The Xiaomi Mi 10 is an interesting phone. In our Xiaomi Mi 10 review, we called it a premium piece of kit that can hang with the competition. The real competition for the phone, however, is the OnePlus 8 series.
The OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro pack a one-two punch to tackle the affordable flagship and premium ends of the market. Slotting right between the two, the Xiaomi Mi 10 offers a compelling package that will be intriguing to many a buyer — especially those put off by the higher-priced Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro.
If you are in the market for a new flagship killer without spending absolute top dollar, which one of these three should you get? Find out in this OnePlus 8 vs Xiaomi Mi 10 vs OnePlus 8 Pro face-off.
OnePlus 8 vs Xiaomi Mi 10: Specs
| Mi 10 | OnePlus 8 | OnePlus 8 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.67-in AMOLED DotDisplay with TrueColor 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 92.4% body/screen ratio 90Hz Full HD+ 800nits Under-display fingerprint reader |
6.55-inch AMOLED 2,400 x 1,080 (20:9) 90Hz refresh rate In-display fingerprint sensor 3D Corning Gorilla Glass |
6.78-inch AMOLED 3,168 x 1,440 (19.8:9) 120Hz refresh rate In-display fingerprint sensor 3D Corning Gorilla Glass |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Adreno 650 GPU LiquidCool 2.0 vapor chamber |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 RAM | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 256 UFS 3.0 storage | 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.0 2-LANE | 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.0 |
| Cameras | Rear: Main: 108MP, f/1.69, 1/1.33-in sensor, 82-degree FoV Ultra-Wide: 13MP, f/2.2, 117-degree FoV Macro: 2MP, f/2.4 Depth: 2MP, f/2.4 Front: Video: |
Rear: 48MP, f/1.78, 0.8µm, OIS, EIS 2MP macro, f/2.4, 1.75µm 16MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 116° Front: |
Rear: 48MP, f/1.78, 1.12µm, OIS, EIS 8MP 3x telephoto, f/2.44, 1.0µm, OIS 48MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 119.7° 5MP color filter, f/2.4 Front: |
| Battery | 4,780mAh 30W wired charging 30W wireless charging 30W charger in box |
4,300mAh Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A) |
4,510mAh Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A) Warp Charge 30 Wireless |
| IP Rating | None | None | IP68 |
| Software | MIUI 11 Android 10 |
Oxygen OS Android 10 |
Oxygen OS Android 10 |
| Dimensions and weight | 162.58 x 74.8 x 8.96mm 208g |
160.2 x 72.9 x 8.0mm 180g |
165.3 x 74.35 x 8.5mm 199g |
Design
All three phones take a step towards minimalism with clean lines and subtle gradients. The Mi 10, in particular, has a glossy look and premium build that oozes sex appeal and is befitting of a device that ranks among the best Xiaomi phones to date.
The OnePlus 8 is a significant evolution over the previous year’s model. Gone is the polarizing circular camera island. Instead, you get a centrally mounted camera array that is similar to the one on the Pro line.
While the Mi 10 and OnePlus 8 both have relatively flat back panels, the OnePlus 8 Pro opts for a curved glass back that is much more comfortable to hold. Keeping the glossy OnePlus 8 and Mi 10 clear of fingerprints is an exercise in frustration. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 8 Pro fares better with its use of matte glass, and that new glacial green looks particularly fetching.
With the industry at large shifting towards camera cutouts, it’s no surprise that the front of all three devices are aesthetically similar. They all have a camera hole on the left. Screen size is the most significant differentiator.
The three phones are an exercise in minimalism, with gentle gradients and similar looking fronts.
The OnePlus 8 Pro packs a 6.78-inch screen and simply cannot be used in a single hand. The Xiaomi Mi 10 fares a little better due to its excellent weight distribution and smaller 6.67-inch panel. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 8 with its 6.55-inch display is borderline diminutive in comparison.
While on the topic of ergonomics, predictably, the OnePlus 8 pulls far ahead. Clocking in at just 180g, the phone doesn’t weigh you down. OnePlus managed to trim the OnePlus 8 Pro as well, and it weighs a comparatively light 199g. The Mi 10 is much heftier at 208g; you will definitely feel the weight if you find yourself playing games for hours on end.
Related: These 6 flagship killers are the best alternatives to the OnePlus 8 series
The button layout is similar enough across all three phones, but the OnePlus 8 series adds the company’s trademark alert slider that lets you easily switch profiles. None of the phones have a headphone jack, and instead stick with a USB-C port on the bottom.
