A lot of people would not expect it from Xiaomi, but the Chinese giant just launched the best camera phone on the paper. The Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra offers a fantastic camera department and it is also the best Xiaomi phone to date. Unfortunately, it will not hit the global market and it will probably remain a China-exclusive. But should Chinese customers look for a top-tier flagship chose the Mi 10 Ultra or there are better choices in the market? In order to establish this, we compared it with the other best camera phones on the paper: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Huawei P40 Pro+. Let’s see who’s better.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs Huawei P40 Pro+
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G | Huawei P40 Pro+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 162.4 x 75.1 x 9.5 mm, 221 g | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm, 208 g | 158.2 x 72.6 x 9 mm, 226 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.67 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), OLED | 6.9 inches, 1440 x 3088p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.58 inches, 1200 x 2640p (Full HD+), OLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, octa-core 2.84 GHz | Samsung Exynos 990, octa-core 2.73 GHz or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, octa-core 3.1 GHz |
Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G, octa-core 2.86 GHz |
| MEMORY | 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 16 GB RAM, 512 GB | 12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – micro SD slot | 8 GB RAM, 512 GB – nano memory card slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 10, MIUI | Android 10, One UI | Android 10, EMUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS |
| CAMERA | Quad 48 + 48 + 12 + 20 MP, f/1.9 + f/4.1 + f/2.0 + f/2.2 20 MP f/2.3 front camera |
Triple 108 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/3.0 + f/2.2 10 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Penta 50 + 8 + 8 + 40 MP + TOF, f/1.9 + f/4.4 + f/2.4 + f/1.8 Dual 32 MP + IR TOF 3D f/2.2 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4500 mAh, fast charging 120W Quick Charge 5, fast wireless charging 50W and reverse wireless charging 10W | 4500 mAh, fast charging 25W, Fast wireless charging | 4200 mAh, fast charging 40W and fast wireless charging 40W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | 5G, Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot, reverse wireless charging 9W, waterproof IP68, 5G, eSIM | Dual SIM slot, fast reverse wireless charging 27W, 5G, eSIM |
Design
Xiaomi just does not want to release a waterproof phone. All the smartphones released by the company are not waterproof, including the Mi 10 Ultra, despite it is its most powerful flagship. With the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the Huawei P40 Pro+, you get the IP68 certification. Further, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra offers a stainless frame and the new Gorilla Glass Victus protection for the front and rear glass. It is definitely the best device in terms of build quality, and it even comes with a more beautiful design, at least according to my tastes. But the Huawei P40 Pro+ is still very nice with its ceramic body, and it is even the most compact phone of the trio.
Display
Huawei P40 Pro+ has the most disappointing display. In a world in which the most expensive flagships offer a 120 Hz refresh rate, Huawei P40 Pro+ is still 90 Hz. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has one of the most stunning displays out there, with a Quad HD+ resolution, a high brightness, outstanding colors, and a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra still comes with a great panel including a 120 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+, but it can not compete with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in any way. Last but not least, note that the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra supports the S Pen with a 9 ms response time.
Hardware/Software
The U.S. version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has the most advanced hardware department because it is fueled by the new Snapdragon 865+ mobile platform. But if we consider the EU version, with its Exynos 990 it falls behind the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra, powered by the Snapdragon 865 paired with up to 16 GB of RAM and UFS 3.1 internal storage. All the phones run Android 10 out of the box, but the Huawei P40 Pro+ does not have Google services out of the box.
Camera
It will be a tough fight between Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. But on the paper, Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra looks more impressive. It has two 48 MP sensors including a periscope one with 120x zoom, dual OIS, a 12 MP telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom, and a 20 MP ultrawide sensor. The most amazing camera setup ever. But Huawei P40 Pro+ is still one of the best camera phones out there and it may outperform its rivals in some scenarios. In each case, you get an amazing camera phone, so you should not worry so much.
Battery
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra has a 4500 mAh battery just like the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, but it has to manage a smaller display with a lower resolution. That is why we believe it will last more on a single charge. Further, it has the fastest charging technology ever seen on a phone (up to 120W) as well as the fastest wireless charging technology (up to 50W). With the Huawei P40 Pro+, you get a smaller battery but also the fastest reverse wireless charging technology (27W).
Price
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra carries a starting price of just €650/$766 in China, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Huawei P40 Pro+ start from more than €1300 globally and about €1000 and €1175 in China, respectively. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a more complete device due to the S Pen support, waterproof design, amazing build quality, better display. But it lacks very fast charging speeds. Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra is an amazing camera phone and it has the highest value for money, while Huawei P40 Pro+ sits in the middle
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs Huawei P40 Pro+: PRO and CONS
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
PROS
- S Pen
- Biggest battery
- Widest display
- Micro SD slot
- Ultrasonic fingerprint reader
- Best build quality
- Amazing hardware (U.S. version)
CONS
- Dimensions
Huawei P40 Pro+
PROS
- More compact
- Fastest reverse wireless charging
- Impressive cameras
- 3D facial recognition
CONS
- Inferior display
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
PROS
- Fastest charging
- Fastest wireless charging
- Awesome cameras
- Infrared port
CONS
- No water resistance
