The Redmi Note 10 is a budget smartphone that comes in at about N95,000 or $170, while the all-new Redmi 10 is another budget offering from Xiaomi. It comes in at about N90,000 or $160 for the same memory configuration which is 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The Redmi 10 was announced about 6 months after the launch of the Redmi Note 10. Here we explore the Redmi Note 10 vs Redmi 10 comparison.
However, is it worth getting the Note 10 for N5,000 more or are you better off with the Redmi 10? In this review, I will consider the pros and cons of both smartphones to help you make the right purchase decision.
Before I begin, you can watch the Redmi Note 10 vs Redmi 10 Comparison on the Oscarmini YouTube Channel.
Design
Design is something I consider subjective, as far as the design both devices are made out of plastic and both feel very much like what they are budget smartphones. One obvious thing is the rears, Redmi 10 come in a plastic matte rear finish, which is less of a fingerprint magnet than the glossy finish on the Redmi Note 10.
There is also a noticeable camera bump on the Redmi 10 than the Note 10 and I prefer the slimmer profile from the Note 10 than the Redmi 10. Again, design is subjective as they both have about the same IO, gorilla glass 3 protection, and every other thing.
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I would go with the Note 10 because you will have an IP53 rating and generally speaking, it suit’s my taste. In the design department, both are pretty much the same; there is not that much of a difference in terms of design.
Display
For display, I will consider the fact that we have different technologies at play. The Redmi Note 10 comes in a 6.43inch full HD+ AMOLED display, which is really pleasant to look at considering the better contrast ratio from the AMOLED panel.
On the other hand, the Redmi 10 has a slightly larger, not that it is noticeable, 6.5″ full HD+ LCD panel, but it comes with a 90Hz refresh rate, making animations and scrolling feels faster because of that extra smoothness from the higher refresh rate.
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The major difference between these smartphones displays is you either go with AMOLED with a lower refresh rate, or LCD with 90Hz, personally, I prefer a higher refresh rate but in this case, I would go for the super AMOLED display from the Note 10, just because it looks richer in terms of the saturation, contrast, and colors.
What do you think, which would you go for? Higher refresh on an LCD or super AMOLED on 60Hz?
Performance
Performance is one of the major characteristics I consider before choosing any smartphone; I do not want a situation where I have a beautifully designed smartphone that is painfully slow for the activities I run on my smartphone.
The processors we are considering here are quite apart in terms of performance. Redmi Note 10 comes with a powerful Snapdragon 678 chipset, while Redmi 10 comes with a more budget and slower processor, the new Helio G88 entry MediaTek processor.
For RAM and memory, both devices come with the same configuration, Android 11 and MiUI 12.5. However, there is clearly a difference in performance, starting from faster app launch times to speed, Redmi Note 10 is clearly better in performance.
The memories types for both smartphones are different; Redmi 10 has the slower eMMC read/write speed memory while Redmi Note 10 has the faster UFS2.2 memory module.
In this category, the Redmi Note 10 is noticeably faster and feels smoother to use. It takes the crown in the performance and speed department.
Cameras
Redmi Note 10 comes with a 48MP main sensor, 8MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP macro, and a 2MP depth sensor, while Redmi 10 gives you a slightly higher 50MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth lens. On the front side, you get 8MP for the Redmi 10, and 13MP for the Note 10.
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The cameras are really close in specs and reasonable for the price you are paying, I noticed, however, that there is an extra level of saturation that gets added on the Note 10 on a closer look at the photos. The Note 10 takes you away from the poorly saturated photos you would get from the regular Redmi 10, which is a step in the right direction.
Videos on the rear camera from the Note 10 can go up to 4K, while both the front and rear cameras on the Redmi 10 cap at 1080p without stabilization.
Obviously, you have more options and a slightly better camera system with the Note 10, even though the Redmi 10 has a slightly more megapixel count in terms of specs.
Battery
Both smartphones run on a 5000mAH battery, but the Redmi 10 has an additional reverse charging feature, and an 18W fast charger, while you get a 33W fast charger with the Note 10 and that’s it.
But when it comes down to day-to-day use, I realized that the Redmi 10 lasted a little longer than the Redmi Note 10. I was a little confused as to why, because you are getting an AMOLED display on the Note 10, and at a lower refresh rate, the Note 10 should consume lower power, but then, the Redmi 10 lasts longer.
The only logical explanation I came up with was that the processor on the Note 10 consumes a little more power than that on the Redmi 10. In category, Redmi 10 beats the Redmi Note 10 by a small margin. It could also mean that I enjoyed the Note 10 and used it more. Anyway, from my not-so-scientific tests, the Note 10 lasted a little longer.
Price
Price is another important thing to consider when getting these devices. For 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, the Note 10 retails for $170 or N95,000, while the Redmi 10 retails for $160 or N90,000. Both devices can be configured up to 6GB 128 and the difference in price is a little more. The Note goes for an extra N10,000, $20 while the 10 can be gotten for about 10-$15 more, depending on where you buy.
Verdict – Which Should You Buy
So, it’s time for my verdict, which of these smartphones should you actually buy if placed with this task or responsibility. Which would be the perfect smartphone, with the best value for money?
There is no doubt the Redmi Note 10 is the better buy and better value for your money. I do not see the reason why you would want to get the Redmi 10 when the Redmi Note 10 is out here and you can get it for just $10 more. Just stand back and think about it, for $10 more, you get a better display, better performance, and slightly better build, although the design is subjective.