Xiaomi S Mini 2025 vs XIAOMI A PRO 2026

Since the Xiaomi S MiniLED boasts an impressive number of 308 dimming zones, it is time to test how it performs in HDR tests. Starting with luminance, or the ability to display bright scenes, the television achieved nearly 1000 nits of brightness – a result that can be considered outstanding in this class. Do these figures, however, translate to real experiences in film scenes? In the case of less demanding shots, such as those from the film The Meg, the television indeed showed excellent results, reaching up to 900 nits. Such values are impressive and can truly convey the power of HDR effects.

Unfortunately, much like with contrast, it wasn't without issues. When smaller, brighter elements appear on the screen – as in the challenging scenes from Sicario 2 – the aggressive operation of the dimming zones spoils the entire effect. Brightness in these moments drops to just 100 nits. This is definitely too little to capture the full magic of HDR. Instead of a dynamic and detailed image, the viewer receives a muted, almost flat impression, which takes away all the enjoyment from the viewing experience.

In summary, if we are looking for a television with high brightness for watching films during the day, the Xiaomi S MiniLED will easily fulfill that task. However, its inability to precisely manage the dimming zones means that watching films in the evening, especially in demanding HDR scenes, can be more frustrating than satisfying.

If you are hoping for a cinema-grade HDR effect in the new Xiaomi A Pro 2026, you better cool your expectations quickly. This television is simply too dim to fully showcase the capabilities of contemporary films or series designed for the highest image quality. Our measurements showed brightness in the range of 200–300 nits, which is more akin to SDR content than ambitious HDR productions. In practice, this means that while most films may look fine, they certainly won't evoke that "wow" effect that other televisions are known for. Fortunately, not everything is lost – we must credit the PFS LED filter used here, which is a solution similar to the quantum dot technology found in QLEDs. Thanks to this, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette reaches about 94%, resulting in vibrant, saturated colours in the vast majority of materials.

Xiaomi, like many manufacturers, offers a wide range of picture modes. On the S MiniLED, we can find both IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker. Our tests were conducted in Filmmaker mode, which theoretically aims to reflect a reference image, but the reality turned out to be somewhat different.

Let's start with the test of SDR content. Here, the television had quite a few issues, especially with white balance. The clearly visible dominance of red made the image look too warm, with all colours taking on a reddish hue. This was particularly noticeable in a comparative scene from the film Star Wars. The brightness characteristics (gamma) also left much to be desired – instead of a smooth transition, we had a real "rollercoaster," with a visible excessive brightening of the screen.

In 4K content, the situation improved significantly. The white balance, although still not perfect, was much more balanced, with a slight dominance of red and blue, but without excessive impact on the overall perception. The EOTF curve (responsible for brightness in HDR) showed some brightening in the brightest parts of the image, which was noticeable, for example, in the test scene from the film Pan that we described earlier. These brightening effects may disturb the precision of the image, but in 4K, the overall effect was much more acceptable than in SDR.

Although Xiaomi S MiniLED can pleasantly surprise with 4K content, its factory settings in SDR require solid adjustments, especially regarding white balance and brightness. This is definitely a television that would benefit from calibration.

What we saw in Filmmaker mode took us by surprise – and unfortunately not in a good way. The mode advertised as Hollywood standard resembled more of a shop window display. The white balance was shifted towards blue, leading to significant colour mistakes and burnt-out scenes in SDR content. It was slightly better, though still not perfect, in HDR materials. There were also issues there – the colour saturation and the entire palette consistently drifted towards cooler tones, resulting in an image that had more of an artificial, cold tint instead of a cinematic character. In other words: even in Filmmaker mode, which should showcase this television, we got an effect far from expectations.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a television that gains a completely new life after calibration. The results are truly outstanding and show how much potential is in this model.

In SDR mode, the white balance is nearly perfectly aligned. The errors are so minimal that in many cases they can be considered negligible. This is confirmed by the results of the Colour Checker palette, where the errors did not exceed a value of 2 ΔE – this is really a rare result. Gamma also performs very well, although at the beginning of the graph there are slight brightenings in the darkest elements. However, this is a minor exception that does not significantly affect the perception of the image.

In 4K HDR materials, the calibration also brought visible improvements, particularly in the white balance. The image looks natural and cohesive. However, the characteristic of brightness remains a problem. EOTF analysis in film materials shows that the television tends to over-brighten or under-darken the smallest elements on the screen. This is a result of limitations in the dimming algorithms we discussed earlier with HDR and contrast testing. Unfortunately, this is a technical characteristic of this model that cannot be completely eliminated.

Despite this minor flaw, the calibration allowed for maximising the capabilities of this television. The image now looks phenomenal, and its quality impresses in every type of material. Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 shows that with the right settings, it can compete with more expensive models.

Although Xiaomi is not a brand associated with top-tier televisions, it must be acknowledged that even in a budget model like the A Pro 2026, the manufacturer left plenty of calibration settings. After a few adjustments, the SDR image gained a completely new look. Colours stopped drifting towards blue tones, whites took on a more natural quality, and most errors dropped to a practically invisible level. As a result, SDR content looked very good, surprisingly so for this price range.

