Xiaomi Mi 9 SE vs Samsung Galaxy S23: A Detailed Comparison

The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE offered incredible value when it launched, but how does it stack up against the powerhouse that is the Samsung Galaxy S23? This comparison dives deep into their features, performance, and overall appeal to help you choose the right device for your needs.

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is the clear winner, offering vastly superior performance, a stunning display, and a more advanced camera system. While the Mi 9 SE remains a capable device, the S23's premium features and modern design justify its higher price point for most users.

PHONES
Phone Names	Xiaomi Mi 9 SE	Samsung Galaxy S23

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 38, 40 - Global	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands	-	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
Speed	HSPA, LTE	HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G
Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
	1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China	1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA

Launch
Announced	2019, February 20. Released 2019, March	2023, February 01
Status	Discontinued	Available. Released 2023, February 17

Body
Build	Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame	Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Dimensions	147.5 x 70.5 x 7.5 mm (5.81 x 2.78 x 0.30 in)	146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in)
SIM	Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight	155 g (5.47 oz)	168 g (5.93 oz)
	-	IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised)

Display
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 5	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Resolution	1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~432 ppi density)	1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)
Size	5.97 inches, 87.5 cm2 (~84.1% screen-to-body ratio)	6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	Super AMOLED, HDR	Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
	-	Always-on display

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (2x2.3 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360 Silver)	Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
Chipset	Qualcomm SDM712 Snapdragon 712 (10 nm)	Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
GPU	Adreno 616	Adreno 740
OS	Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 11, MIUI 12.5	Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8

Memory
Card slot	No	No
Internal	64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
	UFS 2.0	UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0

Main Camera
Features	Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama	LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Single	-	12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF
Triple	48 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.4, (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm	50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
Video	4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, gyro-EIS	8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS

Selfie camera
Features	HDR	HDR, HDR10+
Single	20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3", 0.9µm	12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video	1080p@30fps	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	No	No
35mm jack	No	No
Loudspeaker	Yes	Yes, with stereo speakers
	-	32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG

Comms
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD	5.3, A2DP, LE
Infrared port	Yes	-
NFC	Yes	Yes
Positioning	GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS	GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
Radio	No	No
USB	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG	USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
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/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct

Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass	Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
	Virtual proximity sensing	Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)

Battery
Charging	18W wired	25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
Type	Li-Po 3070 mAh, non-removable	Li-Ion 3900 mAh

Misc
Colors	Violet, Blue, Gray	Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime
Models	M1903F2G	SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS
Price	About 460 EUR	$ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990
SAR	1.39 W/kg (head) 1.39 W/kg (body)	0.95 W/kg (head) 0.88 W/kg (body)
SAR EU	1.19 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body)	0.96 W/kg (head) 1.30 W/kg (body)

Tests
Audio quality	Noise -93.5dB / Crosstalk -93.5dB	-
Battery life	Endurance rating 73h	Endurance rating 101h
Camera	Photo / Video	Photo / Video
Display	Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)	Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker	Voice 86dB / Noise 79dB / Ring 87dB	-27.0 LUFS (Good)
Performance	AnTuTu: 180057 (v7) GeekBench: 6017 (v4.4) GFXBench: 14fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)	AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

OUR TESTS
Audio quality	Noise -93.5dB / Crosstalk -93.5dB	-
Battery	-	Active use score 11:27h
Battery (old)	Endurance rating 73h	Endurance rating 101h
Camera	Photo / Video	Photo / Video
Display	637 nits max brightness (measured)	1198 nits max brightness (measured)
Loudspeaker	Voice 86dB / Noise 79dB / Ring 87dB	-27.0 LUFS (Good)
Performance	AnTuTu: 180057 (v7) GeekBench: 6017 (v4.4) GFXBench: 14fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)	AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Xiaomi Mi 9 SE

Compact and lightweight
Good value for money (when new/refurbished)
Decent battery life (endurance rating)
Smooth MIUI software

Outdated chipset
Lower screen brightness
Less impressive camera
Slow charging

Samsung Galaxy S23

Flagship performance
Stunning display
Excellent camera system
Fast charging (wired & wireless)
Premium design and build quality

Higher price
Larger size compared to Mi 9 SE

Display Comparison

The Galaxy S23 boasts a significantly brighter display (1198 nits vs 637 nits) with superior color accuracy and vibrancy. While both have excellent contrast ratios (nominal 'infinite'), the S23's AMOLED technology provides deeper blacks and a more immersive viewing experience. The Mi 9 SE's display is still good, but noticeably less impressive.

Camera Comparison

The Galaxy S23's camera system is a major upgrade. It offers better image quality in all lighting conditions, improved zoom capabilities, and more advanced features like enhanced night mode and video stabilization. The Mi 9 SE's camera is adequate for casual photography, but lacks the detail and versatility of the S23.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 obliterates the Snapdragon 712 in the Mi 9 SE. Expect lightning-fast app loading, seamless multitasking, and effortless handling of demanding games on the S23. The Mi 9 SE can handle everyday tasks, but struggles with more intensive applications.

Battery Life

While the Mi 9 SE has a surprisingly high endurance rating (73h), the Galaxy S23's active use score (11:27h) and endurance rating (101h) demonstrate its efficiency and longevity. The S23 also supports faster charging (25W wired, 15W wireless) and reverse wireless charging, further enhancing its convenience.

Buying Guide

The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE is ideal for budget-conscious users who prioritize a compact size and decent performance for everyday tasks. The Samsung Galaxy S23 is perfect for those seeking a flagship experience with top-tier performance, a brilliant display, and a versatile camera system, regardless of price.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE still worth buying?

If you're on a very tight budget and prioritize a compact phone, the Mi 9 SE can still be a decent option, especially if found at a significant discount. However, be aware of its limitations compared to newer devices.

❓ What are the biggest differences between the two phones?

The biggest differences are performance (chipset), display quality, camera capabilities, and charging speed. The Galaxy S23 offers a significantly more modern and premium experience across the board.