Xiaomi or Samsung? Phones, Ecosystems and Updates Compared

In the upper echelon of the most popular smartphone manufacturers, both Xiaomi and Samsung sit pretty right at the top. While Samsung has been king-of-the-hill with its range of Galaxy smartphones for over a decade now, Xiaomi still remains a fairly young company. Nevertheless, the Chinese electronics giant has managed to grab a huge market share in the West recently.

Both manufacturers rely on Android and cover a wide price range. For this reason, we will divide this article into the three price categories of the flagship smartphone, mid-range, and entry-level models. In addition, we will also tell you how big the respective ecosystem is and how Samsung and Xiaomi have adopted Android in their respective skins.

Xiaomi vs. Samsung: Smartphone Catalogs Compared

Flagship

After the global launch of the Xiaomi 13 series, as well as the Xiaomi 13T series,  the stage is set for the big flagship duel between Android’s biggest brands. Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy S23 series a couple of days earlier, and we already know the prices for both the 2023 lines and the successors are not expected until early 2024.

In the Xiaomi corner, we find the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro models, as well as the 2022-launched 12T models, while for Samsung, it’s the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. Different from last season, Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, with a promised global launch and impressive camera specs, which you can read all about in nextpit’s review.

Since you can take a look at the exact differences in the table, we will focus on the most obvious similarities and differences. Both smartphone series offer the latest technologies like AMOLED displays with a 120 Hertz refresh rate, multiple cameras at high resolutions, and current wireless standards like 5G, Bluetooth 5.1/5.2, and Wi-Fi 6, plus the latest Android 12 operating system with several years of updates.

However, there are still some differences to take note of. For example, Xiaomi is ahead in terms of quick charging and battery performance. In return, Samsung negotiated a deal with processor maker Qualcomm to supply an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, which debuted in the Xiaomi phones.

On the software update side, Samsung managed to one-up its rival. While Xiaomi only offers three years of major Android updates and four years of security updates, Samsung pips it ahead with four major Android updates and five years of security updates.

As you can see: Xiaomi and Samsung hardly have anything to separate themselves in the flagship market. While there are minor differences between the lineups, both manufacturers represent the latest technologies in the smartphone world with their models. 

Mid-range

Despite all the attention in the flagship arena, the most heated battles probably happen in the mid-range space. With duels like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ versus the Galaxy A54, the category includes the best-selling models from both brands. 

Xiaomi is considered the manufacturer with the best price-performance ratio in the smartphone world, and that is to be taken quite literally in this case. Not only does the Chinese company offer superlative specifications on its Redmi Note 13 lineup, but it also counts on sub-brand Poco to offer flagship performing phones for mid-range prices.

However, Xiaomi’s software update policy is less convincing, and the pre-installed MIUI operating system does contain plenty of bloatware and even ads that require you to deactivate in a rather awkward manner. Also, their availability in the US is almost zero, with only independently imported models available in marketplaces.

Here, Samsung clearly positions itself as a brand for premium smartphones in the mid-range as well. The Galaxy A52, A52s, A52 5G, A72, and A32 models introduced in 2021 already shone with one of the longest update guarantees on the smartphone market. Samsung now continues this with the Galaxy A34 and Galaxy A54.

However, the phones do not have to hide in terms of specifications either. You get particularly high-quality AMOLED displays, triple or quad cameras with optical image stabilization, and sufficiently fast processors for the mid-range. However, Samsung cannot hold a candle to Xiaomi when it comes to fast charging times for smartphones, especially considering the Galaxy A models launched in 2022 and 2023 do not come with a charger in the box.

Entry-level

If smartphones are mainly supposed to be inexpensive, you can see an exciting development in this department in the last few years. For a long time now, Xiaomi was the first port of call for smartphones that cost less than $200. Samsung has reacted to this and even launched entry-level smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy A14. Basically, the same pros and cons apply as in the mid-range segment.

This means that Xiaomi normally offers a bit more performance and features for the same amount of money. Samsung, however, convinces with solid hardware, normally really good build quality, and its own Android skin, OneUI. However, we have to point out a special caveat for Xiaomi in this entry-level category.

Xiaomi also sells smartphones that have a particularly good price-performance ratio under the Poco brand. The manufacturer’s plan here is to offer the best possible hardware at the lowest possible price. For a market overview, take a look at our list of the best smartphones you can buy today for under $200.

Foldables

Over the past five years, a whole new smartphone category has opened up: foldable phones with touchscreens that simply fold in half. Although Xiaomi and Samsung introduced their first foldables pretty promptly, Samsung is clearly ahead of everyone else here. From 2021 until now, Samsung’s foldable smartphones continue to be the clear buying recommendation for unique handsets.

However, bear in mind that foldable smartphones are still costly. While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers a format that transforms a traditional smartphone into a tablet when opened, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is more reminiscent of a classic flip phone. From a half-smartphone, you get a full-size smartphone.

