Starting at PHP 9,990, it is one of the most affordable in the country boasting 5G connectivity making the said tech accessible to more Filipinos, even those who are on a tight budget.
Xiaomi made this possible by collaborating with the world's biggest mobile chipmaker MediaTek to use the Dimensity 700, a 7nm budget 5G.
Apart from 5G and despite being tagged as a budget device, the handset boasts highly attractive specs like the 6.5-inch adaptive 90Hz 1080p screen, up to 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128GB UFS 2.2 storage, 5,000mAh battery, USB-C 18W fast charging, and 48MP main shooter, among others.
Now, it's time to check it out.
Unboxing/Accessories
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The box |
Similar to many Xiaomi devices, the company kept the packaging of the Redmi Note 10 5G simple. You will just see the design of the device along with the print of its model name.
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Everything inside the box |
Inside, except for earphones with a microphone, it has everything that you need from a smartphone. Obviously, it has the unit itself. Xiaomi included a case, USB fast charger, USB-A to USB-C cable, SIM ejector tool, and paper documents. We also like that the company included a pre-installed screen protector even if it has the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
Build Quality/Design
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Premium look for the price |
For the price, we liked most of the things we saw with the Redmi Note 10 5G.
First, it has a 3D curved glasstic back design with a frosted-looking finish behind similar to more expensive phones. Second, the frame is plastic, but it feels durable. Third, it goes with the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection like what we mentioned above.
Unlike the regular Redmi Note 10, it doesn't have an IP rating for water resistance. But, that feature is rare at this price point and is still understandable for phones priced this low not to have that feature.
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Top-center punch-hole |
In terms of design, the curved back is modern-looking. It also has a slight hump housing its triple-camera setup and the LED flash. We also like that its back is not that prone to fingerprint smudges unlike other devices with a glossy finish.
In front, it uses a 2.5D curved panel with a top-center punch-hole housing the 8MP selfie camera. This is a 6.5-inch big LCD (LTPS) display with a 90Hz refresh rate, AdaptiveSync tech (30/50/60/90Hz), and FHD+ 2400 x 1080 resolution.
It also has a slim top and side bezels and a slightly thicker chin bezel. Our estimate, this has around 90 percent of screen-to-body ratio making it fairly immersive for a budget device.
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Top, bottom |
On top, you will see the 3.5 mm headphone slot along with the IR Blaster remote control. Below, it has a single speaker grille, USB-C port, and a microphone hole. The top part also features the earspeaker just above the selfie camera.
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Left, right |
On the left, it has the SIM tray with hybrid slots for dual nano SIM or single SIM + microSD card slot. On the right, you will see its power key that doubles as the side fingerprint reader and the volume up and down keys.
This measures 161.81 x 75.34 x 8.92 mm and weighs 190 g. It is a bit slippery, but it is comfortable in general to hold.
Overall, we think that this is a well-designed and built device despite its low asking price. This looks better than a lot of phones are this price point.
AND, don't forget that it has a case included in the package to further protect the phone.
Camera Samples
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Daylight HDR |
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Sunset shot |
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Indoor close-up |
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Indoor basic lighting |
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Low light vs Night mode |
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Low light Portrait mode |
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Night mode |
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Well-lit selfie |
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Indoor selfie, Portrait mode |
For cameras, the device is using a 48MP shooter with an f/1.79 aperture size. It is paired with a 2MP f/2.4 macro and 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor.
Out of the box, it takes decent images in most lighting conditions for a handset with a low price tag. Daylight shots are mostly crisp with good dynamic range and colors.
There are just times where it may have HDR shots that are a bit too processed. Its exposure may struggle a little in some indoor shots and there are times where it may look a bit softer in lighting conditions as well. But in general, this is acceptable.
We also like that it has decent performance in low light. There is a Night mode that could make your shots a bit brighter at the expense of more grain.
Selfies are mostly decent as well. Even the background blur effect looks fairly good.
So far, personally, my only gripe is the lack of an ultra-wide shooter. It would have made this a more versatile camera phone.
For videos, it has the ability to record up to 1080p 30fps with EIS for extra stabilization.
We will be exploring more of its features in the coming days.
Redmi Note 10 5G Specs
Display: 6.5-inch 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3 protected LCD (LTPS) screen w/ 90Hz refresh rate, AdaptiveSync tech (30/50/60/90Hz), FHD+ 2400 x 1080 resolution at 405 ppi
CPU: 2.0GHz 7nm MediaTek Dimensity 700 octa-core processor
GPU: Mali-G57 MC2 (950MHz)
RAM: 4GB/8GB LPDDR4X
ROM: 128GB UFS 2.2 expandable via microSD card slot up to 1TB
Back Camera: 48MP f/1.79 w/ PDAF + 2MP f/2.4 macro + 2MP f/2.4 depth + dual LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8MP f/2.0
Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 18W fast charging
OS: Android 11 w/ MIUI 12
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), 5G SA/NSA, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.1, FM Radio, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, dual SIM (hybrid)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure
Others: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, face unlock, IR Blaster, Hi-Res Audio, dual-mic, USB-C, Colors: Chrome Silver, Graphite Gray, Nighttime Blue, Aurora Green
Dimensions: 161.81 x 75.34 x 8.92 mm
Weight: 190 g
Price: PHP 9,990 (4GB/128GB), PHP 11,490 (8GB/128GB)
As of the moment
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Not the highest type of 5G, but it works! |
The Redmi Note 10 5G is one of the most solid handsets at this price point. Again, this is one of the very few with 5G connectivity for the price. AND, apart from 5G, it is also one of the fastest and most power-efficient for the price. Yes, it is power-efficient even if it has 5G.
The rest of the features from the display (90Hz) to cameras (48MP for less) are quite good overall as well.
It may lack the stereo speakers and AMOLED panel of the regular Redmi Note 10, but personally, I'll gladly trade them for this much faster 8nm MediaTek Dimensity 700 with 5G any time of the day.
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