OPPO Reno5 5G vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro Full Comparison - Under PHP 25K battle!

OPPO recently introduced the "content creator-focused" Reno 5 5G in the Philippines and it is an interesting device for the price. So, in this feature, let's find out how will it fare against the best smartphone under PHP 25K last year—the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro.

Team OPPO or team Xiaomi?

Build Quality/Design

Glass back designs

Similar to a lot of smartphones found at this price point, both the OPPO Reno5 5G and Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro arrived with glossy back covers that are prone to fingerprint smudges. Reno5 5G has a less fingerprint smudge version with a matte frosted-like finish called Galactic Silver.

Glass and metal materials

But, in terms of materials used, the Mi 10T Pro is ahead. It is using a Gorilla Glass 5 protected curved back, aluminum frame, and a Gorilla Glass 5 front versus Reno5 5G's unspecified glass protection. Moreover, it has a rubber gasket on the SIM tray suggesting that it has some sort of water protection despite the lack of IP rating.

The major difference in the back design lies in the camera hump department. Reno5 5G has a slimmer L-shaped quad-camera hump with LED flash while the Mi 10T Pro sports a thicker bump due to its use of a larger Big Eye-like 108MP primary shooter and 3 more cameras as well as the LED flash.

Reno5 5G is also smaller, slimmer, and lighter at 159.1 x 73.4 x 7.8 mm and 172 to 182 grams versus the 165.10 x 76.40 x 9.33 mm and 218 grams of Mi 10T Pro.

That's understandable as the Mi 10T Pro is equipped with a larger 6.67-inch display and a 5,000mAh battery.

In the front, the Reno5 is using a smaller 6.4-inch panel with slimmer and sleeker-looking bezels with a 91.7 percent screen-to-body ratio due to its use of an AMOLED panel. Meanwhile, the Mi 10T Pro with an LCD screen has a slightly thicker chin bezel.

The two have punch-holes housing their front cameras. Mi 10T Pro has a smaller-looking punch-hole since it has a smaller 20MP front shooter. But, that makes its hole in the screen less noticeable than Reno5 5G.

Moreover, Xiaomi claimed that the Mi 10T Pro comes with a silver ion antibacterial case + antibacterial screen protector designed to eliminate more than 99 percent of bacteria.

In-Display fingerprint reader

The lower portion of Reno5 5G's screen features the In-Display fingerprint sensor.

Side-mounted fingerprint scanner

To keep its back design clean despite not using an AMOLED panel, Xiaomi opted for a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that doubles as a power key on the right side of the device.

Top, bottom

Xiaomi was also able to squeeze an IR Blaster Remote control, stereo speakers, and a liquid-cooling solution on the body of this device.

Left, right

Both have USB-C charging ports. Build/Design-wise, Reno5 5G is sleeker-looking. But, Mi 10T Pro is more feature-rich.

Multimedia Experience

Different screens, both with good quality

The two highlight powerful screens with different approaches. OPPO picked a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with up to 90Hz refresh rate while the Mi 10T is equipped with a larger 6.67-inch FHD+ LCD panel with up to 144Hz refresh rate.

90Hz AMOLED vs 144Hz LCD

Traditionally, AMOLED is superior compared to LCD. But, not this time. It is a close match for us as Xiaomi used arguably the best type of LCD panel on the planet yet.

In particular, Reno 5 5G's display has a listed DCI-P3 color gamut of 93.28 percent on Vivid mode while the Mi 10T Pro has 98 percent.

In real-life, Reno5 5G's screen has deep blacks, nice contrast, and good color punch yet not oversaturated. It also has a brighter up to 750 nits brightness which is 100 higher than the up to 650 nits of Xiaomi. It lacks HDR10 though.

Meanwhile, the tone on the Mi 10T Pro's display is slightly colder. But, it is a bit more color-accurate and has HDR10. Overall, this is a very close match in the picture quality department.

The other advantage of the Mi 10T Pro's display is its use of the MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation) chip which allowed its display to enjoy AdaptiveSync to switch between 30Hz, 48Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz automatically.

Basically, Mi 10T Pro will only use the higher refresh rates on apps that support it when needed automatically to conserve power.

On the other hand, Reno5 5G's AMOLED screen only has 60 to 90Hz support. In our review, we mentioned that we can't find an option to forcefully select 60Hz. For Xiaomi, it allows you to select 60Hz, 90Hz, and 144Hz manually.

Either will look impressive for viewing the photos and videos you took as well as checking websites, Netflix and chill moments, and more.

The two screens are good for multimedia consumption

For speakers, this is a win for the Mi 10T Pro as it is equipped with a stereo speaker configuration. Don't get us wrong, Reno5 5G's speaker is clear and quite good for the price. But, Xiaomi's configuration is louder, clearer, and better. Obviously, it has a wider soundstage as well.

