Except for the minor setback during the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown, Xiaomi emerged on top by the end of 2020.
Being on top is a tough job for phone companies particularly in India, as more than 300 million are yet to buy their first smartphone, which offers space for new and established players to consolidate their market share. Companies are launching multiple phones in various price ranges. Thanks to Covid-19 induced lockdown, most schools are hosting virtual classes and there is a huge demand for affordable smartphones with a big screen. They have become a boon for children in rural areas.
However, low-budget phones come with watered-down features in terms of display quality and processor configuration compared to premium phones. Long sessions of viewing may harm eyes over time.
Here, Xiaomi comes in to play. It has democratised premium smartphone features with Redmi Note series phones and people wait with bated breath for every new iteration.
Now, the company has come up new Redmi Note 10 series and they come beefed up with powerful chipsets, a top-notch camera, and gorgeous AMOLED, which we usually see on expensive phones. I have been using the Redmi Note 10 for a week and here are my thoughts.
Design, build quality, and display
Xiaomi has done an excellent job on the Redmi Note 10 in terms of craftsmanship. It was hard for me to wrap my head around to believe that this device I am reviewing is a budget phone. It has a smooth premium hand-feel experience.
Our review unit Frost White looks gorgeous in the sunlight and with a matte finish, there is less visibility of the fingerprint smudges. It has a shimmery sturdy rail around the phone with a chromium finish, which blends beautifully with the ivory shade of the shell.
It features two speakers one on top and the other at the base offering a stereo effect. The audio output is fine even with the sound maxed out. It has a Type-C USB port along with a 3.5mm audio jack and a mic at the base. And, on the top, you will find the IR blaster and a mic.
On the left side, there is a dual-SIM tray with an extra dedicated slot for the microSD card. And, on the opposite side, there is the volume rocker and side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which doubles up as the power button. By the way, the biometric sensor works beautifully with fast response. Also, there is less false rejection rate.
Xiaomi's Redmi Note 10 features a 6.43-inch full HD+ (1080 × 2400p) AMOLED screen. This is the first for a phone in the budget segment. Two benefits of using this type of display material are that the people will have a delightful experience and be able to view true black in high-resolution videos. This device offers peak brightness of up to 1100 nits, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut.
Also, AMOLED is more power-efficient compared to the LCD and this helps in extending the battery life of the phone.
As far as the build quality is concerned, it is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 shield and the device comes with an IP52 rating, meaning the device can sustain accidental water splashes and even moderate shower of rain.
Additionally, the company pre-fits a layer of screen-guard on top of the display and also offers a soft and sturdy silicone back case with a retail package.
This is luxury for a budget phone, wherein some brands don't even offer the aforementioned protection for phones costing more than Rs 20,000.
Performance
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 comes packed with an 11nm class 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 octa-core CPU backed by Adreno 612 GPU, Android 11-based MIUI 12 OS, 4GB/6GB LPDDR4X RAM with 64GB/128GB(UFS 2.2) storage (expandable up to 512GB via microSD).
It works super smooth while doing day-to-day tasks such as app loading, switching between multiple apps, operating the camera. Even while play games, it did not show signs of lag-ness.
The Redmi Note 10 comes with a 5,000mAh battery. During the testing period, it consistently delivered more than a day with little over 40-percent juice left before I retire to the bed for the night. Under normal usage, it will last one and half days.
Under extreme usage with several hours of video streaming, it can offer a full day's battery life. Xiaomi is offering a 33W fast charger with the retail box. This is another luxury, which you won't find even in a phone costing more than Rs 50,000.
Camera
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 boasts a quad-camera module. It features a primary 48MP (1/2-inch Sony IMX582 sensor, 0.8μm pixel size) backed by an 8MP 118-degree ultra-wide sensor, a 2MP depth camera, and a 2MP macro camera.
It takes excellent photos in the natural light. Though I faced some issues of auto-focus initially, the portrait mode pictures at close up, came out very nice. You can see it in the Mango and lemon pictures. The details are captured really well.
In the night mode, it manages to balance the darkness and the limited light. I also managed to snap a photo without the night mode and LED flash turned on. The hibiscus bud came out sharp and details with minute hairs on the flower and also dust on the leaves.
It can take fine quality 4K, full HD and slow-motion HD videos. There are lots of editing tools to improve the photography experience.
On the front, it features 13MP with 1.12um pixel size and supports Portrait mode, Time Lapse, Auto HDR, AI scene detection, Time burst, AI Watermark, Movie Frame, Palm Shutter, Timed burst.
Young users will love the AI beauty mode, which offers an array of filters and editing tools to enhance the face's complexion, jaw bone structure, eyes to enhance the visual appeal of the subject. This may sound superficial, but people love it and want to look good on social media platforms and the company is facilitating the demand of their consumers.
Final thoughts
With every new iteration, Xiaomi has set a new benchmark with the Redmi Note series for budget class. Pardon me for being too cliched. But, this time too, Xiaomi has raised the bar in delivering premium features in an affordable phone.
The new Redmi Note 10 has impressive hardware, excellent display, beautiful design language, a good quality camera and offers long-lasting battery life. To sum up, it offers more value for money than any phone in its class. Period.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 comes in two configurations-- 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage-- for Rs 11,999 and Rs 13,999, respectively.
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