Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite Unboxing and First Impressions

Xiaomi has a new handset that aims to bring premium design, screen, and cameras in the mid-range category—the Mi Note 10 Lite.

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With a PHP 16,990 starting price, it is the first in its class with 3D glass front and back as well as Sony's new 64MP IMX686 primary camera. This handset also retained the massive 5,260mAh battery of the vanilla Mi Note 10.

Based on its traits, it could be the handset with premium looks and more.

Let's check it out!

Unboxing/Accessories

Unboxed!

The Mi Note 10 arrived with a neat black box with "Note 10 Lite" text print in front. It is followed by another box inside containing the SIM ejector tool, flexible TPU clear case, and paper documents.

Next is you will see the phone itself. This time, there's no pre-installed screen protector unlike other Mi devices. It is probably due to its curved screen.

Then, you'll find the 30W USB power brick and the USB-A to USB-C data/charging cable. 

Xiaomi claimed that using that charger, it can fully charge the phone's massive 5,260mAh battery in just a little over an hour.

Sadly, there are no included earphones in the package.

Build Quality/Design

3D glass back

As mentioned, the Mi Note 10 Lite is a mid-range phone with a premium build. The back panel is made out of a Gorilla Glass 5 protected 3D curved glass. The frame uses a sturdy aluminum material that is commonly found on flagship devices. In front, the 6.47-inch 3D curved AMOLED display has Gorilla Glass 5 protection as well.

Gorilla Glass 5 is durable enough to withstand accidental drops and avoid hairline scratches.

Legit flagship-grade design for less!

Overall, the materials used are solid. It doesn't have IP67/68 ratings though. But, at least it has a P2i rating for water splash resistance.

Like the Mi Note 10, the Mi Note 10 Lite sports a stylish 3D glass back design except for the slightly different camera hump with black colored accents. The camera hump of this handset contains the 64MP f/1.89 Sony IMX686 + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 2cm macro + 5MP f/2.4 depth + quad-LED flash setup.

The unit that I got is the high-gloss Nebula Purple color, but it is also available in Interstellar Black and Glacier White colorways. I believe that it has some sort of coating, but it is still prone to fingerprint smudges.

Notch screen

In front, it goes with the large enough 6.47-inch AMOLED panel with gorgeous 3D curves and tiny bezels. Similar to the Mi Note 10 Pro, it has black borders on the edges of the display.

The chin bezel is a little thick, but at least it is slimmer even against the older flagships such as the P30 Pro.

The display of this handset also a U-shaped notch to house the phone's 32MP f/2.0 selfie shooter.

It is one of the nicer-looking screens for the price. It even has HDR10 and TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification.

In case you are wondering, it has a fast and accurate In-Display fingerprint scanner near the bottom of the display.

The device is fairly handly at 157.8 x 74.2 mm. That's considered as small for a device with a 6.47-inch display. It is a bit thick at 9.6 mm due to its big 5,260mAh battery. 

Top, bottom

On top, you'll find a microphone and IR Blaster. The IR Blaster is a rare feature in the mid-range price category that will allow your phone to work as a remote control for home appliances.

Below, it has the 1216 Linear Speaker, another mic, USB-C port, and 3.5mm audio jack. Just note that this phone also has Hi-Res audio certification and we expect it to produce great tunes.

Left, right

There's nothing at left and you'll see the power key, volume rocker, and the slot for the dual nano-SIM below. Sadly, it doesn't have a microSD expansion slot.

The device weighs at 204 grams which are expected for a phone with all the above-mentioned premium materials.

Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite Specs

Display: 6.47-inch 3D curved Gorilla Glass 5 protected AMOLED screen w/ HDR10 and FHD+ 2340 x 1080 resolution at 398 ppi

CPU: 2.2GHz 8nm Snapdragon 730G octa-core processor

GPU: Adreno 618

RAM: 6GB/8GB LPDDR4X

ROM: 64GB/128GB UFS 2.1

Back Camera: 64MP f/1.89 Sony IMX686 + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 2cm macro + 5MP f/2.4 depth + quad-LED flash

Selfie Camera: 32MP f/2.0

Battery: 5,260mAh w/ 30W fast charging

OS: Android 10 w/ MIUI 11

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz) 2x2 MIMO, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, FM Radio, NFC, GPS, NavIC, dual SIM

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure

Others: In-Display sensor, face unlock, IR Blaster, P2i water splash resistance, 1216 Linear Speaker, Hi-Res audio, dual-mic, USB-C, Colors: Glacier White, Midnight Black, Nebula Purple

Dimensions: 157.8 x 74.2 x 9.6 mm

Weight: 204 g

Price: PHP 16,990 (6GB/64GB), PHP 18,990 (8GB/128GB)

As of the moment

Decent AnTuTu score

Xiaomi is giving us an option. It may not have the 2019 top-end chip found on similarly priced Mi devices like the Mi 9T Pro, but the Mi Note 10 Lite is still looking to be a great device for those who are looking for a mid-range handset with flagship-like design, display, battery, and cameras.

After using the device for a day, we find it to be decent to excellent in nearly every aspect. 

See also: Redmi Note 9, Note 9 Pro, Mi Note 10 Lite arrives and priced in PH!

See you in our full review!