Related: The best OnePlus 8 cases you can buy |Â The best cases for the OnePlus 8 Pro to get
Stereo speakers on the Xiaomi Mi 10 stand out as some of the best in the business. Cranked up loud, music sounds clear with even a hint of bass. The OnePlus 8 series doesn’t fare too badly either, but the Mi 10 stands apart. The same can be said for haptic feedback. OnePlus has made big strides here, but the typing experience on the Mi 10 is exemplary.
On the display side of things, the Mi 10 and OnePlus 8 are similarly equipped. The OnePlus 8 opts for a slightly taller 20:9 aspect ratio over the 19.5:9 aspect ratio of the Mi 10 that makes the former a bit more comfortable. The AMOLED displays on both the phones sport Full HD+ resolutions, however, the Mi 10 manages a peak brightness of 800nits, which I found to be very useful when viewing outdoors. The refresh rate on both phones is 90Hz, which adds fluidity to the interface.
The 120Hz display on the OnePlus 8 Pro is a standout feature that makes navigating the interface silky smooth.
The OnePlus 8 Pro takes it a step further with a larger AMOLED panel and Quad HD resolution. While the added resolution isn’t always noticeable, the 120Hz refresh rate certainly is. It adds an extra degree of smoothness to the experience. In our objective testing, we found the display on the OnePlus 8 Pro to be one of the best in the business.
Finally, the Mi 10 ships with an always-on display out of the box — something OnePlus phones still don’t offer. That said, OnePlus has promised an update with support for the feature.
Of the three phones, only the OnePlus 8 Pro has an IP68 rating. With the Mi 10 and OnePlus 8 (unless you’re buying in the U.S. from a carrier), you will have to make do with splash resistance, which certainly isn’t as reassuring.
Overall, each phone is excellent in its own right in terms of design. If you need something compact, the OnePlus 8 is pretty much the only option. However, if you go up the price ladder, the OnePlus 8 Pro is what I’d opt for due to its luxurious build and subtle weight distribution. That curved glass back makes it a lot more comfortable to hold.
Performance, battery life, and software
With similar specs, any performance differences are minor at best. All three are powered by the latest Snapdragon 865 chipset and sport anywhere from 8GB to 12GB of RAM, depending on the variant. The phones are blazing fast and you won’t have any issues running even the most graphically-intense games. On the storage side of things, the Mi 10 is available with 256GB of storage, while the OnePlus 8 series can be had in either 128GB or 256GB options.
While performance is similar across the board, Android skins are a key differentiator between the phones.
Software, however, is a bigger differentiator. With the Mi 10, users get MIUI 11 based on Android 10. This is a highly customized take on Android and includes a range of pre-installed apps. No, there are no ads here (unlike cheaper Xiaomi phones), but the system apps do have a tendency to spam the notification shade.
Oxygen OS on the OnePlus 8 series, on the other hand, is a much cleaner take on stock Android. The entire interface is very close to stock, with a smattering of useful additions.
Battery-life across all three phones is good enough to last a full day. Battery life evens out across all three phones despite the slight differences in screen and battery size.
In our testing, the Mi 10 delivered  battery life averaging about 6.5 to 7 hours of screen on time and minimal battery drain while on standby.
In our reviews of the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro, we found they both managed about 7 hours as well.
Each phone ships with fast 30W charging, but the Mi 10 and OnePlus 8 Pro both manage 30W wireless charging as well.
OnePlus 8 vs Xiaomi Mi 10: Camera
The big selling point of the Mi 10 is its top-of-the-line 108MP sensor. The sensor bins down to 27MP and enables better sensitivity for low-light imaging. The OnePlus 8 series, on the other hand, sticks to 48MP sensors for both the 8 and 8 Pro.
The basic camera setup is fairly consistent between the Mi 10 and OnePlus 8. Both sport 2MP macro cameras, as well as ultra-wide sensors — 13MP on the Mi 10 and 16MP on the OnePlus 8. The Mi 10 also has a 2MP depth sensor.
The OnePlus 8 Pro, however, kicks things up a notch with a dedicated 8MP telephoto lens that affords 3x zoom. It also bumps up the resolution of the ultrawide lens to 48MP. The phone has a 5MP color filter that was recently disabled (and then restored) because of its ability to see through clothes. Eep.
Starting with the primary camera, it is clear that the Mi 10 pushes saturation. Colors look punchier, but you end up losing details in the shadow regions. The OnePlus 8, on the other hand, ends up overexposing the scene. The details are a bit too washed out and you can observe burnt-out highlights on the white packaging.
Outdoor images reveal similar tendencies. The Mi 10’s shots are noticeably warmer and oversaturated. Whether you like the look is for you to decide, but the OnePlus 8 series does a better job at accuracy. The Mi 10 also has a tendency to over sharpen details.
Like the indoor shot, the OnePlus 8 again takes a brighter exposure and details are softer around the edges. The OnePlus 8 Pro, however, nails the exposure and takes true-to-life images with accurate white balance and colors.
