29 Sept 2021

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro - best budget phone in the World

 I bought the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro phone from Malaysian online store Lazada. I didn't buy it from the official Xiaomi store but from another Malaysian seller as it was cheaper and they were giving away free gifts. It cost me RM1,086.91 (about USD260 as of 12/7/21) + a shipping fee: RM 3.80. 

I am a big Xiaomi fan and this is the 6th Xiaomi phone I have bought so far, for myself and family members. In fact, we are all using Xiaomi phones in my family. They offer so much value for money. 

This is one of the most feature-packed and yet affordable phones out there in the market. Check out the unbelievable specifications. 

The phone has a bright 6.67" AMOLED display. Comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM. The battery is fast charging 5020mAh - which lasts me more than a whole day on normal usage. The phone chipset is the Qualcomm SM7150 Snapdragon 732G (8 nm), which is quite responsive and fast enough for most mobile phone games.

It has a glass front (Gorilla Glass 5) with a plastic frame and is dust and splash-proof (IPS53) - meaning that it will probably survive getting wet in a heavy downpour or accidental drop in a puddle. 

I guess the most impressive thing about the phone is the rear quad camera setup with: 

  1. 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.52", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF. That's crazy. 
  2. 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm
  3. 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro), AF
  4. 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
Take a look at a close-up shot of a Mooncake. What do you think?

Mooncake

One of the common complaints about Redmi phones are the poor quality of their night or low light conditions but looks like Xiaomi has looked into the complaints as the night shots came out really well.

It has LED flash and HDR capability. The videos came out very good, either 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 30/60fps.

The front camera is not that impressive but it is good enough for selfies: 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm

Other extras that you will not find in other more expensive phones are: Infrared port, FM radio and wait for it - a headphone port. That was the reason I bought the Redmi rather than the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro. 

Sensors include fingerprint (side-mounted as opposed to the rear in older models), accelerometer, gyro, proximity and compass.

The phone comes in three colours Onyx Gray, Glacier Blue and Gradient Bronze. I choose Gradient Bronze because it is quite unique. 

And all of this for just RM1,086.91.

See the unboxing video here: