Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S vs Samsung Galaxy S21
Here we compared two smartphones: the 6.43-inch Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S (with MediaTek Helio G95) that was released on March 4, 2021, against the Samsung Galaxy S21, which is powered by Exynos 2100 and came out 2 months before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
- Comes with 1000 mAh larger battery capacity: 5000 vs 4000 mAh
- Expandable storage via MicroSD card up to 512GB
- Includes a 3.5 mm headphone audio jack port
- Has a built-in infrared port
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Higher display refresh rate – 120 Hz
- 2x better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (806K versus 412K)
- Better camera quality (According to DxOMark rating)
- Handles wireless charging up to 15W
- Optical image stabilization
- Waterproof body (IP68 classification)
- The rear camera has a 1.1x optical zoom
- More energy-efficient CPU – Exynos 2100
- Uses a faster type of memory: LPDDR5 2750 MHz
- Compatible with Wi-Fi 6 wireless networks
- Delivers 23% higher peak brightness (864 against 700 nits)
- The front-facing camera can record video at 4K
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Scores with a red asterisk (
*
) are approximate and may change in the future as we gather more data.
Value for money
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Size | 6.43 inches | 6.2 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 20:9 | 20:9 |
| PPI | 409 ppi | 421 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Max rated brightness | 450 nits | 800 nits |
| Max rated brightness in HDR | 1100 nits | - |
| HDR support | Yes, HDR10 | Yes, HDR10+ |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 83.5% | 87.2% |
| Display features |
- DCI-P3
- Always-On Display - DC Dimming |
- DCI-P3
- Always-On Display |
| RGB color space | 91.6% | 99.5% |
| PWM | 250 Hz | 240 Hz |
| Response time | 4.4 ms | 5 ms |
| Contrast | ∞ Infinity | ∞ Infinity |
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 160.5 mm (6.32 inches) | 151.7 mm (5.97 inches) |
| Width | 74.5 mm (2.93 inches) | 71.2 mm (2.8 inches) |
| Thickness | 8.3 mm (0.33 inches) | 7.9 mm (0.31 inches) |
| Weight | 178.8 g (6.31 oz) | 169 g (5.96 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP53 | IP68 |
| Rear material | Plastic | Plastic |
| Frame material | Plastic | Metal |
| Colors | White, Gray, Blue | White, Gray, Pink, Purple |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-button | Yes, in-display |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio G95 | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| Max clock | 2050 MHz | 2900 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (2 + 6) | 8 (1 + 3 + 4) |
| Architecture |
- 6 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A55
- 2 cores at 2.05 GHz: Cortex-A76 |
- 4 cores at 2.2 GHz: Cortex-A55
- 3 cores at 2.81 GHz: Cortex-A78 - 1 core at 2.91 GHz: Cortex-X1 |
| Lithography process | 12 nanometers | 5 nanometers |
| Graphics | Mali-G76 MP4 | Mali-G78 MP14 |
| GPU shading units | 144 | 896 |
| GPU clock | 900 MHz | 854 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~259.2 GFLOPS | ~1530.4 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
AnTuTu Benchmark 10
| CPU | 116163 | 150223 |
| GPU | 104666 | 340353 |
| Memory | 88603 | 151885 |
| UX | 101936 | 158712 |
| Total score | 412654 | 806977 |
3DMark Wild Life Performance
| Max surface temperature | 41.2 °C | 38.9 °C |
| Stability | - | 66% |
| Graphics test | - | 34 FPS |
| Graphics score | - | 5714 |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | - | 12591 |
| Video editing | - | 7113 |
| Photo editing | - | 29385 |
| Data manipulation | - | 10438 |
| Writing score | - | 16561 |
Memory
| RAM size | 6, 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR5 |
| Memory clock | 2133 MHz | 2750 MHz |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Storage size | 64, 128 GB | 128, 256 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 3.1 |
| Memory card | MicroSD | No |
| Memory card max size | Up to 512 GB | - |
Software
| Operating system | Android 11 (Can be upgraded to Android 13) | Android 11 (Can be upgraded to Android 13) |
| ROM | MIUI 14 | One UI 5.1 |
| OS size | 18 GB | 28.1 GB |
Battery
| Capacity | 5000 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Max charge power | 33 W | 25 W |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | No | Yes (15 W) |
