Xiaomi released a brand new flagship killer for the Chinese market: the Redmi K40 Pro+. According to rumors, the K40 series will hit the global market under the POCO brand, but the arrival of this device in the global market is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, given its amazing specifications, we think it is worth comparing it with one of the latest flagships released by Samsung. Given the specifications and the price range of the K40 Pro+, we decided to compare it with the base variant of the Galaxy S21 series: the vanilla Samsung Galaxy S21.
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21
| Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro+ | Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 163.7 x 76.4 x 7.8 mm, 196 grams | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm, 169 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED | 6.2 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz Samsung Exynos 2100, octa-core 2.9 GHz |
| MEMORY | 12 GB RAM, 256 GB | 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 11, MIUI | Android 11, One UI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 108 + 8 + 5 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2 20 MP front camera |
Triple 12 + 64 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.0 + f/2.2 10 MP f/2.2 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4520 mAh, fast charging 33W | 4000 mAh, fast charging 25W, fast wireless charging 15W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot, 5G | Dual SIM slot, 5G, reverse wireless charging, IP68 waterproof |
Design
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a slightly more futuristic design than the Redmi K40 Pro+, at least in my opinion. I love its minimalistic camera module, but on the other hand, the K40 Pro+ provides great materials including a glass back. The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a plastic back, but it comes with a front panel protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and an aluminum frame. The Samsung Galaxy S21 is even waterproof with the IP68 certification, while K40 Pro+ only offers protection against splashes with the IP53 certification. Last but not least, Samsung Galaxy S21 is way more compact and lighter.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S21 and the Redmi K40 Pro+ are very close when it comes to display quality. They both feature AMOLED display with vibrant colors, deep blacks, 120 Hz refresh rates, the HDR10+ certification, and a high 1300 nits peak brightness. Note that they have high-end displays, but not the best displays out there. Their resolution is Full HD+ and they provide great image quality, but you can actually find better displays such as the one of the Galaxy S21 Ultra or the OPPO Find X3 Pro. The biggest difference between these displays is the diagonal: you get 6.67 inches with the K40 Pro+ and just 6.2 inches with the Samsung Galaxy S21. Further, the Samsung Galaxy S21 has an ultrasonic fingerprint reader (actually better), while the K40 Pro+ has an optical fingerprint scanner.
Specs & Software
The European version of the Samsung Galaxy S21 is the most disappointing one as it comes with an inferior Exynos 2100 chipset (that is actually inferior especially in terms of power management). The U.S. version of the Samsung Galaxy S21 and the Redmi K40 Pro+ pack a Snapdragon 888 mobile platform, but you actually get a higher amount of RAM with the Redmi K40 Pro+ (12 GB). The phones run Android 11 out of the box and Samsung confirmed that the Galaxy S21 will get three years of major Android updates and four years of security updates.
Camera
The winner of the camera comparison is Samsung Galaxy S21. Unlike the Redmi K40 Pro+, it features OIS and a telephoto lens with optical zoom. It is composed of a 12 MP main sensor, a 64 MP telephoto lens, and a 12 MP ultrawide camera. It also provides a better 10 MP front camera which can record 4K videos at 60 fps. Both the phones support 8K video recording from the rear camera. Do not get fooled by the camera resolutions: as you just read, the fact that Redmi K40 Pro+ has a 108 MP main camera does not mean it is a better camera phone than Samsung Galaxy S21.
Battery
The Redmi K40 Pro+ provides a longer battery life thanks to its bigger 4520 mAh battery but, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S21, it lacks wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. With the Redmi K40 Pro+, you get a faster charging speed thanks to 33W wired charging technology, but given that the battery is bigger, the charging time of the two phones is similar.
Price
The starting price of the Redmi K40 Pro+ in China is about €470/$567, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 is priced at about €800/$965 in its base variant. Unfortunately, the Redmi K40 Pro+ is only available in the Chinese market, while Samsung Galaxy S21 is the only one available globally. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S21 looks like a better device due to the waterproof design, great build quality, compact body, and great cameras. But if you do not like compact phones and you want above-average battery life, you should go for the Redmi K40 Pro+.
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro+ vs Samsung Galaxy S21: PRO and CONS
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro+
PRO
- Better hardware department
- Bigger battery
- Great price
- IR blaster
- Faster charging
CONS
- Inferior cameras
Samsung Galaxy S21
PRO
- IP68 certification
- Wireless charging
- More compact
- Better cameras
CONS
- Smaller battery
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