OnePlus 8 Pro vs. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro - Which of the "flagship killers" should you purchase?

With OnePlus and Xiaomi having recently announced their flagship smartphones of 1H 2020, we thought we would compare what both companies have brought to the party. While we mean the OnePlus 8 Pro and Mi 10 Pro, we would be remiss not to mention their non-Pro siblings. Both great smartphones in their own right, the OnePlus 8 and Mi 10 offer many of the features that the Pro models do. Unsurprisingly though, OnePlus and Xiaomi have reserved their best hardware for their "Pro" devices.

Visually, little separates the OnePlus 8 Pro and Mi 10 Pro. Both have slim bezels, a hole-punch display and vertically-arranged rear-facing cameras. The OnePlus 8 Pro is the bigger of the two though, albeit only by 2.8 mm. However, the Mi 10 Pro is wider, thicker and heavier than the OnePlus 8 Pro. Those measurements all translate to the OnePlus 8 Pro having a 0.11-inch larger display than the Mi 10 Pro.

Speaking of displays, both devices have curved AMOLED panels. Similarities more or less end there though, as the OnePlus excels in this regard. Not only does the Fluid AMOLED panel in the OnePlus 8 Pro operate at a higher resolution than the Super AMOLED panel in the Mi 10 Pro does, but it also operates at a higher refresh rate. Specifically, the OnePlus 8 Pro can reach 120 Hz, whereas the Mi 10 Pro peaks at 90 Hz.

The OnePlus 8 Pro does not have it all its own way, though. While both devices are underpinned by a Snapdragon 865 SoC and up to 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, the Mi 10 Pro can be equipped with more storage. While Xiaomi offers the Mi 10 Pro with up to 512 GB of storage, the OnePlus 8 Pro can only be equipped with 256 GB. Neither support microSD cards, so having the option of purchasing a 512 GB model is an advantage for the Mi 10 Pro, in our opinion.

Additionally, the Mi 10 Pro has better camera hardware. While we cannot comment on image quality as this hinges on software optimisations, a cursory look at the table below reveals that the Mi 10 Pro offers greater flexibility than the OnePlus 8 Pro does.

Hardly anything separates the two devices on battery capacity and charging capabilities, though. On the one hand, both support fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. On the other hand, the Mi 10 Pro supports faster wired charging than the OnePlus 8 Pro does, but has a slightly smaller battery. However, the difference between 50 W and 30 W will be negligible in daily use, as will the 10 mAh difference in battery capacity.

The OnePlus 8 Pro is IP68 certified, though. By contrast, the Mi 10 Pro does not have any IP certification. However, Xiaomi is known to include rubber rings around charging ports and card slots, meaning that the Mi 10 Pro will still be protected against the ingress of dust and water to an extent.

Pricing is a difficult one. Looking at Chinese prices in isolation, the Mi 10 Pro is cheaper than the OnePlus 8 Pro until you want 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. However, Xiaomi is not selling the Mi 10 Pro in some markets, and is not bringing the 12 GB SKU to others. Hence, if you live in the EU, UK and US, then you will need to import the 12 GB model from retailers like Gearbest. With the 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage Mi 10 Pro currently running for US$1,089 or £893 on Gearbest, then the OnePlus 8 Pro would be the better value of the two for those residing in the UK or US. The same goes for those in the EU, where both devices cost up to €999 for 256 GB of storage. However, the OnePlus 8 Pro comes with 4 GB of RAM more than the Mi 10 Pro does.

Overall, availability may dictate whether you choose the OnePlus 8 Pro or the Mi 10 Pro. However, if you can choose either freely, then the OnePlus 8 Pro would suit those who are after the best display possible. By contrast, the Mi 10 Pro offers more robust cameras, at least on paper.