Switching over to the ultra-wide lens, the Mi 10 does an excellent job at distortion correction. The lower resolution sensor starts showing its limits here, and there’s not much detail if you zoom in. The OnePlus 8’s woes with exposure accuracy are obvious yet again as is visible distortion around the trees.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus 8 Pro nails color accuracy and exposure, though distortion correction isn’t as good as the Mi 10. The phone exhibits lower noise while in 12MP mode, but in an outdoor setting like this you can crank it up to full resolution for detailed captures.
Zooming-in things get a bit interesting. The massive 108MP sensor affords a much cleaner crop on the Mi 10. It retains all the processing traits as discussed before, but there is a higher level of detail than can be achieved from the 48MP sensor on the OnePlus 8. Of course, the OnePlus 8 Pro pulls far ahead with the dedicated 3x telephoto lens. There’s a greater degree of detail and the phone does an excellent job here.
I’m not a huge fan of macro cameras, but if you find yourself shooting a lot of close-ups, the Mi 10 and OnePlus 8, both, will serve you well. While the Mi 10 lets you get closer to the subject, the OnePlus 8 enables highly detailed images. This is understandable, since the Mi 10’s macro camera has a mere 2MP sensor that just doesn’t capture much detail. The OnePlus 8 Pro, on the other hand, employs the ultra-wide sensor to shoot close-ups.
The 108MP sensor definitely shines when using the Mi 10’s night mode feature. In less-than-ideal lighting, the Mi 10 is able to capture a significant amount of light that brightens up the subject nicely. The OnePlus 8 performs poorly in comparison, with limited details in darker areas and higher levels of noise. The OnePlus 8 Pro delivers a more natural look, though the level of detail isn’t as good as on the Mi 10.
The Mi 10 includes a 20MP selfie sensor, while both OnePlus phones have 16MP selfie shooters.
The Mi 10’s front-facing camera opts for a saturated look with a wider field of view. By default, the phone has its skin softening feature toggled-on. I’m not too big on selfies, but the shots here look great and should let you capture more people in a frame.
The OnePlus 8 series outputs bright shots with neutral looking colors, The selfies aren’t as visually striking, and the closer crop is a definite downside compared to the Mi 10.
If you like shooting video, the Mi 10 stands out with its exceptional video quality and stabilized 4K at 60fps capture, as well as the ability to capture 8K video. I found the video to be richly detailed with saturated colors and excellent stabilization. The OnePlus 8 series manages 4K at 60fps, too, but can stabilize only up to 4K at 30fps. Video quality, especially in well-lit situations, is great; however, the lack of stabilization at the highest quality settings is a downer.
How do the prices compare?
These phones cover a range of prices, and there are obvious advantages to stepping up to a higher price tier.
The OnePlus 8 starts at $699 in the U.S. and costs £599 and Rs. 44,999 in the U.K. and India, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Mi 10 starts at £699 in the U.K. and Rs. 49,999 in India. That’s not an insignificant markup, but the Mi 10 makes up for it with additional hardware, like fast wireless charging and a much better camera.
Finally, there’s the OnePlus 8 Pro. The premium phone commands an equivalently high price tag of $899, £599, and Rs. 54,999 in the U.S., U.K., and India, respectively. The added benefits of fast wireless charging, a versatile camera setup, IP rating, and more, however, make it worth the extra cash.
OnePlus 8 vs Xiaomi Mi 10 vs OnePlus 8 Pro: Which should you buy?
If an affordable price is your biggest concern when buying a new phone, the answer is obvious. The OnePlus 8 distills the core experience of a high-end phone and builds it into a relatively compact and affordable package. The hardware and software experience is great, but the camera isn’t exactly best in class and you do miss out on additional frills.
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If you’re happy to pay a little extra, the Mi 10 is, hands down, the value for money deal here. It delivers a solid foundation with essentials like performance and build quality. The camera processing may or may not be to your liking, but it is hard to fault the quality. Finally, the phone tosses in fast wireless charging, which is a very nice feature to have.
The OnePlus 8 Pro‘s price reflects its position amongst the three. A higher price means more hardware, and that’s exactly what you get here. No doubt, the OnePlus 8 Pro is an excellent phone, but the additional telephoto lens and IP rating might not be worth the price premium for a whole lot of buyers.
Want to spend even more? We haven’t included it in this comparison because it pushes the price beyond the $1,000 mark, but if you’re looking for the very best Xiaomi has to offer the check out our Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro review for more info.
That’s it for our OnePlus 8 vs Xiaomi Mi 10 vs OnePlus 8 Pro showdown. Which phone do you think comes out on top? Cast your vote in the poll above and hit the comments to share your thoughts.
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