| Reverse charging | Yes | Yes, (wireless) |
| Fast charging | Yes (50% in 35 min) | Yes (55% in 50 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:09 hr | 1:35 hr |
| Web browsing | - | 07:27 hr |
| Watching video | - | 12:26 hr |
| Gaming | - | 04:31 hr |
| Standby | - | 92 hr |
General battery life
Camera
| Matrix | 64 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 9216 x 6912 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Zoom | Digital | Optical, 1.1x |
| Flash | LED | Dual LED |
| Stabilization | Digital | Optical |
| 8K video recording | No | Up to 24FPS |
| 4K video recording | Up to 30FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | 960 FPS (720p) | 960 FPS (720p) |
| Angle of widest lens | 118° | 120° |
| Lenses | 4 (64 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP) | 3 (12 MP + 64 MP + 12 MP) |
| Wide (main) lens |
- 64 MP
- Aperture: f/1.8 - Focal length: 26 mm - Pixel size: 0.8 micron - Sensor: 1/1.97", OmniVision OV64B (PureCel) - Phase autofocus |
- 12 MP
- Aperture: f/1.8 - Focal length: 26 mm - Pixel size: 1.8 micron - Sensor: 1/1.76", Sony IMX555 (Exmor-RS CMOS) - Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) - Optical stabilization |
| Telephoto lens | - |
- 64 MP
- Aperture: f/2.0 - Focal length: 28 mm - Pixel size: 0.8 micron - Sensor: 1/1.72", Samsung Bright S5KGW2 (ISOCELL Plus CMOS) - Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) - Optical stabilization |
| Ultra-wide lens |
- 8 MP
- Aperture: f/2.2 - Focal length: 13 mm - Pixel size: 1.14 micron - Sensor: 1/4", Sony IMX355 (Exmor-RS CMOS) |
- 12 MP
- Aperture: f/2.2 - Focal length: 13 mm - Pixel size: 1.4 micron - Sensor: 1/2.55", Sony IMX563 (Exmor-RS CMOS) - Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) |
| Macro lens |
- 2 MP
- Aperture: f/2.4 - Sensor: 1/5", GalaxyCore GC02M1 (CMOS) |
- |
| Depth lens |
- 2 MP
- Aperture: f/2.4 - Pixel size: 1.75 micron |
- |
| Camera features |
- Bokeh mode
- Pro mode - RAW support |
- Bokeh mode
- Pro mode - RAW support |
| Samples | Photo samples of Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S from DxOMark | Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S21 from DxOMark |
| Megapixels | 13 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4290 x 2800 | 3872 x 2592 |
| Aperture | f/2.5 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | - | 26 mm |
| Pixel size | 1.12 microns | 1.22 microns |
| Sensor type | PureCel | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/3.06" | 1/3.24" |
| Video resolution | 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS | 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS |
DxOMark camera tests
Photo quality
Video quality
Generic camera score
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 b/g/n/ac) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) |
| Wi-Fi features |
- Dual Band
- Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band
- Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
| Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 |
| Bluetooth features | LE, HID, A2DP | LE, A2DP |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 2 | 3.2 |
| USB features |
- Charging
- USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging
- USB-Storage mode - USB-Host mode - OTG |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, NAVIC | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| NFC * | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | Yes | No |
| Number of SIM * | 2 | 2 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| Multi SIM mode | Standby | Standby |
| eSIM support * | No | Yes |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| LTE Cat * | 12 | 24 |
| 5G support | No | Yes |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo |
| Headphone audio jack | Yes | No |
| FM radio | Yes | No |
| Dolby Atmos | No | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Mid-range | Flagship |
| Announced | March 2021 | January 2021 |
| Release date | April 2021 | February 2021 |
| SAR (head) | - | 0.46 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | - | 1.51 W/kg |
| Sensors |
- Gyroscope
- Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Hall-effect sensor
- Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
*
Disclaimer!
NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, we think that the Samsung Galaxy S21 is definitely a better buy.