Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S10+: A Deep Dive into Flagship Choices
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For users prioritizing raw performance and incredibly fast charging, the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro is the clear winner. However, the Samsung Galaxy S10+ offers a more refined software experience, a superior display with higher contrast, and longer battery endurance, making it the better all-rounder for most users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S10+ |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 41 - China | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, September. Released 2019, September | 2019, February 20 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2019, March 08 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame (7000 series) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), ceramic back, ceramic frame |
| Dimensions | 157.2 x 74.6 x 8.5 mm (6.19 x 2.94 x 0.33 in) | 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm (6.20 x 2.92 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Weight | 196 g (6.91 oz) | 175 g / 198 g (ceramic) (6.17 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) | 1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.39 inches, 100.2 cm2 (~85.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 103.8 cm2 (~88.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, HDR10 | Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.96 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 485) | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAMOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+ (7 nm) | Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 640 (700 MHz) | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAMAdreno 640 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 10, MIUI 11 | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 48 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 12 MP, f/2.2, 54mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.0µm, PDAF | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/120/240fps, 1080p@960fps | 4K@60fps (no EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 22mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm, depth sensor |
| Features | HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Single | 20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3", 0.9µm | - |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | - |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 40W wired, QC4 30W wireless 10W reverse wireless | 15W wired, PD2.0 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4100 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Dream White, Titanium Black | Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow, Flamingo Pink, Ceramic Black, Ceramic White, Cardinal Red, Smoke Blue |
| Models | - | SM-G975F, SM-G975U, SM-G975W, SM-G975U1, SM-G9750, SM-G975N, SM-G975X |
| Price | About 500 EUR | $ 199.00 / C$ 879.99 / £ 999.00 / € 299.00 / ₹ 39,940 |
| SAR | - | 1.06 W/kg (head) 1.03 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.52 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -93.0dB / Crosstalk -94.3dB |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 91h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.514 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.7 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 333736 (v7), 399901 (v8) GeekBench: 10387 (v4.4), 2190 (v5.1) GFXBench: 23fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro
- Significantly faster charging speeds (40W wired, 30W wireless)
- More powerful Snapdragon 855+ processor
- Potentially better thermal management for sustained performance
- Likely shorter battery life compared to the S10+
- Software experience may not be as refined as Samsung’s One UI
Samsung Galaxy S10+
- Superior display quality with higher contrast and brightness
- Longer battery life (91h endurance rating)
- More polished and feature-rich software experience (One UI)
- Slower charging speeds (15W wired, 15W wireless)
- Exynos 9820 (EMEA/LATAM) may offer slightly lower performance than Snapdragon 855+
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S10+ boasts a superior display experience. While both phones feature excellent panels, the S10+’s contrast ratio of Infinite (nominal) and 4.514 (sunlight) indicates significantly better visibility in bright conditions and deeper blacks compared to the Mi 9 Pro (spec not provided, but typically lower on Xiaomi devices of this era). Samsung’s expertise in display technology shines through, offering a more immersive viewing experience. The S10+ also benefits from a more mature color calibration process, ensuring greater accuracy for content creators.
Camera Comparison
While both phones offer capable camera systems, detailed sensor information is limited. The Mi 9 Pro likely relies on a primary sensor optimized for low-light performance, leveraging the Snapdragon 855+'s image signal processor. The S10+’s camera system, while also capable, focuses on a more balanced approach to image processing, prioritizing natural colors and detail. The presence of OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) on both devices is crucial for stable video recording and sharper low-light photos. The usefulness of the 2MP macro camera on both devices is questionable, offering limited practical benefit compared to the main sensors.
Performance
The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ (7nm) chipset provides a clear performance advantage over the Exynos 9820 (8nm) found in EMEA/LATAM S10+ models. The 855+’s higher clock speeds (2.96 GHz Kryo 485 vs 2.73 GHz Mongoose M4) translate to faster application loading and smoother multitasking. Even the Snapdragon 855 variant in USA/China S10+ models is slightly clocked lower than the Mi 9 Pro’s 855+. However, the Exynos 9820’s custom Mongoose cores attempt to offer comparable performance in specific workloads. Both phones utilize octa-core CPUs, but the Mi 9 Pro’s architecture is optimized for sustained performance, potentially leading to less thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S10+ achieves an impressive endurance rating of 91 hours, indicating superior battery life compared to the Mi 9 Pro (spec not provided, but typically lower). This is despite the Mi 9 Pro’s significantly faster charging capabilities – 40W wired (QC4), 30W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless versus the S10+’s 15W wired (PD2.0), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), and 4.5W reverse wireless. The S10+’s larger battery capacity and more efficient chipset contribute to its longer runtime. The Mi 9 Pro’s charging speed is a major advantage for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly, but the S10+ offers peace of mind with its extended battery life.
Buying Guide
Buy the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro if you need maximum processing power for demanding games or applications, and value the convenience of 40W wired and 30W wireless charging. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10+ if you prefer a more polished user experience, a vibrant and color-accurate display, and longer overall battery life, even if it means sacrificing some charging speed.