Xiaomi, Redmi, Poco: The best smartphones from the test
In just a few years, Xiaomi has risen among the top smartphone makers, surpassing Huawei, which continues to suffer from the US embargo. And Xiaomi’s range is large, because even where it says Poco or Redmi on it, Xiaomi is in it. Here you will find the best Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones from the COMPUTER BILD smartphone test.
Test winner: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Very high speed
Good photo quality
Slippery, chunky back
Memory not expandable
Price tip: Xiaomi Poco F3
Very high speed
High contrast screen
Not waterproof
Memory not expandable
The Xiaomi Poco F3 is rather atypical for Poco smartphones in its appearance. It is less conspicuous, makes a serious impression and fits better with the Redmi relatives or with the Xiaomi models. The 6.67-inch OLED screen is sharp and bright with 2400×1080 pixels and impresses with high contrast and a 120 Hertz screen refresh rate. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 ensures strong performance that is rare in the price range. The Poco F3 also has good endurance and a quite usable camera. The data turbo 5G completes the equipment.
This is how COMPUTER BILD tests mobile phones
All smartphones complete five chapters in the test:
Working and operating speed: The evaluation of the operating speed depends, among other things, on loading and reaction times. The work speed is measured using various benchmarks.
Battery and charging power: In the COMPUTER BILD mobile phone battery test, a robotic arm abuses the device in an endless loop with calls, text messages, surfing and videos until the lights go out. We also log how efficiently the candidate uses energy and how quickly it is recharged.
Camera quality: Hundreds of photos are taken and analyzed with the main and selfie cameras in all lighting conditions.
Display quality: The laboratory determines contrast, sharpness (in ppi = pixels per inch), brightness, color space and color fidelity. It also has a positive effect when the edge around the display is not so bulky. You can find the results in the article “The smartphones with the best screens”.
Equipment and value: Among other things, this involves storage capacity and access locks such as fingerprint sensors or face recognition. Even the scratch resistance of the display and housing is determined, equipment components such as dual SIM, memory expansions and the mobile and WLAN transmission speed are checked. There are also points for a waterproof housing.
Inexpensive cross-country skier: Poco M3
The Poco M3 is inexpensive, but also the weakest performing Poco. It can still be used reasonably in everyday use, but complex 3D games push the processor to its limits. It is incomprehensible and a pity that Xiaomi saves the NFC chip. However, the manufacturer did not save on the powerful battery, which lasts 13 hours and 20 minutes with intensive use. This makes the Poco M3 one of the absolute endurance artists in the mobile phone battery test. The 6.53-inch LC screen is sharp with 2340×1080 pixels.
Turbocharged: Xiaomi 11T Pro
Mega fast loading
High speed
Not waterproof
Not wirelessly chargeable
As for fast charging, is Xiaomi’s 11T Pro in a class of its own with 120 watts of charging power. A full charge takes less than half an hour. This puts the 11T Pro at the top of the list of phones that charge the fastest. And the 11T Pro is also at the forefront when it comes to processor power. The crisp OLED fits the high-end claim.
Redmi, Poco, Mi and No-Mi-More: model names
Redmi overview: Xiaomi sells cheaper smartphones under the sender Redmi or Poco. Xiaomi’s Redmi sub-brand initially had to make do with LCDs. That has changed since the Redmi Note 10 series. The current Redmi Note 11 also comes with OLED, the entry-level model Redmi 10 with LCD. Redmi only has 5G if it says so, like the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. Apart from the fast F models, Poco uses LCDs. The medium-sized devices already have 5G for this.
Mi overview: Mi smartphones like the Mi 11 form the upper class of the Xiaomi model series – mostly with 5G. But this group is also further subdivided: Cheaper offshoots, which are close in price to Redmi cell phones, have the suffix “Lite”. Then there are the T-models, initially with a cheaper LCD. All other more expensive Xiaomi Mi smartphones have a high-contrast OLED screen.
Ciao Mi: Xiaomi has now dispensed with the addition “Mi” in the model designation. This is the name of the successor to the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE and the new top model will simply be the Xiaomi 12. And the T models Xiaomi 11T and Xiaomi 11T Pro also have a crisp OLED.
