The Galaxy S21 Plus will cost you more, but it also is the better device of the two considering their specs.
You'll get better glass protection, a better display, and water-resistance. But the Mi 10 Pro brings more internal storage (256GB vs. 128GB).
The Galaxy S21 Plus also features a higher refresh rate display. But the Mi 10 Pro will also give you a telephoto lens (+65 mm), faster-charging speeds (50w vs. 25w), faster wireless charging (30w vs. 15w), and Bluetooth 5.1.
Having said that, none of them truly stood out since they got similar scores.
If you're considering a new and unlocked smartphone, you're going to shell out an extra amount of about $399.
Sure, you can look for other devices, but the Mi 10 Pro is an outstanding handset even in 2022. You can consider the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, but we should acknowledge this device, as it has good performance, good cameras, good battery life, tons of storage, optical zoom, and fast charging.
Just because the Galaxy S21 Plus was released last year doesn't mean I won't recommend it. I like its good performance, good battery life, excellent glass protection, and 8K recordings. Although you can also check (again) the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Just keep reading if you want to know everything about them, how they differ from their competition, and you'll know what the industry thinks about their specs.
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CONTENTS
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In January of 2021, Samsung started selling its Galaxy S21 Plus, while Xiaomi's Mi 10 Pro hit the stores in February 2020.
With this article, you'll be able to compare every feature of the Mi 10 Pro and the Galaxy S21 Plus. Then, you can decide what model better suits your needs. Let's start.
For additional information regarding our smartphone comparisons, check this FAQ.
to check who their rivals are.
| Price* | vs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Device |  Mi 10 Pro |
 Galaxy S21 Plus |
|
| Release Date | 2020, February | 2021, January | 1y. |
| OS Updates | 1 year | 3 years | 2y. |
| Security Updates | 4 years | 4 years | 0y. |
*Reference: 100: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Geekbench 5 scores the Mi 10 Pro 7% ahead of its rival in the multi-core ranking. Overall, you wouldn't feel that much of a difference between them.
The Mi 10 Pro is also a top performer if you consider related-priced phones. While they got a score of about 2629, it has 3331. That puts it 27% above them.
It's safe to say that both of them can be tagged as high-end.
| Performance* | vs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|
| SoC | Snapdragon 865 | Exynos 2100 | |
| Graphics | Adreno 650 | Mali-G78 MP14 | |
| Geekbench 5 Score | 3331 | 3113 | -218 |
| OS | Android 10 and MIUI 11 | Android 11 and OneUI | |
| Tek-Score | -0.4 |
*Reference: 100: Apple iPhone 13.
|
|
|---|
The Galaxy S21 Plus's display does stand out, but the Mi 10 Pro is just as good.
Considering the Mi 10 Pro, just know that 85% of its rivals can play HDR content. Plus, all have an AMOLED screen, and 93% have an Always-On display.
Considering the Galaxy S21 Plus, just so you know, 84% of its rivals can play HDR content and have an Always-On display, and all have an AMOLED screen.
| Display Density (DPIs)* | vs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|
| Size | 6.6 | 6.7 | 0.1 |
| Screen Type | AMOLED | AMOLED | |
| Resolution (px) | 1080x2340 | 1080x2400 | 64800 |
| Refresh Rate | 90hz | 120hz | 30 |
| Dots per Inch | 390.49 | 392.81 | 2.32 |
| Always-On-Display | Yes | Yes | |
| Notch | Hole | Hole | |
| Peak Brightness | 860 nits | 883 nits | 23 |
| HDR | HDR10+ | HDR10+ | |
| Sub Tek-Score | 0.4 | ||
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | |
| Tek-Score | 3.0 |
*Reference: 100: Sony Xperia 1 II.
 |
 |
|---|
Be aware that the Mi 10 Pro's picture quality is, on average, 68% above other competitors with comparable prices. That's why between these two, it should be your choice too.
About the Mi 10 Pro: DXOMARK reviewed this camera and gave it 130 points. And if you take into account the telephoto and wide-angle lenses, that will go up to 146. For an in-depth review, click here.
To put things in perspective: you should know that all of its rivals can record videos in 4K or more and have an ultra-wide-angle lens, and 93% feature Optical Image Stabilization. On the other hand, only 19% of them feature a macro lens.
About the Galaxy S21 Plus: DXOMARK has rated this camera with a score of 123. By considering its wide-angle lens, this score goes up to 137 points. Just click here to read about it.
Finally, if you must know, all of its rivals can record videos in 4 or 8K and have an ultra-wide-angle lens, and 92% feature Optical Image Stabilization. Still, only 20% of them feature a macro lens.
