Redmi Note 10: Everything you need to know about Xiaomi’s 2021 budget smartphone

In this article, we take a detailed look at all the handsets that were announced today. Depending on which part of the world you are from, the names of the smartphones announced today could change. Essentially, what you need to know is that in Europe and the rest of the world, the company has come up with four new models, shown below.

• Redmi Note 10
• Redmi Note 10 Pro
• Redmi Note 10 5G
• Redmi Note 10S
• Prices & Availability

If you're reading this in India, don't even try to read about variants launched in Europe and click on the links below instead. Trust me, it's way too confusing. 

• Everything about the Redmi Note 10 Series in India
• Redmi Note 10 
• Redmi Note 10 Pro Max and Redmi Note 10 Pro

Redmi Note 10: Among the cheapest phones with an AMOLED display

Display & SoC

Let's start with the Redmi Note 10, which can be described as the entry-level model of the new series. This phone features a 6.43-inch AMOLED DotDisplay (60 Hz) with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080 pixels. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 SoC, which is basically a slightly higher clocked Snapdragon 675. There is no 5G support. One thing missing from this European variant is support for 180Hz touch sampling rate that its Indian counterpart gets.

Memory

The Redmi Note 10 comes in two memory options; a base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and a top version that gets 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. You can augment the storage further using microSD cards.

Camera

Xiaomi has retained a 48-megapixel camera on the Redmi Note 10, but it now gets a faster lens with f/1.79 aperture as opposed to f/1.8 in its predecessor. There's also still an 8-megapixel ultra-wide f/2.2 camera with a 118-degree field of view, a 2-megapixel macro camera with f/2.4, and a 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4. The front camera, which fits in a punch hole notch, resolves at 13 megapixels.

Battery, fast charging

The Redmi Note 10 ships with a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 33-watt fast charging. And yes, the charger is included with the phone. Other notable features:

• Dual speaker & headphone port
• IP53 certified
• Dual SIM capable
• Fingerprint sensor on the power button
• Infrared blaster
• MIUI 12 based on Android 11 out of the box

Redmi Note 10 Pro

Display

The Redmi Note 10 Pro is the range-topping variant among the Redmi Note 10 series. This phone features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display and supports 120 Hz refresh rate and a touch sampling rate of 240 Hz. The display also operates in DCI-P3 color space, is certified for HDR 10, and is protected with Gorilla Glass 5.

SoC & storage variants

The Redmi Note 10 Pro comes powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G. This eight-core processor is powerful enough to handle most modern games but does not offer 5G support. You do get support for Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2. The two variants on offer include a base 6GB option with 64GB storage and a top 8GB variant - with 128GB storage. 

Camera

For the quad camera on the back, Xiaomi follows the trend of using 108 megapixels in the main sensor. As usual, the phone adds nine pixels into one to generate potentially better images in 12-megapixel resolution. Alongside the main sensor are the same 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera as in the Redmi Note 10, a 5-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera can take 16-megapixel shots.

Battery, Quick Charging & Size

You'll also benefit from Quick Charging with 33 watts in the Pro version, and the battery capacity increases to 5,020 milliampere hours. Whether this is enough for the power-saving display will, of course, only be seen in a detailed test. Also worth mentioning is the 193 grams weight and dimensions of 164 x 76.5 x 8.1mm.

• MIUI 12 based on Android 11.
• NFC & IR blaster on board
• Fingerprint sensor in the power button
• Dual SIM
• IP 53 rating
• Dual speakers & jack port

Redmi Note 10 5G and Note 10S

Redmi Note 10 5G

The Redmi Note 10 5G is a new 5G centric smartphone which seems to be a completely new product line for global markets. The Redmi Note 10 5G uses the MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC, which supports 5G.

Unlike the Redmi Note 10 and the Redmi Note 10 Pro, the Redmi Note 10 5G uses a 90Hz LCD panel that measures 6.5 inches across. The phone gets a triple camera sensor at the rear, with the primary sensor capable of 48MP shots. What's annoying is that Xiaomi is dropping the ultra-wide-angle sensor, of all things, and keeping the rather superfluous macro and depth sensors. It also throws in a 5,000 mAh battery - but with support only for 18W charging. The supplied charger, however, supports 22.5W fast charging. Oh, and this model comes sans a microSD card slot. 

