Can the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 give Samsung’s Note series a run for its money? Spoiler alert, not really. But it’s still a good phone. We took a good look at the semi-flagship device for you.
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The phone’s gigantic. Handsets these days are all about being over 6 inches. Its screen stretches 6.47 inches across. If you have smaller hands, make note.
Although a more expensive unit, it’s surprisingly not that thin. Its dimensions are 157.8 x 74.2 x 9.7 mm.
It’s got some weight to it. We’re fans of heftier devices. They tend to feel more expensive. It comes in at 208 grams.
Its build is superb. You’re looking at a handset made from Gorilla Glass 5 and aluminum which helps it feel rich. However, it tends to be slippery. If you’re not careful, you could easily drop it.
Speaking of holding it, we don’t think it’s the most ergonomic. Just take a look at its sides, they’re not the most excellently curved.
Looking across its sides, you won’t find a microSD slot. This shouldn’t be a surprise; more expensive phones tend to not come with the port. If it’s any consolation, there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The port has started to be removed from more expensive units recently.
Where is its fingerprint sensor? Not on its back or sides. You’ll be unlocking it with your thumb on its screen.
If you’re a fan of handsets coming in many colours, the Mi Note 10 is not for you. You can only purchase it in 3 options. They are:
The Aurora Green variant is our favourite. It has a more metallic look to it.
Don’t forget that its display is huge. You’ll get a fabulously immersive viewing experience. The fact that it comes with an AMOLED front helps. It is incredibly vibrant.
There is a notch in-place. If you’re a notch hater, know that you can hide it through its system’s settings.
The fact that it rocks an infinity display helps keep things immersive. Its infinity display is evident through its screen-to-body ratio. It is 87.8%. There are no bezels present.
Did we mention how bright it gets? Its front reaches 600 max nits. 500 is the gold standard, which it’s way above.
Its screen-resolution is good too. It comes with 1080 x 2340 pixels. The phone is pin-sharp.
The cherry on top is the fact that it comes with many colour and temperature settings, making things even more vibrant.
Considering it has such a powerful display, it isn’t a surprise that its battery is huge. You’re getting a 5260 mAh unit. The Mi Note 10 can last around 2 days. No, you won’t be able to remove its battery. It’s sealed within its glass back.
To charge it, you’ll be making use of a USB-C port. The Xiaomi device utilizes 30 W fast charging. It goes from 0-100% in around an hour. The company says that you’ll reach 60% in 30 minutes, but this is a very rough estimate.
If you’re expecting reverse or wireless charging, get ready to be disappointed. We would’ve loved it if it came with the two, but you don’t always get what you want.
The processor inside it is the Snapdragon 730G. You might be wondering what the G is. It stands for Gaming. You’re looking at the optimized version of the regular 730 processor.
Out of the box, it runs Android 9. You’ll be able to upgrade its systems to Android 10.
Remember how we said it doesn’t come with a MicroSD slot? That shouldn’t be too much of an issue. The Xiaomi device comes with 128 GB of space. What about RAM? There are 8 gigs.
The RAM it comes with is impressive, you’ll move through apps at lightning speeds.
If we didn’t mention it earlier, there’s no stylus. It would’ve given the Samsung Note’s a run for their money otherwise.
It’s not every day you see a phone with 5 sensors on its rear. Its primary sensor is a 108 MP 7P lens, its secondary sensor is a 12 MP telephoto lens, its tertiary sensor is an 8 MP telephoto lens, its fourth sensor is a 20 MP ultrawide lens, and its final sensor is a 2 MP macro lens.
On its front, a single shooter is present. It is a 32 MP wide lens.
Now that you know everything about it, we ran through similarly priced units. They’ll help you decide on it.
The V17 Pro is huge. However, it’s about the same size as its counterpart. It comes with a thickness that’s similar too. Its dimensions are 159 x 74.7 x 9.8 mm. It’s got some weight to it. The Pro comes in at 201.8 grams.
Its screen is vibrant. The panel in place is Super AMOLED. If you remember, we saw regular AMOLED in its Xiaomi counterpart. It comes with a good screen-to-body ratio. But it’s not as good as its counterpart’s. Its ratio is 84.3%.
