Only one smartphone is the mid-range star: Samsung Galaxy A57 vs. Redmi Note 17 Pro

Xiaomi does not break any battery-life records with the Note 17 Pro, but its 8,340 mAh battery monster lasts almost 30 hours in our battery test - nearly twice as long as its Samsung rival. In a direct comparison, the Galaxy A57's 5,000 mAh battery almost seems puny. While the Galaxy A57 needs to be plugged in after a more intensive day of use, the Redmi Note 17 can easily manage another day without a top-up charge.

Xiaomi also shows how charging should be done. The Note 17 Pro supports fast charging with 67 watt, replenishing its huge battery in a respectable time of just over an hour. Samsung sticks to its conservative approach and continues to charge the Galaxy A57 slowly at a maximum of 25 watts. As a result, the Galaxy A57 charges more slowly in our review despite its smaller battery.  

With the Redmi Note 17 Pro, Xiaomi brings a somewhat flagship feel to the mid-range segment. In our APL measurements, the OLED panel reached a peak brightness of over 4,000 nits, almost twice the value measured for the Galaxy A57. The Redmi phone's screen remains easy to read even in direct sunlight.

Another often underestimated factor is the flickering associated with PWM technology. Samsung continues to equip the Galaxy A57 with an AMOLED panel that has a very low PWM dimming frequency, which we measured at just 240 Hz. For sensitive eyes, this can quickly cause fatigue or headaches. Xiaomi does significantly better: The Note 17 Pro supports true DC dimming as well as high-frequency 3,840 Hz PWM dimming. Our measurements confirm this frequency. 

Performance is where the contest takes a turn. Xiaomi cuts costs on the processor. The Redmi Note 17 Pro also comes with just 6 GB of RAM as standard.

Samsung, by contrast, equips the Galaxy A57 with 8 GB of RAM as standard and a significantly more powerful chipset. Anyone who plays a lot of mobile games or simply wants performance headroom for the future is better served by Samsung. This performance win is reinforced by better software without advertising. Samsung also offers slightly better support at 7 years. 

A clear picture emerges in the other areas that also matter in everyday use. The Redmi Note 17 Pro's camera disappoints in our test photos: Xiaomi uses a new sensor that is significantly smaller than the 200-megapixel sensor in the older Note 15 Pro. Low-light photo quality suffers noticeably as a result. Samsung uses a better, larger sensor in the Galaxy A57 and produces visibly more balanced images.

Samsung also scores points for sound: In our pink-noise measurements, the Galaxy A57 delivered  better, fuller sound. Xiaomi uses a speaker system that sounds noticeably worse than last year's.

The Redmi Note 17 Pro 5G is the undisputed star when it comes to endurance. Anyone who wants to go for days of light use without plugging in and values a bright, eye-friendly display gets a strong package from Xiaomi.

The Samsung Galaxy A57, on the other hand, wins as the better all-rounder for the long term. Thanks to its stronger performance, better camera and excellent update support without advertising in the UI, we believe it offers better value for money. This year, our buying recommendation leans toward Samsung's mid-range offering.