Dhruv Bhutani
Editor at Android Authority, Dhruv Bhutani’s love for technology started young when he started tinkering with computers and collecting vintage electronics. With the advent of smartphones and PDAs, his focus shifted to the mobile side of things. At 16, he started maintaining a Symbian focussed website. After working with a number of publishers, Dhruv finally got associated with FoneArena where he has headed Delhi based operations for over 7 years. While his work keeps him at the cutting edge of technology, he has a keen interest in collecting records, books and all sorts of analog media.
The Redmi Note 10 is a significant upgrade in aesthetics and build quality compared to its predecessors, yet it also maintains all the key tenets that make the series popular. Here we bring to you a review of the Redmi Note 10 — a thorough rethinking of the Xiaomi sub-brands beloved budget smartphone from the Technology Expert Mr. Dhruv Bhutani.
Specifications:
| Display | 6.43 inches Super AMOLED FHD+ 60Hz |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 |
| GPU | Adreno 612 |
| RAM | 4/6GB |
| Storage | 64/128GB |
| Battery | 5,000mAh USB-C 33W charging |
| Cameras | Rear: 48MP standard 8MP Ultra-wide 2MP macro 2MP Front: 13MP |
| Fingerprint sensor | Side-mounted |
| Software | MIUI Android 11 |
| Colors | Frost White Shadow Black Aqua Green |
| Dimensions and weight | 160.46×74.5×8.29mm 178.8g |
Design:
The Redmi Note 10 ushers in a design language that is supremely clean, and chic. It eschews the glass back for plastic owing to its budget positioning but nowhere does it look or feel cheap. According to Mr. Dhruv Bhutani, this is the best-looking phone in the budget segment, despite the plastic mid-frame and back panel. There’s no sign of flex and the matte finish looks gorgeous — especially in white. Moreover, the dual-tone finish adds to the pleasing aesthetics. The button layout and port selection are more than adequate for the money just like most other Redmi phones. This smartphone comes with a USB-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack, as well as stereo speakers. Even though there’s not much bass and the vocals tend to distort at the top 20% of the volume, the overall volume as well as the well-balanced setup makes the speakers stand out. The Redmi Note 10 also has an IP53 rating for splash resistance — a rare and very welcome addition at this price point. Xiaomi has opted for side-mounted fingerprint scanners for much of its current mid-range portfolio which tend to be a lot more reliable than cheap in-display scanners. The Redmi Note 10 packs a 6.43-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ screen that looks glorious. It’s also protected by Gorilla Glass 3 for scratch resistance.Display:
The display has excellent contrast and saturation levels. Claimed brightness levels go as high as 1100nits but Mr. Bhutani found the display to peak at about 650 nits which is still more than sufficient for outdoor viewing. The only real caveat here is the lack of HDR support.Performance:
The Redmi Note 10 is the first phone to use the Snapdragon 678 chipset; an incremental update over the long in the tooth Snapdragon 675. It’s the same chipset, but with a higher clock speed, and as such performance improvements are expected to be minimal at best. If pure performance is what you’re after, the Redmi Note 10 might not be the best option for you. This is particularly noticeable while gaming where the Note 10 doesn’t do all that well with graphics maxed out and also the phone warms up noticeably.Battery Life:
At 5,000 mAh of battery life, it’s more than enough as far as battery performance is concerned. The Redmi Note 10 can easily last a full day of use involving a few calls, social media use, and casual browsing with enough left over to get you a fair bit into the next. The Redmi Note 10 stands out for its fast-charging speeds without any wireless charging support. It takes about 75 minutes to fully charge the phone, but a half an hour’s charge gets it to 66% which is almost enough for a full day of normal use.Camera:
Xiaomi has stuck to its tried and tested camera array for the Redmi Note 10. The setup includes a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP monochrome sensor, and a 2MP macro camera. It’s a pretty straightforward affair. Though the phone doesn’t have the best HDR performance; out and about in broad daylight, Xiaomi has got image quality sorted. The 48MP sensor is a tried and tested module for the company, and it shows. Images veer towards a natural look with just the right amount of contrast to make the colors pop. Noise levels are in control, and there are sufficient details even in the shadows. Macro photos from the Redmi Note 10 are impressive in that they certainly let you get up close with the subject. The 13MP front camera captures very good shots with minimal skin retouching and excellent detail. The Redmi Note 10 is capable of capturing 4K video at 30fps, but the color reproduction is a bit dull when compared to the vibrant still images.Price:
- Redmi Note 10 (4GB/64GB): Rs. 11,999
- Redmi Note 10 (4GB/128GB): €199/£199
- Redmi Note 10 (6GB/128GB): Rs. 13,999
Pros:
- Stunning, elegant design
- All- day battery life
- Speedy 33W charging
- Good main camera
- IP53 rating
Cons:
- Not the best performance in the category
- Secondary cameras are not very good