It was somewhat different with HDR materials. Here, it was immediately evident what we had already mentioned – clipping in bright scenes and issues with balance control. Calibration helped only partly, as the limitations of the panel itself played a role. However, it must be emphasized that for SDR, the television had transformed beyond recognition and in a decidedly positive direction.

When it comes to tonal transitions in lower quality materials, such as YouTube or television, the Xiaomi S MiniLED is equipped with a feature called "Colour Contour Removal." At the "low" setting, it performs quite well, although its effectiveness can be inconsistent. Sometimes it seems as though the television is struggling to smoothen, which creates a certain dissonance. On the positive side, we did not notice any visible side effects, although due to the instability of this feature, one could suspect that unexpected issues may arise in certain situations.

Image scaling also performs moderately. There is some slight jaggedness, particularly on thin elements like branches, and subtitles can appear slightly jagged. While this may not be very bothersome, a more discerning eye will certainly pick up on these shortcomings. Overall, most users should be satisfied with the quality of scaling and smoothing, but the television will not satisfy those who expect perfection in every frame of the image.

Upscaling and digital image processing in the Xiaomi A Pro 2026 are not among the strengths of this model. One might expect that since the television was not designed to achieve record brightness levels, the manufacturer would focus on a more robust processor and a set of features that would "enhance" lower-quality images. Unfortunately – and here we are also faced with significant disappointment. On the positive side, we can note reasonably good upscaling, which handles HD materials and boosts them up to 4K in an acceptable manner. However, this is where the list of advantages ends. The television does not offer any features that improve tonal transitions or smooth out digital imperfections, so in most cases, we get a raw image, exactly as we deliver from an external source. On a large screen, such a lack of support makes lower-quality materials simply look bland. An additional problem is the phenomenon of overscan. When watching older materials, it happens that part of the image gets cut off, which only amplifies the impression that Xiaomi still has a lot of ground to make up in this category.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is equipped with a panel featuring a refresh rate of 4K@120Hz (1080p@240Hz), which provides sufficient smoothness for both watching dynamic sports broadcasts and playing the latest games. This level of refresh rate makes the image appear fluid, even in the most intense scenes. Additionally, the television offers a “Motion Smoothing” feature that allows you to adjust the way the image is displayed in films. You can choose a more frame-like effect, typical of the cinematic experience, or a smoother one, reminiscent of the so-called “theatrical effect.” This way, every user can tailor the settings to their preferences and enjoy smooth images in their favourite content.

The fluidity of motion in the Xiaomi A Pro 2026 is an interesting compromise that arises from the hybrid matrix used here. At its native 4K resolution, the maximum refresh rate is 60 Hz – sufficient for those who mainly watch films and series. It is precisely with them in mind that the manufacturer has added a motion smoother, allowing users to adjust the image to their own preferences – opting for greater fluidity or leaving more "cinematic" frames depending on the settings.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a television that has a lot to offer gamers. With two HDMI ports boasting 48 Gbps bandwidth, we can easily connect modern consoles or PCs, utilising their full potential. Additionally, the ALLM feature automatically switches the TV to low-latency mode – something we will appreciate during dynamic games without annoying lags. Regardless of what we connect, it functions smoothly, and the television handles various resolutions exceptionally well. There is also the GameBar, which may not look as impressive as the "bars" from the competition, but makes up for it with practicality. It is a simple settings panel that allows us to quickly change the most important options or check statistics – an ideal solution when time is of the essence.

However, we must admit that operating the television itself – or rather finding the gaming features within it – posed a significant challenge for us. We approached the testing of the Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 several times to locate all the necessary options. The hidden menu allowed us to discover the "GameBoost" feature, which enables switching the television to 240 Hz mode, activating VRR, and allows for enabling picture in HGIG mode.

In summary, the Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a television that definitely deserves praise in the gaming hardware category. Its rich set of features – 240 Hz mode, VRR, HGIG, and "GameBoost" – provides an exceptional gaming experience. Unfortunately, the intuitiveness of the menu itself leaves much to be desired and may pose a challenge for the average user.

Exactly – since Xiaomi has included the "Game Boost 120 Hz" feature, one might expect that they would follow up with a solid gaming package. Unfortunately, reality quickly dampens this enthusiasm. Aside from this mode (which, it must be admitted, is a great addition in a budget design), we only have a rather odd player panel. It's hard to call it a full-fledged "game bar" – it’s more of a simple overlay on the TV Menu with limited capabilities. And that would be about it. There’s a lack of ALLM, so the TV won’t automatically switch to game mode. There’s no VRR, so you can forget about smooth frame sync. We also won’t find support for Dolby Vision in games or the HGiG format, which are becoming increasingly standard on consoles. In short: besides the Game Boost 120 Hz, which actually allows for a more enjoyable experience at 1080p or 1440p, the Xiaomi A Pro 2026 offers nothing that could particularly attract gamers.