Samsung is known for its High-end flagship smartphones which literally rule the smartphone world, the latest one being the Samsung Galaxy S5 which is one of the best smartphones ever coming from Samsung. In India, the Samsung flagship phones are priced around 30-40k ($500 to $650) which is quite expensive for a phone and everyone cannot afford it, this is where other brands kick in. Xiaomi is a chinese brand which recently created hype by launching their phone Mi3. If we take a look at the Mi3's Hardware specifications, you'll find them almost similar to the Galaxy S5's, but the price tag of both the devices is miles apart. Where Galaxy S5 is priced at around 40k, the Xiaomi Mi3 is available for 14k ($230) in India.
Xiaomi is offering the best hardware specifications and quality smartphone at a much lower price than other top brands. Now you can enjoy the power of latest hardware without spending a fortune on mobile phones. Now the question arises 'Is Xiaomi Mi3 a better choice over Galaxy S5?' and 'Should I go for Xiaomi Mi3 instead of Samsung?' Well, the answer to that question depends on you, In this article I will compare both the devices and other pro and cons of them and will let you know which of them proved to be better.
Xiaomi Mi3 Vs Samsung Galaxy S5
Technical Specifications
Lets take a look at the technical specifications of both the devices. I'm putting the data in table format, so that you can easily compare both of them.
Features
|
Xiaomi Mi3
|
Samsung Galaxy S5
|
Body Dimensions
|
144 x 73.6 x 8.1 mm
|
142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm
|
Weight
|
145 g
|
145 g
|
Other Features
|
-
Fingerprint
Sensor (PayPal Certified)
-
Water Resistant
-
Dust Resistant
|
|
Display
|
IPS LCD (16M colors)
|
Super AMOLED (16M)
|
Display Resolution
|
1080 x 1920 pixels
|
1080 x 1920 pixels
|
Display Size
|
5 inch (~441 ppi)
|
5.1 Inch (~432 ppi)
|
Multitouch
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Glass Type
|
Corning
Gorilla Glass 3
|
Corning
Gorilla Glass 3
|
User Interface
|
Mi Ui
|
TouchWiz UI
|
Internal Memory
|
16GB and 64GB
|
16GB and 32GB
|
RAM
|
2 GB RAM
|
2 GB RAM
|
MicroSD Card Slot
|
No
|
Yes, Upto 128 GB
|
Camera
|
13 Megapixel
|
16 Megapixel
|
Features
|
Auto focus, Dual-LED Flash,
Geo-Tagging, Touch Focus, Face and Smile Detection, HDR
|
Phase Detection Auto Focus, LED Flash,
½.6” Sensor Size, 1.12 µm pixel size, Dual Shot, Simultaneous HD video and
Image Rec. Geo-Tagging, Touch focus, Face and Smile detection, Image
Stabilization, HDR
|
Video Recording
|
1080p@30fps, HDR
|
2160p @ 30fps (4K)
1080p @ 60fps
720p @ 120fps
HDR, Dual-Video Rec.
|
Secondary Camera
|
2 Megapixel, 1080p@30fps
|
2 Megapixel. 1080p@30fps, Dual-Video
Calling
|
Platform
|
Android v4.3
JellyBean, Upgradable to v4.4.2 KitKat
|
Android v4.4.2 KitKat
|
Chipset
|
Qualcomm MSM8274AB Snapdragon
800
|
Qualcomm MSM8974AC
Snapdragon 801
|
CPU
|
2.3 GHz Quad-core Krait 400
|
2.5 GHz Quad-core Krait 400
|
GPU
|
Adreno 330
|
Adreno 330
|
Sensors
|
Accelerometer, gyro,
proximity, compass, barometer
|
Accelerometer, gyro,
proximity, compass, barometer, gesture, heart rate
|
DATA Services
|
GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi
|
GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi
|
Bluetooth
|
V4.0 A2DP
|
V4.0 A2DP, EDR, LE
|
NFC
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Infra-Red
|
No
|
Yes
|
USB
|
MicroUSB v2.0
|
MicroUSB v3.0
(MHL 2.1)
USB Host
|
HTML5 Support in Browser
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
FM Radio
|
Yes
|
No
|
GPS
|
GPS with A-GPS,
GLONASS
|
GPS with A-GPS,
GLONASS, Beidou
|
3.5mm Jack
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Loud Speaker
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Battery Type
|
Non-Removable
|
Removable
|
Li-on 3050 mAh
|
Li-on 2800 mAh
|
|
Standby Time
|
Upto 500 hours
|
Upto 390 hours
|
SIM Type
|
Mini-SIM Card
|
Micro SIM Card
|
As you may have noticed that the Hardware of both the devices is somewhat similar. Lets discuss the user-experience and quality of both the devices.
