Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro: Which 5G Flagship Delivers More?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro offers a more compelling package. Its Snapdragon 865 chipset delivers consistent performance, coupled with significantly faster 50W wired and 30W wireless charging, and a longer-lasting battery. While the S20 Ultra boasts a brighter display, the Mi 10 Pro’s overall value proposition is stronger.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - SM-G988B | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40 - Global |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G988B | 1, 3, 7, 28, 77, 78 Sub6 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) | HSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, February 11 | 2020, February 13. Released 2020, February 18 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, March 06 | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm (6.57 x 2.99 x 0.35 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 | 222 g (7.83 oz) | 208 g (7.34 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~511 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~386 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 114.0 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.67 inches, 109.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1400 nits (peak) | Super AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 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 5.1 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, MIUI 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| - | 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 |
| Triple | 108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/3.5, 103mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 4x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.0, (depth) | - |
| 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 | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, 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 |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer |
| - | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 50W wired, PD3.0 30W wireless 5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmic Grey, Cosmic Black, Cloud White | Alpine White, Solstice Grey |
| Models | SM-G988, SM-G988U, SM-G988U1, SM-G9880, SM-G988B/DS, SM-G988N, SM-G988B, SM-G988W, SCG03 | M2001J1G |
| Price | € 227.11 / $ 184.00 / £ 335.00 | About 930 EUR |
| SAR | 0.94 W/kg (head) 0.95 W/kg (body) | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.32 W/kg (head) 1.56 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 S20 Ultra 5G
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- Samsung ecosystem integration
- Potentially better camera software (depending on preference)
- Exynos 990 can suffer from throttling
- Slower charging speeds
- Lower battery endurance
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G
- Snapdragon 865 provides consistent performance
- Faster 50W wired and 30W wireless charging
- Longer battery life
- More aggressive price point
- Slightly dimmer display
- Xiaomi’s MIUI software can be polarizing
- Less established brand recognition in some markets
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra’s display achieves a measured peak brightness of 894 nits, exceeding the Mi 10 Pro’s 858 nits. This difference is noticeable in direct sunlight, giving the S20 Ultra an edge for outdoor use. However, the Mi 10 Pro counters with an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, typical of AMOLED panels, providing deep blacks. Both utilize AMOLED technology, but Samsung’s panel is larger and slightly brighter, though the difference isn’t massive. Neither phone specifies refresh rate, implying standard 60Hz panels, a notable omission compared to later flagships.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature capable camera systems, but approach image processing differently. While both offer photo and video capabilities, detailed sensor information is lacking in the provided data. The Mi 10 Pro’s image processing tends towards more saturated colors, while Samsung historically favors a more natural look, though often with aggressive sharpening. The absence of specific sensor details makes a direct comparison difficult, but the Snapdragon 865’s ISP is generally regarded as excellent for image processing. The usefulness of any 2MP macro lenses on either device is questionable, offering limited practical benefit over the main sensors.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipset. The Mi 10 Pro exclusively uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+), while the S20 Ultra shipped with either the Exynos 990 (7nm+) in global markets or the Snapdragon 865 in the USA. The Snapdragon 865, with its Cortex-A77 cores, generally offers more consistent performance and better thermal management than the Exynos 990. The Exynos 990 has been known to throttle under sustained load, impacting gaming and demanding tasks. Both phones feature an octa-core CPU configuration, but the Snapdragon’s architecture provides a performance advantage. Both utilize LPDDR5 RAM, but the Exynos variant's thermal limitations can negate some of the RAM's benefits.
Battery Life
The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro boasts a significant advantage in battery endurance, achieving a rating of 101 hours compared to the S20 Ultra’s 87 hours. This is further bolstered by the Mi 10 Pro’s superior charging capabilities: 50W wired charging, capable of a full charge in under 40 minutes, and 30W wireless charging. The S20 Ultra offers 45W wired charging and slower 15W wireless charging. While the S20 Ultra’s battery capacity isn’t specified, the endurance rating suggests it’s less efficient overall, likely due to the Exynos 990’s power consumption.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G if you prioritize absolute peak display brightness for outdoor visibility and are heavily invested in the Samsung ecosystem. Buy the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G if you value faster charging, longer battery life, consistent performance from the Snapdragon 865, and a more aggressive price point.