The Redmi Note 10 5G offers 5G at its most accessible, but you’ll pay for the privilege in other ways.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro nailed the three core smartphone pillars of display, camera, and battery life for less than $300/£300. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G attempts to pull off the same trick at the sub-$250/£200 mark, all whilst adding 5G to the package. That sound you can hear is the groan of scant resources being stretched thinly. While the Redmi Note 10 5G is an attractively built budget phone, it falls behind the likes of the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC with the quality of its display, the level of its performance, and the flexibility of its camera system. It’s a surprisingly stylish device though, with a pleasing matte finish and an industrial-looking camera module that makes it seem far more expensive than it is. Its display is a slightly washed out FHD+ LCD, but the main drawback here compared to some of its non–5G rivals is the provision of a mere 90Hz refresh rate rather than the full 120Hz. Performance is merely okay, with a MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G chipset providing adequate day-to-day running alongside an underwhelming gaming experience. The news is similarly mixed when it comes to the camera. While the Redmi Note 10 5G’s 48MP main sensor is capable of capturing adequate shots for the price, the complete lack of an ultra-wide assistant – let alone a telephoto lens – is a bit of a downer. The 2MP macro sensor that is there is scarcely worth the space. By far the standout feature of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G is its stamina. With a 5,000mAh battery on board, alongside those otherwise modest specifications, it has the potential to last a full two days on a single charge. Overall, while it’s a competent package, potential buyers need to be sure of their priorities before committing. Like the Realme 8 5G, Xiaomi has essentially compromised in several key areas for the purpose of squeezing 5G in below the magic $200/£200 mark. So you need to be certain that next-gen network connectivity is a truly essential factor for you. You won’t go far wrong if you choose the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G as your next budget phone, just know that you can get a more rounded alternative if you’re happy to forgo 5G data speeds for another smartphone cycle. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G was announced on March 4, 2021, and became available to buy in the UK on April 13 for £199 (around AU$360) for the 64GB model. There’s also a 128GB model available for $250 / £209 (around AU$380). The phone is available in the US, but retailers are harder to find than in the UK. We can’t see the 64GB variant on sale in the US at the time of writing, so it seems you can only buy the 128GB. All in all, the Redmi Note 10 5G a very similar proposition to the Realme 8 5G and the Oppo A54 5G, both of which launched around the same time with the promise of 5G connectivity at around the $250/£200 mark. There’s no news on when the Redmi Note 10 5G will land in Australia, but we’ll update this review when we know more. We’ll say one thing for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G: it doesn’t look like a slightly compromised budget phone. We’ve been using it alongside the similarly pitched Realme 8 5G and the Oppo A54 5G, and it’s considerably nicer to hold and behold than either. Not that the front of the phone is really any different. You’ve got your pared back bezels, an oversized chin, and a centrally positioned punch-hole selfie camera that’s mercifully without a distractingly shiny surround. However, the back of the phone is quite the classy customer, at least in our model’s sober Graphite Gray color. It’s unmistakably plastic, but there’s a slightly silky matte finish that looks and feels quite nice. While it’s far from immune to fingerprints, it sure beats the glossy grease magnet approach of most cheap phones. Xiaomi’s camera module also looks a darned sight more premium than its nearest rivals, with a split metal effect and black shiny finish that makes it appear like a much more serious bit of photographic kit than it actually is. There’s a heft to the phone that backs up this more pro-like finish. With a thickness of 8.9mm and a weight of 190g, it’s certainly no lightweight, and that’s largely a positive thing. Unless you’re looking for something a little more unassuming, that is. Just like the aforementioned Oppo A54 5G and Realme 8 5G, the Redmi Note 10 5G goes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor rather than the more fashionable in-display method.