Design and Build Quality
Samsung Galaxy S5: Once again Samsung came as a disappointment to the consumers, despite of having one of the best smartphone hardware and features, the phone still was made up of Plastic. The plastic body does feel cheap when held and also destroys the feel of holding a premium phone. However the plastic helps keeping the phone light weight and the texture on the back makes the phone easy to hold and prevents slipping.
The thickness of S5 is 8.1mm which is thicker than its predecessor Galaxy S4 which was 7.9mm thick. Still at 8.1mm it is one of the slimmest phones in the market.
Xiaomi Mi3: On the other side the Xiaomi Mi3 is also made up of plastic but appears like metal bodied, thanks to the metallic finish, the plastic body also gives premium feeling to the Mi3 users. The body appearance may feel premium but a downside of the Mi 3 is that it is slippery to hold. The chance of it slipping from your hand and falling are high. Other disadvantage of Mi3 is that it is quite long and the corners are sharp, so sometime you may feel uneasy while holding or carrying the device in your pocket. The Xiaomi Mi3 is 8.1mm thick.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5 body may feel cheaper to hold but it is quite sturdy and non-slippery which is good. Xiaomi Mi3 on other hand is longer, sharper and slipperier. So in my opinion, the S5 has a better body than Mi3.
 |
| Xiaomi Mi3 Back side |
Display
Samsung Galaxy S5 packs one of the best smartphone displays till date, a 5.1 inch Full HD Super AMOLED 1080 x 1920 resolution display. The colors are vibrant and natural, the picture quality is very detailed and watching videos on this phone is like a glimpse of heaven (sorry, my geeky side kicked in) The display can be viewed from all the angles without the colors getting faded. Samsung has a very high reputation when it comes to displays, the S5 has one of the brightest and best display ever.Xiaomi Mi3 also packs a 5 inch Full HD LCD IPS Display but is not match to the AMOLED displays. Anyhow the Mi3 display performs well and can be viewed from all angles, just like the S5. But if you've previously used a Samsung device then you'll surely be disappointed with the display but for new smartphone use this display will surely attract your eyeballs. Mi3 display produces vivid colors and watching movies is fun.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Hardware
Both the devices pack some serious power under the hood. Samsung Galaxy S5's hardware is one of the best in market right now but the Xiaomi Mi3 gives good competition to the S5. Before I begin explaining the hardware of both the devices, I can straight away conclude that S5 has better hardware but if I keep the price point in mind then Xiaomi does better job by providing similar hardware at much lower price. Lets see what these devices pack.Samsung Galaxy S5: The chipset used by Galaxy S5 is Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 which is quite good and as a topping on the cake you get 2.5 GHz Quad-Core Krait 400 CPU and 2 Gigabyte RAM. Oh we forgot the cherry, Adreno 330 GPU. With so much power under the hood, S5 performs really well over all benchmarks. The interface is super fast and you can run games without lags and freezes.
Xiaomi Mi3 surprises everyone with its outstanding hardware, the chipset used in Mi3 is Qualcomm MSM8274AB Snapdragon 800 which is somewhat like the S5. It has a 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Krait 400 processor with 2 GB RAM and Adreno 330 GPU, just like the S5. This hardware configuration is quite surprising and here is a salute to Xiaomi for providing such great hardware at low price. The Mi3 is blazing fast, thanks to the hardware, you'll never face any slowdowns. However a sad news is that Xiaomi Mi3 heats up quite faster as compared to other devices, you may feel your phone getting hot during gaming or other uses but Mi3 is still good to go.
Winner: Both; If I compare the hardware of both devices, S5 is the clear winner but doing that will be an insult to Xiaomi's mind blowing hardware at almost half price, so I will give equal points to both devices in this round.
Camera
Samsung phones are know for its amazing camera quality, the Galaxy flagship phones have one of the best smartphone cameras ever with lots of features. The Galaxy S5 boasts a 16 Megapixel camera which can take videos up to 4K (2160p@30fps), It also packs a 2 Megapixel camera which is able to record Full HD videos (1080p@30fps). The Galaxy S5 is one of the best camera smartphone and does not disappoint, the quality of photos are great and highly detailed. It even performs well in low light conditions. |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 Camera Interface |
 |
| Xiaomi Mi3 Camera Interface |
Xiaomi Mi3 packs a 13 Megapixel camera with Dual-LED Flash, Full HD video recording (1080p@30fps). A secondary 2 Megapixel camera which is capable to record full HD videos. Other features are Autofocus, Touch focus, Geo-Tagging etc. Despite of having a 13 Megapixel camera, the Mi3 photo quality is not so great, the photo are distorted and color are not as vibrant as the S5.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Software
Samsung used their own user interface which is known as TouchWiz on most of their devices. The S5 also runs the latest version of TouchWiz which actually is a lot similar than the previous phones. There is no major design change and user experience on S5, people who've used Galaxy S3 or S4 will find S5 a lot similar (if we take hardware and other features out). Obviously a lot fast and stable but the design is same and sometime they may feel using the same device. However the new TouchWiz is a lot smoother and faster and also has a few design changes, i.e, New icons, changed settings, new camera interface with new features etc. |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 User Interface |
 |
| Xiaomi Mi3 - Mi User Interface |
Xiaomi Mi3 runs their own user interface which is known as Mi Ui. On first look the Mi Ui looks a lot like iOS interface. It also uses squared icons and lacks an app drawer (unlike other android phones) The menus and folders are a direct rip off from the iOS. No app drawer, so all your apps are displayed on the home screen itself. One thing which makes Mi Ui different from the iOS is the use of widgets, since Mi3 is an Android phone, you can use the great android features and smart iOS looks at the same time. If you are an Android fan but love iOS looks then this phone was designed for you.
