[TEST] Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: Which flagship photos better?

Some time ago we were the first to bring you in Slovakia and the Czech Republic review on Xiaomi mi 11 ultra. It is a premium smartphone presented by this Chinese giant. Its price also ranges among the best equipped smartphones.

At first glance, it is clear that this model will try to impress with its photographic equipment. We decided to find out how it will stand against the top Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is in the lead, but the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra will not disappoint

We started with indoor photography. This shows that at first glance, the shots from both models may seem very similar. However, we need to focus on the details.

When we zoom in on the bottom of the ship, we see that the text is better readable on Xiaomi mi 11 ultra, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra leads in better contrast, dynamirange and overall the photo is better lit.

It is probably clear to you that Xiaomi is known for creating softer and finer photos. In these pictures of flowers, we can see that the Mi 11 Ultra makes softer and smoother photos, while Samsung likes to add to the sharpness of the corners. We think both photos are worth it.

This photograph, taken about 40 times, is a clear proof that the edges of the objects in the photographs Xiaomi they are practically non-existent.

They are so delicate you can hardly see them. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra on the other hand, it has plenty of sharpness, the greenery is more detailed, as well as the contours of the car. Samsung is the clear winner in this case.

Both models can easily cope with poorer lighting. In this particular case, we don't say very well which smartphone captured a better photo of the candle.

Xiaomi has more colorful colors, for which we would add some of the imaginary points. My 11 Ultra captured the background in more detail, Galaxy s21 ultra again foreground.

Ultra Widescreen (Macro Shot) - Galaxy S21 Ultra

Portet mode is great on both devices, but in most cases we would lean towards Samsung.

In addition, with its ultra-wide lens, it can create a really great macro that you just won't see so often.

We were clearly interested in telephoto lenses. After all, these are the advantages of these top flagships. As this 100x close-up of the aircraft shows, it looks like Samsung's top zooms in better.

However, Xiaomi certainly does not disappoint and has a telephoto lens better than, for example, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro, which has a 5x optical zoom. Even the resulting photos are better after all, which we praise Xiaomi for.

You can see the photos from the comparison in full resolution in this reference.

When it comes to astrophotography, Samsung clearly wins. The photo not only looks better, but also captures more detail.

For those who will try to create similar photos, the option of shooting in RAW format is available. This will enable better editing options and the preservation of better details that are literally "raw" extracted from the sensor.

However, JPG certainly created Xiaomi better. As you may have noticed, a RAW photo from the Mi 11 Ultra wouldn't have looked so bad without a lens flare from the surrounding lights.

On another tilt of the tripod, it would at least partially disappear, but it is still negative that it was formed at all. We would blame it on a huge, glass module with cameras and a secondary display.

Comparison of capabilities of all sensors

First, imagine each and one sensor on the back of both devices. The main sensor on Xiaomi mi 11 ultra become 50 MP Dual Pixel PDAF sensor with physical dimension 1 / 1.12 ", pixel size 1,4 um, luminosity f / 2.0, laser autofocus and optical image stabilization.

He's second to him 48 MP 1 / 2.0 ″ ultra wide angle lens with aperture number f / 2.2, above average 128-degree angle shot, PDAF and pixel size 0,8 um.

The third camera is, of course, a periscope telephoto lens with a maximum digital (hybrid) zoom of up to 120x.

However, in reality you will use something up to 50 times, more will not make much sense. Samsung has a 100x zoom, but both models have a 10x optical. Even in the case of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, you will only use something up to 50 times the real zoom.

Parameter / Smartphone	Xiaomi mi 11 ultra	Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
dimensions	164.3 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm	165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm
Weight	234 g	227 g
Display	6,81 inches, AMOLED, 120 Hz, HDR10 +, 1700 nits peak	6,8 inches, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits peak
processor	Snapdragon 888	Exynos 2100
Operational memory	12 GB	12 GB
Storage space	256 GB	128 GB
Operating system	Android 11 + MIUI 12.5.7	Android 11 + One UI 3.1
Drums	5000 mAh	5000 mAh
charging	120 W wired + 80 W wireless + 10 W reverse	25 W wired + 15 W wireless + 4,5 W reverse

Each phone has software-fixed default zoom values, so if some comparison photos have a different zoom, it's because of this factor.

We would also like to mention that zooming in from 3x to 10x on Samsung is provided by a dedicated telephoto lens with a triple optical zoom and a resolution of 10 MP. From 10x real zoom, the phone switches to a telephoto lens with 10x zoom.