The Redmi Note 10 Series caught a lot of eyes at its launch with its three new devices that come with specifications at ever so attractive prices. The smallest sibling among them, the Redmi Note 10, is what we are going to talk about here. With its AMOLED display, a design very similar to its pro counterparts, and a similar quad rear camera setup, is the Redmi Note 10 the perfect budget contender from this series? Let’s find out in our full review of the Redmi Note 10!
Design and Display – Still a Pro!
The Redmi Note 10 has the same EVOL design as its Pro and Pro Max variants, which is actually a good thing as design won’t be the differentiating factor between any of these devices. The change you ask? The Redmi Note 10 here gets a plastic back panel instead of glass, but the shape and in-hand feel are almost the same as the bigger brothers. The subtle curves towards the edges blend into your palms making for that comfortable fit, and the weight distribution is well managed. The device feels light and good to hold in hand.
The display, here, is an AMOLED panel! Yes, this is something that Mi Fans have been asking Xiaomi and Redmi for a while and we are finally seeing the change in display technology used on the Redmi Note Series. It’s a 6.43-inch panel here with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. The colors look absolutely great on the screen, and media consumption just feels so enriched. It actually feels like using a higher-priced phone when you use it, but indeed this is a sub 15K device.
When you take the phone outdoors, the visibility remains great and the text is sharp to be read. It’s actually a very good display panel that is being used on the Redmi Note 10, and definitely is not an entry-level AMOLED screen just for the spec sheet. Good job, Redmi!
Cameras – Everything one can ask for!
The Redmi Note 10 has one lens for every single scenario. A 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. So that means, even after being the youngest and most affordable device from the series, the Redmi Note 10 still has the potential to pull off a few things as its seniors. But is it good enough? Yes, we would say.
The 48MP primary sensor captures crisp images during the day and retains a lot of details as well. The dynamic range is great, even with direct sunlight in the background and the camera is quick to focus between subjects. There’s also a portrait mode, that gives you the background blur effect and the edge detection is on point! During the night, the primary sensor struggles a bit and there is a fair bit of noise that gets into the photos, but the provided Night Mode makes things a little better and comes up with brighter-looking shots.
The 8MP wide-angle lens has a slight fish-eye effect towards its edges, but the actual results are phenomenal. The color tones are similar, or almost the same as the primary sensor which is a thing we complain about on similarly priced devices, but that’s not the case here with the Redmi Note 10. The macro lens can go as close as 2cm for focusing on the object and comes really handy. Especially if you are a foodie and like to take close-up photos of food, this lens will surely help you.
The 13MP selfie camera is housed by the hole-punch display right at the center. Selfies shot with this phone were good, but the number of details and skin textures could have been slightly better as they look a bit smoother. But again the images themselves are great, and the sensor manages exposure very well. Overall, the set of cameras on the Redmi Note 10 is really good, and having the ability to actually do multiple things is always good to have.
Videos with the primary rear camera can be bumped all the way to 4K recording, and the quality of the footage itself is nice. There is supports EIS that digitally stabilizes videos for better and stable content while walking. Videos from the selfie camera are also great, and the quality is good enough for vlogging too. The cameras on the Redmi Note 10 are actually pretty good and surely made us a surprise.
Performance – Following the footsteps of the Redmi Note Series!
The Snapdragon 678 chipset on the Redmi Note 10 is an octa-core chipset, and yes it has got power. The apo opening times are very fast on the device, and there were no lags or stutters of any kind while normally using the device. The UI itself is very responsive and is MIUI 12 based on Android 11. Also, since this is just a 60Hz panel, the Snapdragon 678 handles it pretty well and the device is snappy in day-to-day tasks like opening social media apps, media browsing, and other stuff.
We also tried gaming on the Redmi Note 10, with games like PUBG Mobile. The device was able to handle the game well and gave a stable frame rate output at most times, but sometimes struggled when a few enemies are around. The frame rate eventually stabilizes as the game progresses, but PUBGM itself remains very playable. So yes, you can casually play PUBG Mobile on the Redmi Note 10 and have some great fun!
Talking about MIUI, the number of ads and recommendations has surely reduced. Redmi has taken the criticism it has received into consideration, and the notifications are now limited to a few apps like GetApps, which can also be disabled with a single click. MIUI itself remains neat to use with the reputation of being functional and feature-packed at the same time. So performance department – checked for the Redmi Note 10.
Battery Life – Redmi sets the bar higher
The 5000 mAh battery on the Redmi Note 10 takes the game a step further. In our testing, which included a lot of social media browsing, a couple of hours of gaming, an hour of media streaming, a few calls, and use of the camera, the Redmi Note 10 easily makes it through the day with over 30% juice. During the week we used the Redmi Note 10, the screen-on-time was consistently between 7-8 hours which is actually better than the competitors.
For charging the same battery, Redmi provides a 33W fast charger in the box. So we used the same adapter and a 0-100% test took slightly about an hour, so 60 minutes it is. The first 50% charge however takes just 25% which is insanely fast. Good to see charging technologies evolving and being implemented in budget devices as well.
Verdict
The Redmi Note 10 has a great display, a good design, a quality set of cameras, and more importantly, it actually performs very well with its chipset. The inclusion of stereo speakers, the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a dedicated micro SD card slot make for the icing on the cake. Considering the price of the base model at Rs. 11,999/- the Redmi Note 10 is a very solid and obvious choice for now in this segment, where it deals competition with Realme, Moto, and even POCO. The device really offers a great value for the money and will be on the recommendations list in the Rs. 15,000 segment.
The Redmi Note 10 is sold on Amazon India, Mi.com, select Mi Home Stores, and other retail stores in India.
