Xiaomi Mi 11 vs Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 Plus Specs Comparison – Flagship Battle!

2021 seems to be the year where the term “flagship” gets redefined. Flagship usually means the best phone released by a brand. In the case of Xiaomi and Samsung last year, that would be the Mi 10 Ultra and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, respectively. However, it seems like the term flagship is more appropriate to a series of phones rather than a single entity. Again, that would be the Mi 11 Series and Galaxy S21 Series. If you’re looking to purchase a flagship phone between the Mi 11, Galaxy S21, and Galaxy S21 Plus, here’s what you need to know.  

What Are the Similarities Between Xiaomi Mi 11, Galaxy S21, and Galaxy S21 Plus?

Whether you go for the Xiaomi or Samsung phone, all three will deliver an incredible viewing experience, thanks to the punchy and bright AMOLED panels. They are also protected by the same Gorilla Glass Victus, which is the company’s most durable glass yet. There’s basically nothing to worry about the quality of the display if most of your usage involves content consumption. Flagship phones are at a point where the difference in quality is nearly indistinguishable. 

If you’re purchasing a Galaxy S21 Series in the US or China, you will get the same Snapdragon 888 chipset that’s found on the Mi 11 as well. Otherwise, you have to deal with Samsung’s Exynos 2100. More on that later. Storage-wise, you can either go for 128GB or 256GB, with no option to expand via microSD slot. Unfortunately, it’s a feature that’s slowly fading away, like the headphone jack. On the flip end, all three are using stereo speakers with hi-res playback support. 

READ: iPhone 12 vs P10,990 Xiaomi Phone Camera Comparison – Closer Than You Think

How Samsung Galaxy S21 is Better

The Galaxy S21 is the “smallest” phone out of the three. In fact, it’s actually a small phone by today’s standards. The 6.2″ Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen is .3″ below the 6.5″ standard, but that doesn’t mean it’s not as good as the competition. It may be smaller, but it packs a 120Hz refresh rate that goes as low as 48Hz for battery saving and supports up to 1300 nits brightness. The smaller screen may even help in showing crisper video and photo quality, as Samsung got conversative with the FHD+ resolution. If you want a phone that’s easy to carry but provides enough screen real estate for content consumption, the Galaxy S21 is the way to go. That said, you need to watch out for a few things.

The 4000mAh battery may not be enough if you are a power user. You can set the refresh rate down to 60Hz, but it’s as if you’re bottlenecking the capability of the phone. Though there is 25W fast charging, it still requires an hour to fully top up from zero. But if you’re a casual user, the Galaxy S21 still offers the same camera system as its bigger sibling.

At the back, there are three main cameras — featuring 12MP f1.8 wide with OIS, another 12MP f2.2 for ultrawide that supports Super Steady Video at 1080p, and a 64MP f2.0 telephoto lens with OIS and support for 3x hybrid-optical zoom. You won’t find the Ultra Zoom here since that’s reserve for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Regardless, you can still go up to 30x digital zoom and record up to 8K@24fps for incredible detail or up to 4K@60fps for smoother video with still great detail quality.

Where the Galaxy S21 Series really shines despite the 10MP f2.2 selfie camera is selfie video. Unlike the Mi 11, it can reach up to 4K@60fps to deliver incredible video clarity. 

What you need to take note of is the plastic back of the Galaxy S21. Despite the frosted finish, there’s a good chance that it’ll easily accumulate scratches than a glass phone.

How Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is Better

In the case of the Galaxy S21+, it’s practically a Galaxy S21 in a bigger package. The screen size now is almost at a flagship standard at 6.7″ diagonal, but the same 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED is still here. There’s no change in the camera system nor the memory/storage pairing. But due to the large display, the battery is large as well. You’re now looking at a 4800mAh that seems to be enough even if you leave 120Hz on all day. Unfortunately, you’re still stuck with a 25W charger and 15W wireless charging. 

As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy S21 Series comes with Exynos 2100 if it’s not from the US or China. Samsung’s flagship chipset yet boasts faster and better 5G coverage and more performance while keeping battery efficiency in tow. While we’ve seen tests indicating that it’s indeed miles better than its predecessor, it still lags behind the Snapdragon 888, which is its ultimate goal.

If you don’t need the extra chops from the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but at the same time would love to have a large phone, the Galaxy S21 Plus is a nice alternative. Also, it’s using a glass back in a frosted finish with Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

READ: 2020 Phones Worth Buying in 2021 (Under Php30,000)

How Xiaomi Mi 11 is Better

If your reason for opting for Samsung Galaxy S21 over Xiaomi Mi 11 is the display, you may want to check your options again. The Mi 11 is actually sporting a bigger screen than the Galaxy S21 Plus at 6.81″ diagonal. Additionally, it’s using a crisper panel due to the 1440p+ resolution. What’s more, it’s even brighter at 1500nits peak and supports 1B colors for the most accurate color reproduction. Spec-wise, the Mi 11 has the more capable screen in this comparison.

Since this isn’t a Samsung phone, regardless if it’s a Global or China ROM, the Mi 11 is packing Snapdragon 888 inside. Though the base model offers 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, you can configure it up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. 

Much like the Galaxy S21 Series, there are three main cameras; however, the main snapper is a 108MP Samsung sensor with OIS, while the other two are 13MP f2.2 ultrawide and 5MP f2.4 macro lenses. Camera-wise, the Galaxy S21 Series offers more flexibility in shooting due to the addition of a telephoto lens. But regardless, video recording still goes up to 8K@30fps for the Mi 11. While the 20MP selfie snapper looks better on paper, you’re still stuck at 1080p video recording, which means less detail quality. 

Interestingly, Mi 11 features the latest Bluetooth 5.2 that offers better audio codec support, better coverage, and lower power consumption. In addition to that is the infrared port, configurable to work with your smart TV and other smart appliances. 

In terms of battery, the Mi 11 is holding a 4600mAh cell inside. Though it may seem small for a 120Hz QHD+ 6.81″ panel, the charging speed compensates for it. Assuming you get the charger for free, you get to enjoy the speedy 55W charging rate that goes up to 100% in as fast as 45 minutes. Want to do it wirelessly? No problem! The Mi 11 also supports 50W wireless chargers, topping up in less than an hour. And while all three phones are capable of reverse wireless charging, the Mi 11 does it twice as fast as the other two at 10W.

Lastly, the Mi 11 comes in Blue, White, Gray, Gold, and Purple, whereas the Galaxy S21 is available in gray, white, violet, and pink, with the S21 Ultra adding black, silver, and red in the mix. In the real world, a brand usually releases one or two colors only for a specific market. The S21 is available in the Philippines in Gray and Purple, while the S21+ replaces gray with silver. Although the S21 Series sports glass and plastic backing, the Mi 11’s special blue edition comes in leather, with the rest in Gorilla Glass 5.

When it comes to pricing, the Galaxy S21 with 8GB/256GB costs PHp47,990 while the S21+ with the same model is at Php57,990. The Mi 11’s official price in the Philippines won’t be unveiled until February 25th. However, the China ROM model is available for Php38,990 in some stores. The catch is that there are no pre-installed Google apps, and you need to install them on your own. But it’s likely for the Mi 11 to arrive at a much less expensive price tag than the S21.

READ: Top 5 Affordable 5G Phones in the Philippines (2021)