Samsung Galaxy S20 vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing battery life and fast charging, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G is the clear winner. Its significantly larger battery, coupled with 50W wired and 30W wireless charging, provides a substantial advantage over the S20’s 25W wired and 15W wireless capabilities. However, the S20 remains a compelling option for those deeply embedded in the Samsung ecosystem.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 | 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 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40 - Global |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 7, 28, 77, 78 Sub6 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 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 | 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.72 x 0.31 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 | 163 g (5.75 oz) | 208 g (7.34 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~563 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~386 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.2 inches, 93.8 cm2 (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.67 inches, 109.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) | Super AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ) |
| Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate | - | |
| 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 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, MIUI 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 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, 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 | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video | - |
| 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), 1/3.24", 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 | 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 |
| Samsung DeX, 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 |
| Type | Li-Ion 4000 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud Pink, Cloud White, Aura Red | Alpine White, Solstice Grey |
| Models | SM-G980, SM-G980F, SM-G980F/DS | M2001J1G |
| Price | $ 252.72 / C$ 249.99 / £ 185.00 / € 185.00 | About 930 EUR |
| SAR | 0.76 W/kg (head) 1.01 W/kg (body) | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.28 W/kg (head) 1.52 W/kg (body) | 0.69 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 71h | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -23.9 LUFS (Very good) | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 525029 (v8) GeekBench: 12557 (v4.4), 2750 (v5.1) GFXBench: 44fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 595246 (v8) GeekBench: 3331 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S20
- More compact and pocketable design
- Established Samsung brand and ecosystem
- Generally more natural image processing
- Inferior battery life compared to Mi 10 Pro
- Exynos 990 variant prone to thermal throttling
- Slower charging speeds
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G
- Exceptional battery life and endurance
- Blazing-fast 50W wired and 30W wireless charging
- Consistent Snapdragon 865 performance
- Larger and heavier form factor
- MIUI software can be polarizing
- Image processing can be overly aggressive
Display Comparison
Both the Galaxy S20 and Mi 10 Pro feature 'Infinite' contrast ratio displays, typical of OLED panels. However, the Mi 10 Pro edges out the S20 in peak brightness, achieving 858 nits compared to the S20’s 814 nits. This translates to better visibility in direct sunlight. While both offer excellent color reproduction, the S20’s display is known for its vibrant, sometimes oversaturated, color profile, while the Mi 10 Pro aims for greater accuracy. The S20’s smaller 6.2-inch display versus the Mi 10 Pro’s 6.67-inch screen caters to different preferences – the S20 is more pocketable, while the Mi 10 Pro offers a more immersive viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography, but approach it differently. Both are capable of excellent photo and video capture. The Mi 10 Pro boasts a versatile camera system, but the S20’s image processing tends towards a more natural look, while the Mi 10 Pro often applies more aggressive sharpening and contrast. The Mi 10 Pro’s larger sensor size (though specific sizes aren't provided in the data) likely contributes to better low-light performance. The S20’s video capabilities are highly regarded, offering stable 8K recording, while the Mi 10 Pro focuses on delivering high-quality 4K footage. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on both devices feels largely superfluous, offering limited practical benefit.
Performance
The performance landscape is complex. The Mi 10 Pro consistently utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G chipset, paired with an octa-core CPU configuration (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55). The Galaxy S20, however, shipped with either the Exynos 990 (globally) or the Snapdragon 865 (USA). The Exynos 990, built on a 7nm+ process, historically exhibited thermal throttling under sustained load, impacting long gaming sessions. The Snapdragon 865, present in both the Mi 10 Pro and US S20 models, offers superior sustained performance and thermal efficiency. Both devices feature ample RAM, but the Snapdragon 865’s integrated 5G modem provides a more consistent 5G experience.
Battery Life
This is where the Mi 10 Pro truly shines. Its endurance rating of 101 hours significantly surpasses the Galaxy S20’s 71 hours. This difference is attributable to the Mi 10 Pro’s larger battery capacity and more efficient power management. Furthermore, the Mi 10 Pro supports 50W wired charging, allowing for a full charge in under 40 minutes, and 30W wireless charging. The S20, with its 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, feels comparatively slow. The Mi 10 Pro also offers 5W reverse wireless charging, a convenient feature for topping up accessories.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 if you prioritize a more compact and refined design, a globally recognized brand, and seamless integration with Samsung’s ecosystem of devices and services. Buy the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G if you prioritize maximum battery life, incredibly fast charging speeds, and a more aggressive price point, and are comfortable with Xiaomi’s MIUI software.