 76.4 x 7.8 mm (6.44 x 3.01 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 192 g (6.77 oz) | 196 g (6.91 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 26ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP53, dust and splash resistant | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~85.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED Plus, HDR10+ | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 900 nits (HBM), 1300 nits (peak) |
| 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-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 11, MIUI 12 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 20 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| 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 | 108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.52", 0.7µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto macro), 1/5.0", 1.12µm, AF |
| 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, HDR10+ |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 20 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| 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 | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| 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 |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 33W wired, PD3.0, QC3, 100% in 52 min |
| Type | Li-Ion 4300 mAh | Li-Po 4520 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Green, Mystic Bronze, Mystic Gray, Mystic Red, Mystic Blue | Celestial Silver, Frosty White, Cosmic Black |
| Models | SM-N980F, SM-N980F/DS | M2012K11G |
| Price | $ 202.82 / € 280.00 | About 230 EUR |
| SAR | 1.11 W/kg (head) 1.14 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.74 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.36 W/kg (head) 1.37 W/kg (body) | 0.57 W/kg (head) 0.77 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 96h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.0 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 690021 (v8) GeekBench: 3641 (v5.1) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20
- Integrated S Pen for productivity and creativity
- Samsung’s refined One UI software experience
- Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging capabilities
- Exynos 990 chipset can throttle under heavy load
- Slower 25W wired charging
- Potentially lower peak display brightness
Xiaomi Mi 11i
- Powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset for superior performance
- Faster 33W wired charging
- Brighter display for better outdoor visibility
- MIUI software can be polarizing
- Lacks S Pen functionality
- No wireless charging
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi Mi 11i boasts a brighter display, reaching a measured 939 nits, compared to the Note20’s unspecified peak brightness. While both offer excellent viewing experiences, the Mi 11i’s higher brightness translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. Both displays feature an infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, providing deep blacks. The Note20’s display technology isn’t specified, but given its release timeframe, it likely lacks the variable refresh rate (LTPO) technology becoming common in flagship displays, potentially impacting battery life during dynamic content viewing.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but details are limited to 'Photo / Video' for both. However, we can infer differences based on sensor technology trends. The Mi 11i likely benefits from newer image processing algorithms and potentially a larger main sensor, contributing to better low-light performance. The Note20’s camera system, while excellent, is based on older technology. The presence of a 2MP macro camera on the Note20 is largely a marketing gimmick, offering limited practical benefit compared to the Mi 11i’s likely more versatile camera setup. OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) is expected on both, but the effectiveness will depend on the specific implementation.
Performance
This is where the Mi 11i truly shines. The Snapdragon 888 (5nm) is a significant leap over the Exynos 990 (7nm+) found in the global Note20 variant, and even the Snapdragon 865 5G+ in the US version. The Mi 11i’s CPU, featuring a Cortex-X1 prime core, offers superior single-core performance, crucial for responsive app loading and smooth multitasking. The Exynos 990, while capable, is known to throttle under sustained load, potentially impacting gaming performance. The Mi 11i’s more efficient 5nm process also contributes to better thermal management. The Note20’s CPU configuration varies by region, with the US Snapdragon 865+ offering a slight advantage over the global Exynos 990.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an impressive endurance rating of 96 hours, suggesting similar real-world battery life despite the Note20’s unspecified battery capacity. However, the Mi 11i’s 33W wired charging (with PD3.0 and QC3 support) is significantly faster than the Note20’s 25W charging (PD3.0). The Mi 11i can reach 100% charge in just 52 minutes, while the Note20 will take considerably longer. The Note20 does offer 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Mi 11i, providing added convenience for compatible devices.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 if you absolutely need the S Pen for note-taking, sketching, or remote control functionality, and value Samsung’s established software ecosystem. Buy the Xiaomi Mi 11i if you prioritize gaming, fast charging, and maximizing performance-per-dollar, and are comfortable with Xiaomi’s MIUI software.