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Redmi Note 10 5G Review: 5G On A Budget

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G Review

The Redmi Note 10 5G is the latest addition to the company’s Redmi Note 10 series, alongside the new Redmi Note 10S, which we’ll be reviewing in a separate review. Priced from RM799, this makes the device the most affordable 5G smartphone in Malaysia, paired with great specifications for the price. Before go into each category, let’s check out an overview of the spec sheet.

Disclaimer: The review unit we received came with 4GB of RAM, while the Malaysian retail unit will have 8GB RAM right out of the box. This review is solely based on the 4GB RAM version of the device.

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

Redmi Note 10 5G – Specifications

CPUMediaTek Dimensity 700 5G
GPUMali-G57 MC2
Memory4GB LPDDR4X (Review unit)
8GB LPDDR4X (Malaysian retail unit)
Storage128GB UFS 2.2-based
Display6.5″ IPS LCD
2400×1080 Resolution
90Hz refresh rate
Rear Camera48MP f/1.8 PDAF
2MP f/2.4 macro
2MP f/2.4 depth
Front camera8MP F/2.0
Connectivity5G Band n1/n3/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n40/n41/n66/n77/n78
LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/20/28/32/38/40/41/66
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz & 5GHz)
Bluetooth 5.1
USB Type-C 2.0
Battery5,000mAh
18W Fast Charging
Dimensions161.8 x 75.3 x 8.9mm
Weight190g

What’s In The Box?

Redmi Note 10 5G Review
  • Redmi Note 10 5G
  • TPU Case
  • Quick Start Guides
  • SIM Ejector Pin
  • Charging Adapter
  • USB Type-C Cable

Design

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

The Redmi Note 10 5G we got is the Graphite Gray variant, and it features a shiny matte finish on the rear which provides pretty good grip in the hands. It’s comfortable to hold, and doesn’t cause pain or annoyance after long hours of use. Best way to tell the difference between the Redmi Note 10 5G and Redmi Note 10S is that the Redmi branding that has the 5G logo is the Redmi Note 10 5G’s.

On the front, there’s the 6.5-inch LCD display, with the DotDrop selfie notch, as well as minimal bezels on the top and sides. The bottom does have a slightly thicker chin, but that gives your thumb some resting space.

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

On the left, there’s the SIM tray slot. While on the right, you will find the volume buttons, and the power button which has the fingerprint sensor embedded within its indented button design. On the top is where the 3.5mm audio jack, IR blaster, NFC, and secondary microphone are placed. The bottom consists of the microphone, USB Type-C port, as well as the single speaker grille.

Display

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

I was pretty disappointed that the Redmi Note 10 5G did not come equipped with an AMOLED panel like the original Redmi Note 10 did. IPS LCD isn’t the worst display out there, so I guess some sacrifices had to be made for it to achieve its current price point.

Quality wise, colours are alright, but the display lacked brightness, which made it hard to view under harsh or direct sunlight. The display kind of redeemed itself by having a 90Hz refresh rate, which is slightly better than the standard 60Hz. Navigation feels smoother, and is more pleasing to the eyes.

User Experience

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

The overall feel of this device is very similar to the non-5G Redmi Note 10. The plastic back retains its premium touch, and reduces fingerprint stains. On the inside, the Redmi Note 10 5G runs on MIUI 12 which is based on Android 11.

Functionality wise, it’s the same if you’ve used a recent Xiaomi device before. But when it comes to practicality, we found that the 4GB RAM in our review unit just wasn’t enough to keep up with the phone. You can feel the phone slowing down occasionally, so we hope the Malaysian retail unit with 8GB will improve this experience.

Performance

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

Running on the MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G chip, the device does offer decent performance, even with the low amount of RAM as mentioned above in the User Experience section. Casual everyday scrolling is done well, but when it comes to gaming, it does tend to warm up a little on the back.

Running the phone on benchmarking apps, it could run fine on GeekBench 5, but not on 3DMark. Even after launch day, access to 3DMark’s servers were still not open, so we had to just forego the test.

Here are the benchmark results from GeekBench 5:

Camera

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

In the camera department, the UI may look the same as other Xiaomi devices, but it feels quite empty. That’s because the device doesn’t have an ultra-wide angle sensor, so certain options were taken out. There’s also the lack of a Pro mode, for those who enjoy tinkering with the finer details.

We also noticed that there’s a bit of a shutter delay, but that could be due to the lower amount of RAM in our review unit. When taking multiple phots and videos, like during our photo sample session, the phone doesn’t heat up at all, and that’s great.

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Redmi Note 10 5G Review: 5G On A Budget 15

Image quality wise, it takes decent photos overall. But, the camera does struggle when it comes to handling backlighting. In certain shots, it tends to overexpose the image, and oversaturate the colours in the shot.

Here are some of the photo samples taken with the Redmi Note 10 5G:

Audio

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

With the Redmi Note 10 5G only having a single speaker setup, I felt the phone lacked volume. Even at the 100% mark, I was hoping it could go higher. There is little distortion, with the highs being decent, and the mids leaving a stronger impression than expected. Manage your expectations when it comes to the lows, there are close to no kicks on bassy tracks.

For daily use, it’s fine but I would’ve preferred if Xiaomi included another speaker to have a stereo effect. That would greatly enhance the music listening and video watching experience.

Battery Life

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

The Redmi Note 10 5G has a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W Fast Charging via USB Type-C. On a casual day, it could last me the entire day with about 20% battery left at the end of the day. In terms of recharging, the device could go from 0% to 50% in 48 minutes, while a zero to full charge would take an hour and 35 minutes.

Conclusion

Redmi Note 10 5G Review

The Redmi Note 10 5G is a really strong contender when it comes to having great specs on a device with 5G connectivity. Not only do you get to enjoy features that are usually reserved for higher-end smartphones, you can also own these features for a fraction of the price. For just RM799, it’s really easy for me to recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a great daily driver and doesn’t want to burn a hole in their wallet purchasing one.

If grey isn’t your colour, there’s also the Nighttime Blue, Aurora Green, as well as the Chrome Silver, whichever tickles your fancy. Check out our review of the Redmi Note 10 Pro right here.

Written By

Chief Content Developer at The AXO

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