Note, Pro and Ultra variants: Xiaomi also offers “Note” and “Pro” variants in almost every model series. That is why there is both a Mi Note 10 Pro and a Redmi Note 10 Pro. The addition “Note” is not clearly documented – unlike Samsung, there is no screen pen here. But with Redmi “Note” means more equipment than without. “Pro” is what Xiaomi calls high-end equipment – even for cheap entry-level cell phones. The absolute top models are called “Ultra” – so far there was only the Mi 11 Ultra.
There is almost no water resistance
Apart from the Mi 11 Ultra, none of the Xiaomi models are really waterproof, at least if you make an IP certification a condition. Although many new Redmis are certified according to IP 53, this is only a splash protection. Better than nothing, but not really waterproof.
New test procedure
This is how COMPUTER BILD tests: smartphones
Conclusion: Xiaomi, Poco and Redmi in comparison
Despite the confusingly similar names, the Xiaomi smartphones turn out to be quite different. The best smartphone so far was the Mi 11 Ultra. In general, the best models come from Xiaomi, followed by the Poco F models. Then Pocos and Redmis mix, which are so strong in their price ranges that they can definitely compete with top dog Samsung. The model designations are very similar and the differences are in the details. Sometimes it says “Note”, sometimes “Lite”, sometimes “Mi”. It is advisable to take a close look at the equipment. You can read about the omissions and advantages of mobile phones in the detailed tests by COMPUTER BILD.
Xiaomi smartphones: frequently asked questions
What is the best Xiaomi smartphone?
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has achieved the best test result so far. However, it is practically sold out and therefore not always represented in the leaderboard. It only appears there if there are also offers from retailers.
What does the “T” mean on the Xiaomi models?
So far, the top models like the Xiaomi Mi 10 came out in the spring and then the Xiaomi Mi 10T T models came out in the fall. The T-models are usually cheaper, but also technically slimmed down. Compared to the Xiaomi Mi 10, the Xiaomi Mi 10T only has an LCD instead of an OLED and cannot charge inductively.
Which Xiaomi smartphones are waterproof?
Without IP certification, COMPUTER BILD does not classify mobile phones as waterproof. But not every stage is truly waterproof. IP 53 only protects against splash water. Only from IP 67 do we rate smartphones as impervious. So far, only the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra with IP 68 has fulfilled this.
How long has Xiaomi been in Germany?
Xiaomi has only been officially active in Germany since 2019. The first smartphone was the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro. Before that, buying Xiaomi cell phones was only possible via import with all its disadvantages such as customs, the lack of German menus and problems in warranty cases. A year ago only 22 percent of Germans knew Xiaomi, today the brand is known to 37 percent. In July 2020, the first shop in Germany opened in Düsseldorf.
When was Xiaomi founded?
Xiaomi was founded in 2010 and is now one of the three largest smartphone manufacturers. In the third quarter of 2020, Xiaomi sold 44.4 million units, more than Apple (40.6 million), behind Samsung (80.8 million) and Huawei, whose market share is year-on-year due to the US sanctions fell by 21.3 percent. Xiaomi had no restrictions on Google apps and grew by 34.9 percent over the same period.
What else does Xiaomi sell besides smartphones?
Xiaomi is also active in the licensing business and markets products from other manufacturers under the Mi label. This goes from tools to action cameras. To further increase awareness, Media Markt and Saturn also offer smart home products, gaming accessories and household appliances from Xiaomi.
Which smartphone has the best price-performance ratio?
The cell phones with the best value can be found in the article “Price and performance of current cell phones in the test”. Among the smartphones, the Poco F3 in particular has stood out with great performance at a reasonable price. The F3 stands out because it is very powerful and has a high-contrast OLED screen.
Who is the global market leader in smartphones?
In the third quarter of 2021, Samsung had the largest market share worldwide at 20.8 percent, ahead of Apple (15.2 percent) and Xiaomi (13.4 percent).
What is Germany’s most popular mobile phone brand?
In Germany, Samsung is the most popular mobile phone brand, ahead of Apple and Huawei and Xiaomi. Xiaomi uses Huawei’s weakness resulting from the US trade embargo and prohibiting the use of the normal Android OS in new smartphones.