Mi Ui is fast but at some places looks buggy and laggy, I'm sure future updates will fix the problems but for now the TouchWiz is more stable and faster as compared to the Mi Ui.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S5
Battery
The S5 is equipped with a 2800 mAh battery which is quite large and enough to satisfy the hunger of smartphone freaks. The battery lasts up to one day with normal usage which is quite normal for today's smartphones. The S5 manages to stay up to 400 hours on stand by and gives around 65 hour music playback which is amazing. TouchWiz user interface is somewhat a battery sucker and if Samsung looks more into it and improves it, the battery on S5 can perform better.Xiaomi Mi3 has a bit bigger battery than S5, it packs 3050 mAh battery which is huge for smartphones but still lasts a day with normal use. It gives up to 500 hours on stand by (great) and around 50 hour music playback. Despite of such a big battery, the Mi3 still performs as the S5, the reason for that might be the Mi Ui which is new and sucks more power.
You can further improve the battery life on both Galaxy S5 and Xiaomi Mi3, if you tweak the settings and remove the bloatware. You can follow my guide to improve battery life.
Winner: It's a Tie between Mi3 and S5
Market Price
For the sake of my readers, I will list the price in US Dollar and Indian Rupee, please note that the price may fluctuate and the price listed below may decrease or increase. Check the nearest store for accurate price of the devices.Samsung Galaxy S5
Price: Rs.37,500 ($600) | Buy Now from Flipkart
Xiaomi Mi3
Price: Rs.13,999 ($230) | Buy Now: Exclusively Available on Flipkart
What Galaxy S5 has more to Offer?
You might be wondering that if Xiaomi Mi3 provides almost same hardware and performance then why we should pay double money for Samsung Galaxy S5? I agree, Galaxy S5 is expensive but they also offer High Quality and awesome features which Mi3 doesn't. What are they? Lets see. |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 - Water Resistant |
1. Samsung Galaxy S5 is Water resistant upto 1 meter and 30 minutes and Dust resistant. This means even if your device fall into a pool or gets wet during rain, it will work like normal, as it is water resistant.
2. Samsung in India provides 1 time free screen replacement during warranty period, which is good. Even if you mistakenly damage the phone screen then you can get it repaired form Samsung. (For more information on this, contact Samsung)
3. Samsung in India provides door pickup and delivery for Galaxy S5 warranty repairs, which means that if you ever want to get your S5 repaired, just call Samsung service center and they'll pick your phone from your door and the deliver it after getting it repaired.
4. Samsung Galaxy S5 also packs a PayPal certified Fingerprint scanner which can be used for payments and phone security.
There are a lot of more features which S5 offers but if you aren't able to afford an S5 then Mi3 is a good alternative.
Overall User Experience and Verdict
As we saw above, both the device gave good competition to each other but If I bring the price factor into account then we can see that Xiaomi Mi3 give almost same hardware and performance as the S5 but is available for half the price. The S5 on other hand provides some of the awesome features like PayPal Certified Fingerprint scanner, better camera quality and hardware and also better interface but is highly expensive. Mi3 provides almost same hardware and performance but costs less.I would like to conclude it, if you are looking for a budget phone with best hardware, performance and battery and which can be used for gaming then you can go for Xiaomi Mi3 without thinking twice. But if you can afford to spend more then you won't find a better choice than Samsung Galaxy S5. The S5 is expensive but is totally worth the money, the build quality and performance is truly remarkable. So I would like to end this article with my last statement. Both the devices are great and I would recommend both of them, now it's up to you and your pocket (of course) to choose the one which is more suitable to you.
I hope this comparision was helpful and interesting. I tried to point out all the minute details as possible and simultaneously tried to make it simple and easy to understand. Please leave your feedback below.
Buy Samsung Galaxy S4 | Buy Now from Flipkart
Buy Xiaomi Mi3 | Buy Now from Flipkart
Photos Source: Google Images
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