Xiaomi Redmi Note 10T 5G Review: A Late Entry in the Budget 5G Race
Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 10T 5G arrives as a late contender in the budget 5G smartphone market, entering the scene six months after the initial Redmi Note 10 series launch. While it boasts a 5G connection, its specifications and features are remarkably similar to existing rivals. This begs the question: Is the Redmi Note 10T 5G a compelling option in a crowded segment? After a week with the device, I discovered it’s a decent starter 5G phone, but like many budget 5G options, it falls short in certain areas.
Price and Variants
The Redmi Note 10T 5G is available in two configurations: 4GB RAM with 64GB storage priced at Rs. 14,499 and 6GB RAM with 128GB storage at Rs. 16,499. The device comes in four color options: Chromium White, Graphite Black, Metallic Blue, and Mint Green.
Design and Build
My review unit, in Mint Green with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, features a Gorilla Glass 3 protected display, effectively managing fingerprints and smudges. The frame, however, is made of plastic, and the back panel is polycarbonate. While the design appears classy, it lacks the premium feel of a glass back found on other Redmi Note 10 series devices. The polycarbonate back panel collects smudges and dust quickly, and the matte finish makes these difficult to remove.
The Redmi Note 10T 5G strategically places its ports and buttons for practicality. The 3.5mm headphone jack, IR emitter, and secondary mic reside at the top, while the primary mic, Type-C USB port, and single speaker are at the bottom. The left side features only the SIM tray, while the right side houses the volume rocker and the power button, which integrates a fingerprint sensor.
Specifications and Software
The Redmi Note 10T 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, a popular choice for budget 5G smartphones in this price range. This processor includes an integrated 5G modem, ensuring 5G connectivity. The device offers up to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage.
Connectivity options include dual-band Wi-Fi ac, FM Radio, Bluetooth 5.1, support for multiple 5G bands (SA: N1, N3, N40, N77, N78 | NSA: N78), and dual 5G standby. The hybrid dual-SIM tray allows for the use of a microSD card up to 1TB at the expense of a second SIM. The phone boasts a 5000mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging.
The software experience is powered by MIUI 12.0.3 based on Android 11. Despite only having 4GB of RAM, the software runs smoothly, though certain transparency effects, like the notification tray, seem to be disabled. App opening and closing is instantaneous, and multitasking feels effortless with no noticeable lag or stuttering.
MIUI 12.0.3 comes preloaded with a number of Xiaomi-branded apps along with third-party apps like Amazon, Facebook, Prime Video, and LinkedIn. These can be uninstalled if deemed unnecessary. However, notifications from the Wallpaper Carousel, Themes app, and GetApps proved slightly annoying, necessitating their deactivation in the Settings.
Performance and Battery Life
The 6.5-inch full-HD+ LCD display is sharp, boasting good viewing angles and sufficient brightness for outdoor visibility. One notable omission is the lack of stereo speakers, which would have enhanced the gaming and video streaming experience significantly.
In benchmark tests, the Redmi Note 10T 5G delivered a below-average AnTuTu score of 2,39,964. However, its performance in other benchmarks was on par with other phones powered by the same SoC. The Redmi Note 10T scored 555 and 1,698 in Geekbench’s single- and multi-core tests respectively.
My personal usage experience was very smooth. Gaming performance remained consistent, with a few minor hiccups. The phone did not heat up during intensive gaming sessions. Call of Duty: Mobile ran flawlessly at Medium graphics and High frame rate with accurate touch response. Asphalt 9: Legends, however, did not perform smoothly at the default graphics setting. I experienced noticeable stuttering during gameplay and lag during high-action scenes. Switching to the Performance graphics setting significantly reduced stuttering.
With a 5,000mAh battery and a 7nm processor, the Redmi Note 10T 5G exceeded expectations in terms of battery endurance. After an hour of gaming and video streaming, a few calls, plenty of messaging, and two active email accounts, I was left with 60 percent battery at the end of a workday. The HD video battery loop test further proved its strength, with the device lasting 17 hours and 8 minutes.
Charging proved slightly slower. While the box includes a 22.5W charger, the phone is capped at 18W. This resulted in a slow charging time, with the Redmi Note 10T 5G managing to reach 25 percent in 30 minutes and 50 percent in an hour. Full charge took 2 hours and 21 minutes. Although on par with competitors, this is considerably slower compared to 4G smartphones at the same price level, many of which support 30 or 33W charging.
Cameras
The Redmi Note 10T 5G features a triple rear camera setup, much like its competitors. It includes a 48-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor, which only functions when Portrait mode is activated. Selfie duties are handled by an 8-megapixel camera.
In comparison, Xiaomi’s own Redmi Note 10, priced lower, offers more camera versatility with an additional 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. The Realme Narzo 30 5G features a slightly better 16-megapixel selfie camera. The camera interface is intuitive and user-friendly, placing all essential controls within easy reach.
Photos taken in daylight appeared bright and saturated, but also overexposed. The level of detail fell short of expectations, with the primary camera exhibiting flat textures even in well-lit scenes. Sharpness noticeably decreased towards the edges of the frame. Dynamic range was decent, but the lack of detail resulted in blurry appearances for darker areas of scenes.
Portrait photos using the rear camera were significantly cleaner, exhibiting better color, detail, and accurate edge detection. Selfie camera performance was a mixed bag. In less-than-ideal lighting, like when shooting against a window, noticeable noise appeared in darker areas of the frame. Selfies taken outdoors were brighter, but generally lacked depth. Switching to Portrait mode addressed the noise issue and produced slightly improved results with better contrast, but backgrounds unfortunately became overexposed.
Macro photos were overexposed, exhibiting abnormal color tones compared to the actual scene. Even a photo of the same subject taken with the primary camera displayed superior sharpness and was more usable after cropping.
Low-light camera performance was also underwhelming. Detail dropped in Auto mode, and was even worse in Night mode. Low-light selfies were flat with below-average detail. Portrait mode offered a boost in contrast and enhanced the sense of depth in photos.
Similar to competitors, the Redmi Note 10T 5G video recording is capped at 1080p 30fps. Videos, while well-stabilized with good dynamic range, lacked sharpness. Low-light videos appeared murky, with an increase in noise levels when pointing the camera towards subjects with limited lighting.
Conclusion
Given that many budget smartphones fall short in certain aspects, your decision to invest in a budget 5G phone will ultimately hinge on your preferred brand and software. You have three main choices in this price range: the Redmi Note 10T 5G, the Realme Narzo 30 5G, and the Poco M3 Pro 5G, all featuring similar hardware at comparable prices.
If 5G is a must-have for your next upgrade, then choose from these three options. Keep in mind that the Redmi Note 10T 5G’s camera performance is slightly below average, and its price is slightly higher at Rs. 14,499. The Realme Narzo 30 5G offers a slightly better 16-megapixel selfie camera, as well as 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage, for an additional Rs. 1,500. The Poco M3 Pro 5G is priced slightly lower at Rs. 13,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant.
For those who are satisfied with a 4G phone, there are a plethora of options with significantly better hardware and features, including Super AMOLED displays, stereo speakers, superior build quality, dust and water resistance, and faster charging. One noteworthy contender comes from Xiaomi’s own stable of 4G Redmi Note 10 devices.
In conclusion, the Redmi Note 10T 5G enters the very competitive budget 5G smartphone market with solid battery life and capable performance. However, its subpar camera, design, and slow charging speed make it difficult to recommend over its competitors.