Considering this score, we can classify these two as high-end.
If you love it, the Mi 10 Pro telephoto lens is, on average, 31mm higher than what you'd get on similarly priced devices.
| Picture Quality* | vs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Camera | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|
| Megapixels | 108 | 12 | -96 |
| Aperture | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.1 |
| Lens | 25mm | 26mm | 1 |
| Lens Type | Wide-Angle | Wide-Angle | |
| Flash | 3 | 1 | -2 |
| HDR | Yes | Yes | |
| OIS | Yes | Yes | |
| Video | 4320 | 4320 | 0 |
| Score | 146 | 137 | -9 |
*Reference: 100: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra.
| Extra Camera(s) | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
vs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megapixels | 8 | 64 | 56 |
| Aperture | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Lens | 94mm (3.8x zoom) | 29mm | -65 |
| Lens Type | Telephoto lens | Regular | |
| Megapixels | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Aperture | 2.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 |
| Lens | 50mm (2x zoom) | 13mm | -37 |
| Lens Type | Telephoto lens | Ultra-wide-Angle | |
| Megapixels | 20 | - | |
| Aperture | 2.2 | - | |
| Lens | 15mm | - | |
| Lens Type | Ultra-wide-Angle | - | |
| Score | 16 | 14 | -2 |
| Selfie Camera | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
vs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megapixels | 20 | 10 | -10 |
| Aperture | 2.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 |
| Lens | - | 26mm |
| Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
vs. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tek-Score | -0.5 |
I'd go for the Galaxy S21 Plus for its number of color options and water resistance.
The Mi 10 Pro is 8 g. (0.28 oz) heavier than its rival, which sits at 200 g. (7.05 oz). But because screen size also matters, I've created an adapted score for a "weight to display size" ratio. The Mi 10 Pro got 3.5, showing it's kind of weighty for its screen size. Having said that, the Galaxy S21 Plus has 4.6, so nothing to state here.
The Galaxy S21 Plus is water-resistant in up to 1 to 3 meters. It should be for less than 30 minutes, and it's in standby mode only. So don't take photos underwater.
| Looks* | vs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|
| Size | 162 x 74 x 9 mm (5.71 x 2.61 x 0.32 in) |
161 x 75 x 7 mm (5.68 x 2.65 x 0.25 in) |
-23367 |
| Weight | 208 g. (7.34 oz) | 200 g. (7.05 oz) | -8 |
| Build | Front and back glass | Front and back glass | |
| Colors | Alpine White and Solstice Grey | Phantom Black, Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver, Phantom Red, Phantom Gold, and Phantom Pink | |
| Screen To Body Ratio | 89.20% | 89.75% | 0.56 |
| Disp.Size To Weight Score | 3.5 | 4.6 | 1.1 |
| Looks | 9.1/10 | 10.0/10 | 0.8 |
| Waterproof | - | IP68 | |
| Biometrics | Under Display Fingerprint | Under Display Fingerprint | |
| Tek-Score | 5.4 |
*100% = 4+ colors + front and back glass + S2BR: 86+%.
The Mi 10 Pro does have a smaller battery, with 4500 mAh, while the Galaxy S21 Plus has 4800 mAh. But as claimed by GSMArena, both should theoretically get the same battery life.
For your information, both of them are also beating most smartphones. Do check our top 10 for battery life.
If you fancy quick charges, you can count on the Mi 10 Pro. Other devices from this price range usually stay at around 30w/hour.
Quick wireless charging must be one of Mi 10 Pro's most-loved features. You won't find many phones as fast at about its price.
| Battery* | vs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|
| Capacity (mAh) | 4500 | 4800 | 300 |
| 1h Talk + 1h Web + 1h Video | 84% left | 84% left | 0 |
| 1h Talk + 3h Web + 1h Video | 71% left | 70% left | -1 |
| 1h Talk + 1h Web + 3h Video | 74% left | 74% left | 0 |
| Bat. To Phone Size Score | 3.7 | 3.6 | -0.2 |
| Sub Tek-Score | 0.0 | ||
| Fast Charging | 50w | 25w | -25 |
| Wireless Charging | 30w | 15w | -15 |
| Reverse Charging | 5w | 4.5w | -0.5 |
| Tek-Score | -0.7 |
*Reference: 90: Samsung Galaxy A42.
The Mi 10 Pro. Clearly.