Mi 10T Pro has a stereo speaker setup, Reno5 5G only has one speaker

For wired audio listening, both are pretty okay. One thing we liked about the Reno5 5G is it still has a 3.5mm audio jack that provides decent sound with respectable driving power. It never had an issue powering small headphones like the OneOdio Pro 10 and smaller in-ear monitors.

But, audio quality-wise, the advantage here goes to the Mi 10T Pro. Why? Via USB-C, you can access the phone's Hi-Res Audio from Japan Audio Society. Upon trying, it was able to make my headphones sing better with more energetic tunes. My headphones feel slightly less bloated in sound as well.

Reno5 5G's driving power is actually stronger, but distortion is fewer with the Mi 10T Pro 5G at max loudness.

For calls and audio recording, it is a close match. Noise is a bit lesser on the Mi 10T Pro. But, sometimes, Reno5 5G records audio a bit louder. It could go either way.

Camera

64MP quad-cam vs 108MP triple-cam

For cameras, OPPO uses a quad-camera configuration starring a 64MP f/1.7 main shooter with PDAF and EIS along with an 8MP f/2.2 119-degree ultra-wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 macro + 2MP f/2.4 mono + LED flash.

On the other hand, Mi 10T Pro packs a triple-camera setup. But, it uses a large 108MP f/1.69 Samsung HMX sensor with PDAF focus and optical image stabilization. The secondary camera is also larger at 13MP f/2.4 w/ 123-degree ultra-wide-angle and the third camera features the 5MP f/2.4 2cm macro camera.

The two have plenty of useful modes like auto HDR, filters, Portrait, and Night mode, among others.

Rear Camera Samples

Daylight OPPO Reno5 5G (left) vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro (right)

In daylight, OPPO Reno5 5G produced a slightly more saturated tone but with a great dynamic range and plenty of details. Mi 10T Pro has a more natural color tone. It also has crisp details. But, it is a bit softer than OPPO's shot.

Daylight ultra-wide OPPO Reno5 5G (left) vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro (right)

For the ultra-wide camera in daylight, we liked Mi 10T Pro's output better this time. It has punchier colors with better contrast and slightly crispier details in general. Meanwhile, Reno5 5G's shot is not bad. However, it is softer. It is a bit overexposed as well. Mi's shot is also a bit wider. Both aren't that distorted for ultra-wide shots.

Macro OPPO Reno5 5G (left) vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro (right)

The two have macro cameras too for those who want to take super close-up images without using the zoom in daylight or well-lit conditions. In this part, the winner for us is the Mi 10T Pro as its macro camera can do close-up shots closer up to 2cm near versus the 4cm of OPPO Reno5 5G.

Indoor OPPO Reno5 5G (left) vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro (right)

Indoors, the fight is close again. Reno5 5G has a slightly brighter exposure while the Mi 10T Pro's sensor is wider with truer colors.

Indoor ultra-wide OPPO Reno5 5G (left) vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro (right)

For the ultra-wide cameras, the HDR of the Mi 10T Pro is better. Details and colors are nicer as well. To keep it short, Reno5 5G's ultra-wide shooter is again softer.

Indoor 20x zoom OPPO Reno5 5G vs 30x zoom Mi 10T Pro

Moving to the max zoom. Reno5 5G has up to 20x digital zoom. Mi 10T Pro has up to 30x digital zoom. Obviously, Xiaomi's zoom is superior.

Indoor 2x OPPO Reno5 5G (left) vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro (right)

Trying the indoor zoom once more at 2x, it is evident that Mi 10T Pro's is ahead.

Portrait OPPO Reno5 5G (left) vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro (right)

Using the Portrait mode with beauty, both performed well and it is just a matter of preference. The skin tone on the Mi 10T Pro is also truer. For the background, some may like the level of default blur that OPPO produces, some may like Xiaomi more.

We find Mi 10T Pro's edge detection to be a bit better that's visible on the back hair of the subject.

In the dark, the main cameras of these phones are capable. The difference is minimal. The exposure in OPPO's shot is a bit brighter while Xiaomi's shot is a bit darker. OPPO's night shot looks a bit softer while Xiaomi's night shot has a bit more grain. A tie for me here.

For the ultra-wide camera, both aren't that impressive. The two aren't that crisp in details. Reno5 5G's ultra-wide is just a bit better this time.

Thankfully, the two have their own versions of having Night mode.

It is a close match in general, Mi 10T's Night mode is a bit brighter. The dynamic range is a bit wider as well. But, for us, the Reno5 Night mode is more controlled with better contrast and colors. Flare is lesser as well.

For selfies, Reno5 5G highlights a large 32MP f/2.4 shooter while Mi 10T Pro 5G features the 20MP f/2.2 Samsung S5K3T2 camera.

