vivo S20 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G: A Generational Leap or Still a Contender?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the vivo S20 Pro is the superior choice. Its Dimensity 9300+ offers substantially improved CPU and GPU performance, alongside faster 90W charging. While the Mi 10 Pro boasts comparable battery endurance, its older chipset struggles to match the S20 Pro’s responsiveness and future-proofing.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | vivo S20 Pro | Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40 - Global |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 7, 28, 77, 78 Sub6 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2024, November 28 | 2020, February 13. Released 2020, February 18 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, December 12 | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 160.6 x 75 x 7.5 mm (6.32 x 2.95 x 0.30 in) | 162.5 x 74.8 x 9 mm (6.40 x 2.94 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 194 g (6.84 oz) | 208 g (7.34 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1260 x 2800 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~386 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.67 inches, 109.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 1600 nits (HBM), 5000 nits (peak) | Super AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.4 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x2.85 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A720) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Immortalis-G720 MC12 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 15, OriginOS 5 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, MIUI 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Ring-LED flash, panorama, HDR | 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 | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.6, 85mm (periscope telephoto), 1/1.95", 0.8µm, PDAF (15cm - ∞), OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.1, (ultrawide), AF | - |
| Video | 4K, 1080p, gyro-EIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 50 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), AF | 20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3", 0.9µm |
| Video | 4K, 1080p | 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 | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, LHDC 5 | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, 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, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer |
| - | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 90W wired, PD Reverse wired | 50W wired, PD3.0 30W wireless 5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 5500 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray, Purple, Gold | Alpine White, Solstice Grey |
| Models | V2430A | M2001J1G |
| Price | About 450 EUR | About 930 EUR |
| SAR | - | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 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) |
vivo S20 Pro
- Significantly faster processor with Dimensity 9300+
- Ultra-fast 90W wired charging
- Likely improved camera processing due to newer chipset
- Detailed camera specs currently unknown
- Display specs (refresh rate, panel type) not yet confirmed
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G
- Versatile charging options (wired, wireless, reverse wireless)
- Good battery endurance (101h)
- Often available at a lower price point
- Older Snapdragon 865 chipset struggles with modern tasks
- Slower wired charging speed (50W)
- Image processing is less advanced than newer phones
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro’s display achieves a measured peak brightness of 858 nits, a respectable figure, but the vivo S20 Pro’s display specifications are currently unavailable. Given vivo’s recent focus on display quality, it’s likely to match or exceed this brightness. Both displays feature an 'Infinite' (nominal) contrast ratio, typical of AMOLED panels. Without knowing the S20 Pro’s refresh rate or panel technology (LTPO would be a significant advantage), the Mi 10 Pro holds a slight edge based on known brightness data.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are advertised as having capable photo and video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is lacking for the vivo S20 Pro. The Mi 10 Pro’s camera system is well-regarded, but its age means image processing algorithms are less refined than current offerings. Without knowing the S20 Pro’s main sensor resolution, aperture, and OIS implementation, it’s difficult to make a definitive judgment. However, a newer chipset generally enables more advanced computational photography features, giving the S20 Pro a potential advantage.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The vivo S20 Pro’s Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ (4nm) is a powerhouse, featuring a unique CPU configuration with Cortex-X4 cores clocked up to 3.4GHz. This contrasts sharply with the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro’s Snapdragon 865 (7nm+), which utilizes older Cortex-A77 cores peaking at 2.84GHz. The 4nm process node of the Dimensity 9300+ translates to significantly improved power efficiency and thermal management, reducing throttling during sustained workloads. The S20 Pro will demonstrably outperform the Mi 10 Pro in CPU-intensive tasks and graphically demanding games.
Battery Life
Interestingly, both phones share an endurance rating of 101 hours, suggesting similar real-world battery life despite the difference in chipset efficiency. However, the charging experience is vastly different. The vivo S20 Pro supports 90W wired charging with PD, allowing for a full charge in under 40 minutes. The Mi 10 Pro offers 50W wired charging, 30W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging – a more versatile setup, but significantly slower wired charging speeds. The S20 Pro’s faster charging is a major convenience factor.
Buying Guide
Buy the vivo S20 Pro if you prioritize raw performance for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing, and value the convenience of incredibly fast charging. Buy the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G if you are on a tight budget and still need a solid 5G experience, and are willing to compromise on processing power and charging speed for a lower price.