The Mi 10 Pro features 256GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM. Also, similarly priced adversaries usually deliver less RAM and less storage. Right now, the average is 140Gb of storage and 8GB of RAM.
| Storage* | vs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|
| RAM (GB) | 8GB | 8GB | 0 |
| Internal (GB) | 256GB | 128GB | -128 |
| Micro SD | No | No | |
| Tek-Score | -2.5 |
*Internal Storage + 256GB Memory Card (Max: 512GB).
You can only get Bluetooth 5.1 with the Mi 10 Pro.
Both have a single network variant: (LTE and) 5G.
| Connectivity | vs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|
| Network | 5G | 5G | |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.0 | |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No | |
| Tek-Score | -0.5 |
Here are the prices that we've come across recently:
Reference: $600
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
Reference: $999
Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
I earn a small fee from qualifying purchases. It doesn't affect the price you pay nor my opinions, but it will mean a lot if you click on one of these buttons before purchasing your next phone (or whatever else you end up buying). You'll be helping to take this to the next level.
Prices on eBay are in $US but Europe-based. You can click to check the prices in your country.
Prices marked with ! are from renewed/refurbished/carrier-locked phones (except eBay prices that, as a last resort, can be from bids or used devices).
How much of a "phone" can your money buy?
That's how much "score" you can get with $100 based on the global score that you'll see in the next section (higher is better).
Have you found better prices elsewhere? The formula is simple: score/price*100.
| Value for money | Mi 10 Pro | Galaxy S21 Plus | VS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 1.23 | - | - |
| eBay | - | 1.15 | - |
| Best Buy | - | - | - |
| Walmart | - | - | - |
Also, don't forget to check the latest deals from these four stores, and the state of the art on mobile technology, if you don't want to overpay on your next smartphone.
Related articles:
The Best Unbiased Smartphones For All Budgets
Smartphone Specs Statistics: The State Of The Art (Q1 2021)
Are you also considering other options? The global score can help. For reference purposes, I'll tell you where most of its rivals average. They aren't that far from 6.9 for these two.
What can the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro give you that the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus can't:
- More affordable
- A telephoto lens (+65 mm)
- Faster charging speeds (50w vs. 25w)
- Faster wireless charging (30w vs. 15w)
- More internal storage (256GB vs. 128GB)
- Bluetooth 5.1
What can the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus give you that the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro can't:
- Higher refresh rates
- Better glass protection
- Better display
- Water-resistant
- More OS updates (3 additional years)
| Pros | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Performance | Performance |
| #2 | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| #3 | Always-On-Display | Always-On-Display |
| #4 | Cameras | Cameras |
| #5 | Battery Life | Battery Life |
| #6 | Fast Charging | Fast Charging |
| #7 | Wireless Charging | Wireless Charging |
| #8 | Storage | Glass Protection |
| Cons | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | MicroSD Slot | MicroSD Slot |
| #2 | Weight | Weight |
| #3 | 3.5mm Jack | 3.5mm Jack |
| #4 | Price | Price |
| Relative Score* | vs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Score | Mi 10 Pro |
Galaxy S21 Plus |
|
| Gaming Score | -0.4 | ||
| Tek-Score | 0.10 | ||
| Your Score |
*Reference: 100: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Scroll the sliders down below to get your own personalized score. Let's suppose you value performance and battery life, and you don't really care about anything else. Then, just set the "Performance" and the "Battery" sliders up to 5 (5+5=10), and then the other sliders down to 0. You'll know what's the best phone for you.
| Performance | 1.9 | |
| Display | 1.7 | |
| Cameras | 1.4 | |
| Frame | 0.9 | |
| Battery | 1.9 | |
| Storage | 2.0 | |
| Connectivity | 0.4 | |
| Total | Should be 10 or as close as possible: | 9.6 |
For suggestions and bug reports, click here. Your help is appreciated. Thank you.
About me
Hello!
My name is Luis Silva, and I have a degree in computer management. Ever since I was a teenager, I've loved everything to do with tech. Music, pictures, video editing, I've done it all! This site is a place for me to share some of the knowledge I have, as well as keep up-to-date with current trends. This is a wonderful place for tech-geeks and everyone else that just want to learn more about tech and smartphones in general.
Keep in touch
As of now, these are the rivals that were considered for each of them. They may change every time its prices are updated.
These are the lowest prices found on Amazon, eBay, BestBuy, and Walmart.
Luis Silva (February 2021 Updated: March 2022 - 6 min. reading time)
Introduction
Which One Has The Best Performance?
Which Phone Has The Best Display?
Which Phone Has The Best Cameras?
Which has the best battery?
Which has more storage?
Which is the most connectivity-friendly?
Which is more affordable?
Verdict: Does any of them really stand out?
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro Related Comparisons
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