Redmi or Poco: which Xiaomi smartphone is the best? The Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi offers numerous smartphones, most of which offer a really great price-performance ratio. Which is the best? 07/18/2022 8:30 p.m. tech stage

Like the competition from Samsung (guide) , Realme and Apple, Xiaomi is also trying to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible for its smartphones. This is made possible by an extensive portfolio of different devices, through which, thanks to different technology and a wide range of prices, there should be something for everyone. This is understandable from the manufacturer’s point of view, because the willing customer can buy a corresponding Xiaomi product in any price range.

However, it is becoming increasingly confusing for interested parties. This applies all the more to Xiaomi, because here some smartphones are so similar that not only occasional buyers despair. Our article Buyer’s guide shows that this hasn’t just been the case since yesterday : Xiaomi Mi 9 vs. Mi 9T vs. Mi9T Pro vs. Mi 9SE . Since then, Xiaomi has not changed the confusing naming, which suggests that the lack of transparency may even be intentional.

There are basically five main categories: Mi, Redmi, Poco, Blackshark and Mix. In theory, each series follows certain specifications in order to differentiate itself from one another. In everyday life, however, the transitions from Redmi to Poco models are so fluid that a clear classification apart from the name is difficult. This is not quite as drastic in the top series, the gaming smartphones (“Black Shark”) and the innovation series (“Mix”). We are therefore concentrating on the Redmi and Poco series in this guide.

The manufacturer classifies its top models in this category. Since 2022, the Mi series has not actually been called Mi at all, instead the manufacturer only uses its name and an attached number. Distinctions within the series are indicated by different additional letters and other suffixes. The best examples are the Xiaomi 12 (test report) and Xiaomi 12 Pro (test report) , and there is also the slightly slimmed-down Xiaomi 12X. The long-awaited top model Xiaomi 12S Ultra has now been presented, but was not yet available in Germany at the time of the article.

Only top chipsets are used in the top series, there is also a lot of memory and the cameras of the models are really good. In addition, there is great workmanship and high-quality materials. A few months after the initial release, the manufacturer usually launches models with the letter T in the name, such as the Mi 11T Pro (test report) . The T-models usually offer the same high-quality feeling, make slight technical compromises, but often offer innovations elsewhere.

Actually, Blackshark is not a series, but a subsidiary of Xiaomi. Models with this name focus exclusively on gaming smartphones and accordingly come to the customer with RGB lighting, additional keys, a lot of memory, good displays and a lot of power. The camera, on the other hand, traditionally falls by the wayside.

Smartphones from the Mi Mix series often come with new features that have not been available in any other series model to date. The first Mi Mix smartphone with a particularly large display-to-housing ratio and ceramic unibody was convincing. The manufacturer seems to be using these devices to test how certain features are received by customers – most Mi Mix models are not officially made in Germany, but have to be imported.

Smartphones from the Redmi series mostly offer a particularly good price-performance ratio and are mainly located in the middle class. Accordingly, there are no top, but mid-range chipsets. The same applies to the display, the storage capacity and the camera. High-quality materials are also non-existent, plastic usually predominates here.

In the meantime, however, there are exceptions when it comes to technology and sometimes also materials. However, this also drives up the price. A Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G (test report) now costs 400 to 450 euros in the manufacturer’s RRP, depending on the memory equipment, but there are also some technical highlights such as a 120 Hz OLED display, 120 watt fast charging and a Main camera with 108 megapixels. There are also other subdivisions in the Redmi series, which are differentiated by means of additional letters and other appendices. C usually stands for the weakest version, Pro and Pro+ for even better equipped models.

Poco is an externally independent sub-brand of Xiaomi. Initially, in 2018, it was the epitome of value for money, which was less about cheap technology at low prices and more about amazingly high-quality technology at low prices. The best example is the Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro (test report) , which offered highlights such as a particularly strong chipset from Qualcomm’s 800 series and a 120 Hz LCD at the market launch for only 250 euros. Xiaomi has obviously brought too much competition into its own house, because the successor Poco X4 Pro (test report)currently offers “only” a mid-range chipset, relies on 120 Hz OLED and costs more. Meanwhile, Xiaomi seems to see Poco as a mid-range brand above the Redmi series. This is reflected in terms of price and technology.

One reason for the reorientation should also be the overlap between the Poco and Redmi models. The Redmi 11S 5G (test report) we recently tested is technically the older Poco M4 Pro. However, this does not change the confusion that exists within the Redmi series. More and more models not only have similar names, but also carry almost identical technology. Would you like an example? There are currently 10 “current” Redmi models on the manufacturer’s website alone, of which the Redmi 10C can only be found among the offers. Some of the models show clear similarities to each other:

Who is supposed to see through that? We have therefore made a table of the 10 Redmi models that shows the differences between each model in the clearest possible way. We have always compared the cheapest version with each other and sorted them in ascending price order. The comparative text usually refers to the model previously listed.

At less than 150 euros, the Redmi 10C is the cheapest model in the series. Surprising: At 6.71 inches, it offers the largest display. However, it only has HD resolution and 60 Hz. In the camera, only the main lens counts with 50 megapixels, the chip is a Qualcomm 680 in the plastic housing. 4/64 GB of storage is fine, like all models in the range, the internal storage is expandable. All Redmi models have a fingerprint sensor. The 10C lacks 5G, as does the IR blaster that is otherwise typical of Xiaomi. There is a powerful battery with 5000 mAh.

The screen is a bit smaller at 6.5 inches, but in the Redmi Note 10 5G (test report) it offers FHD+ and 90 Hz with IPS LCD technology. There are few differences in the camera, the additional macro lens is not worth mentioning. The chipset is stronger than Dimensity 700, there are no changes in memory. In comparison to the 10C, there is already 5G and IP53 protection against splash water for just 10 euros more.

The display is like that of the Note 10 5G, and for the first time a wide-angle lens is added to the camera. Everything remains the same in terms of equipment, but instead of the modern Dimensity 700, the slightly older Helio G88 is used. There is no 5G, nor is there protection against water, but there is an FM radio and stereo speakers.