Over the last few days, I’ve received requests to compare these two phones. I think the choice here is direct and easy. So I won’t even include camera comparisons here (you’ll find those on social media in the coming days).

The two devices share the same almost everything that’s important to performance:

Same Snapdragon 888 5G chipset
Same amount of RAM at 8GB
Same UFS 3.1 128GB storage for the base model
Same Gorilla Glass Victus
Both support 120Hz Refresh Rates

They are however quite different. The Xiaomi has crazy fast charging, meanwhile the Samsung supports wireless charging, and has an IP68 rating. Here are the main differences between the two devices:

Display sizes: Xiaomi has a larger display at 6.67 inches
Cameras: Xiaomi has a 108MP main sensor compared to Samsung’s 12MP main camera. Samsung has a 32MP selfie camera while the Xiaomi has a 16MP selfie shooter.
Operating system: Xiaomi runs MIUI 12.5 on top of Android 11 while Samsung ships with Android 12 with ONE UI 4.
Battery and Fast charging: Xiaomi can charge in 17mins from 0-100% while Samsung will take 30mins from 0-50%.
Wireless charging: Samsung supports wireless charging, including reverse wireless charging to charge earbuds etc. Xiaomi doesn’t.
IP Rating: Xiaomi comes with IP53 dust and splash protection. Meanwhile the Samsung can be dipped underwater for up to 30mins

Which one to get:

I can’t say the cameras are so different to make you choose one over the other. I can’t say the performance is different at all. I also can’t pick one display over the other. I can only look at the difference in pricing.

And with that in mind, this is an easy win for the Xiaomi 11T Pro.

But it also depends on what you like, and how you can justify your choice.

I’ve tried to find the compromises Xiaomi has taken to achieve this price point and I honestly can’t point a single thing out.

The S21 FE for me is just a rebadged S21 Base device. It’s really good, but it’s really pricey. The main reasons to get it is that you’re not only assured of very clean UI but also frequent updates.

What are your thoughts?

Full specs comparison between Galaxy S21 FE and Xiaomi 11T Pro:

The differences are highlighted in RED.

Phones:	Galaxy S21 FE	Xiaomi 11T Pro
PRICE	KES 88,299 for 128GB model KES 96,999 for 256GB model	KES 49,999 for 128GB Model KES 64,999 for 256GB Model
Display	6.4 inches Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz Refresh Rate HDR 10+ Corning Gorilla Glass Victus	6.67 inches AMOLED 120Hz Refresh Rate Dolby Vision, HDR10+ Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Rear Camera	12 MP Main 8 MP 3x telephoto 12 MP ultrawide	108 MP Main 5 MP telephoto 8 MP, ultrawide
Front Camera	32 MP	16 MP
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)	Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)
GPU	Adreno 660	Adreno 660
RAM	8GB RAM	8GB RAM
Storage	128/256GB Storage UFS 3.1	128/256GB Storage UFS 3.1
Operating System	Android 12, One UI 4	Android 11 + MIUI 12.5
Battery	4500 mAh 25W Fast Charging (50% in 30mins) 15W Wireless Charging Reverse Wireless Charging Power Delivery 3.0	5000 mAh 120W Fast Charging (100% in 17mins) 72% in 10mins No wireless charging Power Delivery 3.0 + Quick Charge 3
Network	2G, 3G, 4G, 5G Support	2G, 3G, 4G, 5G Support
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6e Bluetooth 5.1, A2DP, LE NFC USB Type-C 3.2, USB On-The-Go	Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive NFC Infrared port USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go,
Extra	IP68 dust/water resistant	IP53, dust and splash protection
Security	Optical Under-Display Fingerprint Scanner	Side-mounted Fingerprint scanner