Reno5 5G has an AI Beauty mode as well as Portrait mode for selfies. Not to be left behind, Xiaomi's contender has AI for selfies along with Beauty and Portrait modes.

Selfie Camera Samples

In daylight with Portrait mode and Beauty mode, the two did a good job. Selfie on the Reno5 5G has a stronger default beauty effect and nice-looking background blur. It made my skin tone whiter as well.

Meanwhile, we slightly prefer the Mi 10T shot as my skin tone is closer to natural. The beauty effect is not too much as well. It made my skin look better, but it is not overly beautified. Some may also like its background blur better as it is blurrier.

Edge detection is similar on both devices.

When wearing a face mask indoor, the Reno5 5G will continue to give a bright exposure and a softer skin tone. Xiaomi, on the other hand, has a darker exposure. But, details appear to be better and the skin tone looks truer.

In low light, we can see that the selfie Night mode of OPPO is brighter. In this shot, it is evident that its field of view is also wider.

Xiaomi's field of view is narrower, but its selfie Night mode has fewer glares. It is more detailed as well. My skin tone is just darker than usual here.

Both of these camera configurations are said to be great for photos and videos. OPPO Reno5 5G has the ability to record up to 4K videos at 30fps, UIS 1080p wide and ultra-wide, and 720p 240fps Slo-mo.

One advantage of the Mi 10T Pro is it has the ability to record up to 8K videos at 24 or 30fps. And of course, it records 4K videos at 30 or 60fps as well as 1080p 30fps Steady videos.

Mi 10T Pro can record slow-mo videos up to 120fps at 1080p. Sadly, there's no 960fps Slow-motion mode like the regular Mi 10T.

The two have Dual video mode with similar functionalities to allow users to record using both the back and front cameras at the same time.

Reno5 5G has a Film mode for manual video controls and SOLOOP TEMPLATES for portrait video presets that could be great for Facebook and Instagram stories. Meanwhile, Mi 10T Pro has a VLOG mode with 7 presets for different video effects.

Performance

AnTuTu benchmark

On paper, the two phones are packed with speedy specs. OPPO Reno5 5G uses the 2.4GHz 7nm EUV Snapdragon 765G octa-core processor with Adreno 620 GPU, 8GB LPDDR4X, and 128GB UFS 2.1 non-expandable storage.

Meanwhile, the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro loads with the 2.84GHz 7nm Snapdragon 865 octa-core processor with Adreno 650, 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage.

Geekbench

Based on specs alone, the OPPO Reno5 5G is equipped with the chip and specs that you are supposed to find in its price point. Snapdragon 765G is reasonably fast and it is a 5G-ready chip. Most late 2020 to early 2021 phones under PHP 25K are powered by this chip.

Mi 10T Pro's speed is next level!

BUT, the Mi 10T Pro has a chipset on a different level. It is powered by the 2020-flagship 7nm Snapdragon 865. This is the most powerful mobile processor for the most part last year and Xiaomi placed it on a phone priced this low.

The two may also have similar-looking RAM sizes at 8GB, but Mi 10T Pro's use of the newer LPDDR5 RAM is superior to the LPDDR4X of Reno5 5G. For storage, Mi 10T Pro has twice the storage at 256GB versus 128GB. Moreover, its UFS 3.1 is more advanced than Reno5 5G's UFS 2.1.

As a result, Mi 10T Pro got higher benchmark scores. Smoothness is identical when navigating from an app to another and even opening basic social media apps. But, for file transfers, Mi 10T Pro is faster. Xiaomi's contender also opens more demanding apps quicker.

For gaming, Reno5 5G has a pretty good performance. It runs most games at high settings with respectable thermals.

OPPO Reno5 5G and Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro Call of Duty: Mobile settings

However, Mi 10T Pro allowed us to access higher graphic settings on some games. It is also smoother with fewer frame drops in actual usage and it can run all of the heavy games we tried. Moreover, it has Vapor Chamber Liquid Cooling that dissipates heat faster to allow its users to game longer with better frame rates.

For connectivity, the two have 5G and they record similar speeds using the same network on the same locations. Reno5 5G's signal reception is just 1 bar better.

But, for WiFi Mi 10T Pro is ahead. It has the newer WiFi 6 standard. Also, thanks to its more advanced and higher-end chipset, it has a better overall connectivity option as well.

For security, I find the In-Display fingerprint scanner of the Reno5 5G easier to reach. But, once you are used to the side-mounted fingerprint scanner of Xiaomi, you'll notice that it is faster. It is slightly more accurate than In-Display fingerprint scanners as well.

Both have Face unlocking techs that work even in the dark. The two are similar in speed.

Mi 10T Pro has the ability to use the Remote Control mode. Thanks to its IR Blaster on top.