Xiaomi introduced the Mi Mix Fold in 2021, which was followed by the Mi Mix Fold 2 in 2022, and the Mix Fold 3 in 2023. The foldable follows a similar concept as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, but it has not been officially released outside of China. Since we do not recommend importing the smartphone, we will not go into more detail about the device. For more information, just follow the link to our review page of the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold.

Software and privacy

You have already read a bit about it in the earlier paragraphs concerning both smartphone offerings: Samsung is better positioned than Xiaomi in terms of software updates. To provide you with a better idea of this, we will take a closer look at both operating systems once again.

Samsung’s One UI

As the name suggests, Samsung’s One UI is used on all Android devices from the manufacturer. The Samsung-optimized Android interface is considered a thing of beauty among skins and offers numerous additional features like extended multitasking features, support for Samsung’s S Pen stylus, and native support for Samsung services like Samsung’s S Cloud.

In our review of Samsung’s latest One UI 5.0 skin, you can read about the myriad of options Samsung has implemented with the corresponding update to Android 13. Apart from the features, you can also look forward to the fact that Samsung’s own services are not preloaded with a lot of bloatware and that software updates are usually provided for longer.

Note that the manufacturer only extended the update policy for selected (high-end) models to four Android versions and five years of security updates at the beginning of 2022.

However, not everything is perfect in Samsung’s software either. The huge size of Samsung’s operating systems tends to stand out in reviews. Thus, you have to live with having up to 15% of the available storage space used up even before you set up your Samsung smartphone.

Samsung also works increasingly on implementing its own hardware and software ecosystem. For instance, you can only use the multi-pairing feature of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro with other Samsung devices.

Xiaomi HyperOS

2024 brings a new operating system for new Xiaomi launches: HyperOS replaces MIUI, with an emphasis on multi-device interoperability, better performance, and a new design with a new typeface (font) and beautiful customization options for the lock screen.

Xiaomi also considerably improved its OS update policies, especially for flagship phones, practically matching rivals Oppo and Samsung. But when it comes to cheaper models, Samsung is promising 5 years of security updates, while Xiaomi usually stops at three. Furthermore, Xiaomi repeatedly attracts negative attention with ads and bloatware on its phones.

For many people, Xiaomi’s operating system is also questionable because it is not entirely transparent with how the collected data is handled. As a Chinese company, Xiaomi has to strongly comply with the country’s data protection regulations. Thus, if you want to be sure that your data is not passed on to the Chinese Communist Party, you might want to look for another manufacturer. This is a political issue, but we do not want to enter this territory.

Wearables and other devices

Both Xiaomi and Samsung do not only see themselves as smartphone rivals. This is because, with the purchase of a new smartphone, you also gain a doorway into an ecosystem of other devices. Both manufacturers offer smartwatches, fitness trackers, tablets, TVs, in-ear Bluetooth headphones, and even washing machines or smart toilet seats. However, we only review wearables and tablets from these product categories.

In the table above, you can find current reviews of these devices from Xiaomi and Samsung. However, we only want to highlight this segment to you in order to illustrate the ecosystems of both manufacturers. Overall, Xiaomi and Samsung do not give each other much elbow room in this respect. If you feel comfortable with devices from a certain manufacturer, you can sit back and continue shopping with both Samsung and Xiaomi.

Price stability and sustainability

Xiaomi is a prime example of a manufacturer that produces so-called “fast phones”. In other words, smartphones are inexpensive to buy and reach the end of their life cycle after around two years. The manufacturer offers quick-charging technologies that shorten the battery lifespan and an update guarantee that corresponds to a similar time frame. Only the most expensive Xiaomi smartphones offer a longer update guarantee with three years of security updates.

The story is slightly different when it comes to Samsung. As mentioned earlier, numerous Samsung smartphones will now receive long-term support updates. The new devices from the S22 series, for example, can be used until 2027. The workmanship on these handsets is good enough that the devices should be able to last until then with a little bit of extra care and caution. However, even Samsung is not immune to the fast phone culture with its entry-level smartphones. The rule of thumb here is: The more expensive a Samsung smartphone is, the longer you can theoretically use it.

However, neither brand is a particularly sustainable smartphone manufacturer. Samsung omits the chargers in many of its more expensive smartphones and relies on plastic parts made from recycled fishing nets in the S22 series. Xiaomi did plan something similar with the Mi 11 but ultimately decided against leaving the charger out of the packaging for the Western market.

However, avoiding electronic waste by omitting the charger is not a prime example of sustainability at Samsung either. Small steps in the right direction should therefore not be a reason to buy Samsung in any case. If sustainability is important to you, you should go for models like the Shiftphone or Fairphone 4, which can be repaired and upgraded due to their modular form factor.

Conclusion