We compare the camera of the xiaomi mi 10 pro with that of the samsung galaxy s20 ultra

The natural successor to the Xiaomi Mi 9 has just been launched by the Asian firm. There are two models that have been presented a few hours ago, the Xiaomi Mi 10 and the Mi 10 Pro. The most interesting novelty of the two terminals comes from the photographic section, a photographic section that is enhanced in the case of the model Pro. Due to its characteristics, the most direct rival of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, a terminal that shares some similarities with the Chinese brand's phone. Let's see their main differences by putting two of the best exponents of mobile photography in front of Android.

Main sensor: same 108 megapixel camera

So is. The two Asian exponents arrive with the same 108 megapixel main sensor. It is the ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor developed by Samsung in collaboration with Xiaomi.

Beyond its resolution, its main feature resides in Pixel Binning technology, a system that combines the information of several pixels into one to provide greater detail. In this case of the Galaxy S20 and Mi 10 Pro, the sensor captures the information of nine pixels in a single pixel, when taking photos at 12 megapixels. It is also possible to take pictures at 12,032 x 9,024 pixels of resolution, or what is the same, 108 megapixels. Precisely because of its resolution, the sensor is capable of recording 8K video, something that both terminals boast about.

Another of the most remarkable aspects of the camera comes with the size of the sensor. E l original size of the same is 1 / 1.33 inches, which has a direct impact on the collection of light through the various pixels in conditions where lighting is poor. It is accompanied by a focal aperture f / 1.8 in the case of the Galaxy S20 and a focal f / 1.69 in the case of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro.

The results, in the absence of testing both devices in hand, should not differ significantly if we ignore aspects such as post-processing of the images. All in all, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro sensor is brighter, by using a wider focal length.

Secondary sensor: same wide angle, different characteristics

The camera setup of the Galaxy S20 Ultra with respect to Xiaomi's Mi 10 Pro beyond the main camera is similar across all sensors.

Both terminals opt for a wide-angle lens in the secondary sensor, which in the Samsung model is 12 megapixels and in the Xiaomi model it is 20. The differences beyond this aspect are rather scarce: both have a focal length f / 2.2, and in the absence of official confirmation from both parties, both have an aperture of 123º.

The rest of the characteristics are somewhat more dissonant, starting with the size of the pixels, which in the case of Samsung is 1.4 um, while in the case of Xiaomi it is 1.0. This is evident in the amount of light that each sensor is capable of collecting. The theory tells us that the sensor of the Galaxy S20 Ultra is brighter. In contrast, the sensor of the Mi 10 Pro offers greater detail by having a higher resolution.

Tertiary sensor: award for Xiaomi in the telephoto

There is no mystery: Xiaomi takes the Galaxy S20 on the street. The third camera of both phones uses a telephoto lens capable of offering up to five optical magnifications in the case of Xiaomi and up to three in the case of Samsung. The zoom level, therefore, is higher on the Xiaomi mobile phone. It is not in the rest of the characteristics.

Samsung's phone consists of a 48 megapixel sensor, while Xiaomi's is worth only 8 megapixels. The bet of the Galaxy S20 uses Artificial Intelligence to recompose part of the image, with a zoom level that reaches up to one hundred increases (yes, you read that correctly). The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, for its part, opts for a more capable lens to obtain a zoom level of ten times. It also opts for a significantly brighter focal length than Samsung's: f / 2.0 versus f / 3.5.

Both phones will have to be tested in hand to know the results in different scenarios, although everything indicates that Xiaomi's bet is higher.

Quaternary sensor: two different solutions with two different lenses

The last and fourth sensor starts from two different premises in the two Asian exponents. Samsung opts for a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor, a sensor that performs an analysis of objects in 3D to improve aspects of photography such as depth of field or the details of the closest objects. The Chinese model, for its part, opts for a 12 megapixel camera whose objective is focused on offering a zoom level of two increases. Accompanied by a telephoto lens, the sensor has a focal aperture f / 2.0, enough not to lose detail at night.

Obviating the technical differences between one and the other, everything indicates that the Galaxy S20 Ultra will be able to offer us much better defined images in Portrait mode. The Xiaomi model chooses to offer a more versatile zoom level. For the Portrait mode of the Xiaomi terminal it uses Artificial Intelligence to recognize the background and the body of the images. Also of the mentioned sensor to calculate the distance with respect to the main sensor.

The result, broadly speaking, should be somewhat worse in the Xiaomi model, although it all depends on the processing of each company.

Conclusion: it all depends on the software

The technical differences between one and the other are few. It is a fact. The main sensor should give a practically traced result. Also the wide angle, except for some differences that place the scale on the Xiaomi side. The level of zoom that each of the terminals is capable of offering is the great unknown in the equation in qualitative terms.

The result, as Google and Apple have shown with their respective iPhone 11 Pro and Pixel 4, largely depends on the software and the post-processing of the images. It is true that the Xiaomi phone is superior in some aspects of the hardware. Nonetheless, Samsung's software has historically proven to be superior, something that can tip the balance across all of the Galaxy S20 Ultra's sensors.