Battery benchmark

For battery, Reno5 5G has 4,300mAh. In actual usage, it can last for an entire workday of usage with about 30 to 20 percent left in the tank depending on your usage. The battery benchmark score we recorded is 7 hours and 49 minutes.

Mi 10T Pro's battery is performance is superior, Reno5 5G charges faster

On the other hand, the Mi 10T Pro with a 5,000mAh battery has a much better benchmark score. Using PC Mark's Work 2.0 battery life, it clocked 23 hours and 34 minutes. 

For charging, Reno5 5G with USB-C 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 charging is ahead. Based on our experience, it can fully charge the phone from 0 to 100 percent under 40 minutes.

But, for a phone with a larger battery capacity with just 33W of fast charging, Mi 10T Pro's charging performance is not bad. From 0 to 100 percent, you will only need about 65 to 70 minutes. 30 minutes of charge can give it 60 percent of juice.

For software, we saw plenty of improvements for the two phones. OPPO Reno5 5G is boasting the Android 11 OS with the much improved ColorOS 11.1 skin. By default, Xiaomi loads with Android 10 OS with MIUI 12 skin, but as of writing, the Android 11 version of MIUI 12.1 has arrived and we started downloading it.

The two look modern-looking with either gesture or traditional Android keys for navigation. 

ColorOS 11.1 has Soloop for video editing, Game Space for uninterrupted and optimized gaming, Music Party, and O Relax.

MIUI has several pre-installed apps like Security, Themes, Cleaner, and Game Turbo for uninterrupted and optimized gaming.

Frankly, the major difference is just in the design department. It could go either way in terms of functions. The two are pretty capable Android skins.

OPPO Reno5 5G advantages - Slimmer profile, AMOLED screen, faster-charging speed, slightly more affordable price tag

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro advantages - Some sort of water splash resistance, up to 144Hz refresh rate, superior Snapdragon 865 chip, better cooling system, faster RAM and storage, larger battery capacity, stereo speakers, IR Blaster remote control

OPPO Reno5 5G vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro Specs

Device	OPPO Reno5 5G	Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
Display	6.4-inch 2.5D curved AMOLED screen w/ 90Hz refresh rate, FHD+ 2400 x 1080 resolution at 411 ppi	6.67-inch 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 5 protected LCD screen w/ 144Hz refresh rate, HDR10, MEMC, FHD+ 2400 x 1080 resolution at 395 ppi
CPU	2.4GHz 7nm EUV Snapdragon 765G octa-core processor	2.84GHz 7nm Snapdragon 865 octa-core processor
GPU	Adreno 620	Adreno 650
RAM	8GB LPDDR4X	8GB LPDDR5
ROM	128GB UFS 2.1	256GB UFS 3.1
Back Camera	64MP f/1.7 w/ PDAF + EIS + 8MP f/2.2 119-degree ultra-wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 macro + 2MP f/2.4 mono + LED flash	108MP f/1.69 Samsung HMX w/ PDAF and OIS + 13MP f/2.4 123-degree ultra-wide-angle + 5MP f/2.4 2cm macro + LED flash
Selfie Camera	32MP f/2.4	20MP f/2.2 Samsung S5K3T2
Battery	4,300mAh w/ 65W SuperVOOC 2.0	5,000mAh w/ 33W wired fast charge
OS	Android 11 w/ ColorOS 11.1	Android 11 w/ MIUI 12
Connectivity	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.1 (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC), OTG, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, Galileo, dual SIM	WiFi 6, 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.1 (AAC, LDAC, LHDC support), OTG, NFC, GPS (L1 + L5), A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo (E1 + E5a), dual SIM
Sensors	Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic	Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others	In-Display fingerprint sensor, face unlock, USB-C, Colors: Galactic Silver, Starry Black, Galactic Silver	Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, face unlock, IR Blaster, stereo speakers, Hi-Res Audio, liquid cooling, USB-C, Colors: Cosmic Black, Lunar Silver, Aurora Blue
Dimensions	159.1 x 73.4 x 7.8 mm	165.10 x 76.40 x 9.33 mm
Weight	172 g (Starry Black, Astral Blue), 180 g (Galactic Silver)	218 g
Price	PHP 23,999	PHP 24,990

Our thoughts

As mentioned in our full review, the OPPO Reno5 5G is a solid all-around smartphone. We like that it is slim, stylish, and capable at the same time. It also has a super-fast charging speed and capable cameras for content creation.

However, if you can add PHP 1,000 to your budget, we think that the Mi 10T Pro will give you a totally level-up experience.

It uses more premium and durable materials, a higher refresh rate screen, a much faster processor for gaming and multitasking, a much longer battery life, cameras with better zoom capabilities and 8K video support, and other features like stereo speakers and IR Blaster remote control.

Overall, we think that the Mi 10T Pro is the device with a better price-performance ratio.

What about you? Do you agree with us?