Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S hands-on review

Competition

Most of the competition for the Redmi Note 10S in India comes from other Xiaomi phones, namely the cheaper Redmi Note 10 and the slightly more expensive Redmi Note 10 Pro. The Redmi Note 10 has a lower resolution camera and worse GPU performance but otherwise is identical. The Redmi Note 10 Pro has a better main camera and also a 120Hz display, so it does seem like the more sensible choice overall.

The other option in this segment is the Poco X3. It has a 120Hz LCD display with a 64MP camera, Snapdragon 732G, and a 6000mAh battery, at the same price as the Redmi Note 10S, which does make it a bit better value if you don't have to have an AMOLED display.

Aside from Xiaomi, you can also consider going with the new Realme 8 5G. It isn't significantly different or better than the Redmi Note 10S and the two go back and forth between their features and specifications. The Realme 8 5G does have a 90Hz display and the main camera produces much better-looking images but it has no ultra-wide and it can't shoot 4K video - two things which may be deal-breakers for many people.

Verdict

With the Redmi Note 10S, Xiaomi is just pulling an NVIDIA, shoving in a model where you didn't think one could exist. It's also not particularly different from the ones the company already offers, so it's highly debatable why it even exists aside from just filling out the tiny gap between the existing Redmi Note 10 and the Redmi Note 10 Pro.

We don't see any particular reason to consider this model over the other two. The cheaper Redmi Note 10 is better value for money overall and the Redmi Note 10 Pro offers better features and performance for slightly more money. In that sense, the Redmi Note 10S exists merely to create a decoy effect because there are very few reasons to consider it over the other two. It's a cool marketing trick but hopefully, consumers will be able to see through it.

Pros

• Lightweight, attractive design with IP53 rating
• Good display performance
• Good UI performance
• Good battery life and fast charging
• Stereo speakers and a headphone jack

Cons

• Screen has regular 60Hz refresh rate
• Sharpening and contrast-boost during video playback cannot be disabled
• Mediocre camera image quality
• Overheats easily
• 4K video lacks stabilization
• MIUI 12.5 is still quirky and bloatware-ridden