Its display is sharper than the Mi Note 10’s. You’re getting 1080 x 2400 pixels. You won’t notice anything iffy, even if you look closely.
In the ergonomics department, it’s more comfortable to hold. Just take a look at its sides, they’re curved well.
It’s like a bar of soap. It rocks a glass build. What’s the glass on it? You’re looking at Gorilla Glass 6. No, there isn’t aluminum on its frame. There is plastic, but it doesn’t feel too bad.
Just like its back, there is Gorilla Glass 6 on its front. Good luck trying to scratch it. It’s seriously durable.
In terms of how bright its screen gets we sadly have no idea. Vivo didn’t make its max nits public knowledge.
Out of the box, it runs Android 9. You’ll be able to upgrade it to Android 10. The chipset that powers its OS isn’t as good as the Snapdragon 730G. You’re met with the Snapdragon 675. It’s an alright processor, though.
Is there a microSD slot? The answer is no. But the ROM it comes with is good. It is 128 GB. The RAM it comes with is impressive as well. It is 8 GB.
The battery inside is big. That being said, it’s not as impressive as its rival. It is 4100 mAh. The unit will last well over a day, which is perfect for regular use. To charge it, you’ll be making use of a USB-C port. You’ll plug an 18 W fast charger into it. The V17 Pro takes around an hour and a half to go from 0-100%.
You’ll notice no notch on its front. If you’re a notch hater, this would be a relief because its selfie camera is motorized. It consists of dual sensors. Its primary sensor is a 32 MP wide lens while its secondary sensor is an 8 MP ultrawide lens.
There’s a quad set-up on its rear. Its primary sensor is a 48 MP wide lens, its secondary sensor is an 8 MP ultrawide lens, its tertiary sensor is a 13 MP telephoto lens and its fourth sensor is a 2 MP depth sensor.
Unlike the Note 10, the OnePlus Nord was released this year. The phone’s gigantic, being around its Xiaomi counterpart’s size. It’s much thinner than it, though. The following are its dimensions, 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm.
It is super ergonomic. It is curved well, being made from Gorilla Glass 5. Is its rear aluminum? The answer is no, sadly.
On its front, Gorilla Glass 5 is present too. It’s incredibly resistant.
The panel on its screen is Fluid AMOLED. Being a type of AMOLED, it’s vibrant. The ‘Fluid’ in its name is talking about its refresh rate. It’s 90 Hz, making animations buttery.
Not only are you getting an impressive panel, but you’re met with an expert resolution too. It is 1080 x 2400 pixels. Its screen-to-body ratio helps with how immersive it is. its ratio is 86.7%. Although a bit smaller than the Mi Note 10’s, it’s still really good.
The icing on the cake is its HDR10+ rating. This means it’ll be able to produce a range of colours. You’ll be able to sit back and relax and stream HDR content.
Let’s talk about its insides:
You are getting Android 10 out of the box. The handset runs OnePlus’ notorious OxygenOS. It’s noteworthy as it’s very close to Stock Android.
The chipset present is superior to its Xiaomi alternative, you’re met with the Snapdragon 765G. If you guessed that the G in its name is for gaming, you’re right.
Unfortunately, there is no microSD slot. However, it comes in great storage options. You can pick it up with 64, 128, and 256 GB ROM. RAM wise, 6,8 and 12 GB are available. The 12 GB RAM variant, along with the superior chipset, helps the phone run laps the Mi Note 10.
The battery is 4115 mAh. The Nord lasts well over a day. To charge it, you’ll be making use of a 30 W fast charger. It’ll go from 0-100% in a little less than an hour.
In terms of its camera, there is a quad set-up on its rear. Its primary sensor is a 48 MP wide lens, its secondary sensor is an 8 MP ultrawide lens, its tertiary sensor is a 5 MP depth sensor, and its fourth sensor is a 2 MP macro lens.
There’s a dual set-up on its front. Its primary lens is a 32 MP wide lens, its secondary sensor is an 8 MP ultrawide lens.
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