Redmi Note 10S

Next up is the Redmi Note 10S. This seems to be targeted at gamers and uses the MediaTek Helio G95, which is slightly below the performance level of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G. Like the Note 10, it uses an AMOLED display (60Hz) with FHD+ resolution.

The Redmi Note 10S gets a quad-camera setup at the rear with a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP  macro camera and a 2MP depth camera. Unlike the 5G version, the Note 10S once again offers Quick-Charging with 33 watts and also comes with the matching power adapter. In return, you'll have to do without micro SD cards. Confusing!

Prices and availability

The Global pricing for these devices are as follows. The UK specific pricing shall be added once Xiaomi gives us some clarity.

• Redmi Note 10 - $199 for 6/64GB | $229 for 6/128GB
• Redmi Note 10 Pro - $279 for 6/64GB | $299 for 6/128GB | $329 for 8/128GB 
• Redmi Note 10 5G - $199 for 4/64GB | $229 for 4/128GB - Coming in April
• Redmi Note 10S - $229 for 6/64GB | $249 for 6/128GB | $279 for 8/128GB - Coming in April

Redmi Note 10 lineup for India

As always, India is a special market for Xiaomi since it is the largest smartphone vendor in the country. Here, the Redmi Note 10 Lineup is slightly different from the rest of the world. Instead of four devices we saw in Europe, Xiaomi only announced three new handsets for India. These include.

• Redmi Note 10 - Same phone as the global Redmi Note 10 but adds 180Hz touch sampling
• Redmi Note 10 Pro Max - This is sold as the Redmi Note 10 Pro everywhere else
• Redmi Note 10 Pro - This is a toned-down Redmi Note 10 Pro Max with a lower resolution primary camera

Chances are high the Redmi Note 10 5G and the Redmi Note 10S will be launched in different names or branded as POCO phones in India.

Redmi Note 10 (India): Specifications, features

The Redmi Note 10 succeeds last year's Redmi Note 9 and adds major upgrades this time around. This phone is near-identical to the global variant, and the specs are identical. One difference seems to be that the 60Hz AMOLED panel on the India version supports 180Hz touch sampling while the global version apparently does not. The AMOLED display is also way brighter than its predecessor at 1100 nits, and it also supports 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour space. The processor, too, is identical to the global variant - Snapdragon 678. 

The camera setup on the Redmi Note 10, again, is identical to the global variant, and it uses a quad-camera setup that includes a 48MP primary camera (IMX 582), 8MP ultrawide camera, and twin 2MP sensors for depth and macros. The front camera uses a 13MP sensor. 

The Redmi Note 10 comes in two options in India, and here are the prices.

• Redmi Note 10 - 4GB+64GB - Rs 11,999
• Redmi Note 10 - 6GB+128GB - Rs 13,999

The phone goes on sale starting March 16 via Mi.com, Amazon.in and Mi Stores across India.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, Redmi Note 10 Pro: Specifications, features

For reasons best known to Xiaomi, the company markets the global variant of the Redmi Note 10 Pro as the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max in India. But what makes this decision confusing is that India ALSO gets a Redmi Note 10 Pro which is not the same phone as the global Redmi Note 10 Pro.

Aaaargh!

Basically, what you need to understand is that the Redmi Note 10 Pro sold in India is the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max with a different primary camera sensor. The Pro Max (and the global Redmi Note 10) use the 108MP Sensor (Samsung HM2), while the Redmi Note 10 Pro sold in India uses a 64MP sensor (Samsung ISOCELL GW3). The rest of the hardware is identical 

Now that the confusion is out of the way (hopefully), here's a quick look at the spec-sheet of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max and the Redmi Note 10 Pro.

The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max and the Redmi Note 10 Pro get the same SD 732G chipset as the Global Redmi Note 10. Both phones come in three different RAM/Storage options in India. Here are the variants, along with the corresponding prices. As mentioned earlier, and the rest of the hardware is same as that of the international variant. 

Redmi Note 10 Pro Max

• 6GB + 64GB: INR 18999
• 6GB + 128GB: INR 19999
• 8GB + 128GB: INR 21999

Redmi Note 10 Pro (India)

• 6GB + 64GB: INR 15999
• 6GB + 128GB: INR 16999
• 8GB + 128GB: INR 18999

The Redmi Note 10 Pro goes on sale in India starting March 17, 2021 while the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max will be on sale starting March 18, 2021.