Little by little we are completing the Note 10 and Mi 11 family of Redmi and Xiaomi, respectively, and after having analyzed the top of the Redmi range for this semester, the Redmi Note 10 Pro with its overwhelming 120 Hz AMOLED panel, it is time to go down a step with this Note 10S.

And it is that, Xiaomi continues with its strategy and those mobiles with the surname ‘S’ that are an intermediate step between the round number and the ‘Pro’ model and we have a Note 10S that drinks a lot from its older brother, although leaving some key characteristics along the way to offer a more competitive price.

In addition, it is an interesting terminal because it fights from you to you both with the Poco X3 Pro and with the Note 10 Pro itself , but also against the exponent of the mid-range of realme, a realme 8 that we have analyzed and which is an extremely terminal. similar to this Note 10S that we have in hand.

We will already make a comparison, in fact, between the two, but now what we have to do is tell you our opinion of the Redmi Note 10S in this analysis .

Sections of the Redmi Note 10S analysis :

• Design: looks more expensive than it is
• Screen and sound: good AMOLED with stereo speakers to consume content
• Performance: Helio G95 for good raw performance, but needs MIUI 12.5 tweaks
• Battery: 5,000 mAh and 60 Hz display is a winning combination
• Camera: at some point you have to cut and it has been the turn of the cameras
• Conclusion: power and autonomy as strong points, although for little more you have a ‘Pro’ jump

It seems more expensive than it is: Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S, analysis and opinion

And we are going to start talking about design, since it is what enters through the eyes and, really, one of the strengths of the terminal of the Chinese company. It seems that, at last, Xiaomi has found a brand image that unites, in a way, both the Mi 11 and the Redmi Note 10 and the Poco F3.

It may seem to some users that the camera module is somewhat redundant (which in this case does not stand out too much) and the lines so similar between families, but in the end it is a movement that makes it clear that they all belong to the same generation and that I honestly like it.

It is clear that it is something aesthetic and completely subjective, but when you have the Note 10S in your hands, you realize that the whole is very well finished and the design is one of the sweet points of the terminal.

The back is made of plastic, but with a finish that denotes that Xiaomi has taken an interest in the design and that it is most comfortable in the hand thanks to its curved sides. The entire keypad is on the right side with the fingerprint reader on the lock button.

On the left side is the dual SIM module and expansion by SD, all at the same time that it is something that we love and the lower and upper parts have a flat finish. In the upper frame we have an audio output and a microphone and in the lower part we find the main speaker, another microphone, the USB-C and the 3.5 mm jack .

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If we go to the front we have a hole in the central part that measures about 3 mm thick, not being one of the smallest on the market, but we would not mind if it did not have a circle with a silver finish that makes it stand out with the screen off and that prevents it from being disguised when we play video games or watch videos.

The frames are suitable for the range we are talking about and it has a chin, yes, but Redmi continues to strive to create somewhat more discreet chins than its direct competition, realme.

Something very interesting and what Xiaomi is surprising us with this generation is with the IP53 certification. We are not going to be able to bathe with the phone, but we have a certain guarantee against splashes and dust.

Good AMOLED with stereo speakers to consume content: Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S, analysis and opinion

And a design that is very well worn and that is created with taste is enhanced with a screen that more than meets the vast majority of users, but in which we notice the cut of Xiaomi to try to offer a balanced device at a price that is as tight possible.

We have an AMOLED panel that has a diagonal of 6.43 “ . It does not go to the extra large size of recent mobiles and, in my opinion, it is more than enough to consume content from video games, networks and YouTube.

The resolution is adequate, with 2,400 x 1,080 pixels and a density of 409 pixels per inch and is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. It is not the most modern protection or the most resistant to falls, but it does protect something more against the marks of the day to day. In fact, in these weeks of use I have the panel pristine.

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You can tell that it is not the latest model AMOLED and I think it lacks a bit of contrast, but in general it is a good panel for videos and games and we have some room for customization thanks to the generous screen adjustments of MIUI that allows us to change the tone and color balance. Being AMOLED, we have an always-on screen with a good dose of customization.

The sensitivity is adequate, but here we have a 60 Hz panel that contrasts with the 120 Hz of its older brother . 

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I think it would have been fine, since it’s not the standard Note 10, to leave the rate at 90Hz, as this would allow MIUI to be somewhat smoother than it goes at 60Hz.

In the case of realme 8 we do not criticize so much the absence of 90 Hz, but it is because the panel was superior in contrast and color and, in addition, realmeUI is a much more optimized layer than MIUI, with smoother transitions and animations, but we’ll get to that.

Generally speaking, the panel looks good and boasts, according to Xiaomi, 450 nits of typical brightness and a peak of 1,100 nits. As always, we have measured it, obtaining a maximum average of 749 lux with a deviation of 8.4 lux . It is more than enough for day to day.

With the sound I have no complaints whatsoever. Yes, it lacks some bass, but the truth is that Xiaomi is doing things very well in this regard. They will have more or less forcefulness, but they are trying to offer a stereo sound in practically all their mobiles .

We leave you an example:

And, in addition, we have the aforementioned 3.5 mm jack that, in addition, allows us to activate an equalizer when we connect headphones.

Helio G95 for good raw performance, but needs MIUI 12.5 tweaks

In 2021 (and since 2020), having a mobile with a MediaTek processor is not a negative thing , far from it. The processors have improved a lot in efficiency and yes, they are somewhat more gluttonous than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, but at the level of performance and temperature management they are very interesting.

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Redmi has opted for the Helio G95, a SoC that they really know me well and that, in this house, seems to us an ideal option to offer terminals at a low price, but with a very good performance. It has an 8-core CPU with two of them at 2.05 GTHz and another six at 2 GHz and a single RAM configuration: 6 GB.

The performance in games is very good in practically any title, although in Genshin Impact we are going to have some hitches , but we can always lower the quality of the graphics to have a more fluid experience and in apps of all kinds, the truth is that it is a SoC that behaves very well.

As a reference, we leave you the synthetic data of the different benchmarks:

On the other hand, we have configurations of 64 GB or 128 GB UFS 2.2 that have an adequate speed.

The system, unfortunately, is another story. Xiaomi has a mess of versions on its mobiles and, in this case, I have MIUI 12.5.3 . Yes, over the months MIUI has evolved and an improvement is seen in certain aspects, but the level of optimization is low and when the power of the SoC drops, the performance is affected on a day-to-day basis.

Within the apps I have a good experience, but there are times when there are some hitches in the system or in Discover. It is not a bad user experience, far from it, but it shows that the layer is not optimized for this Helio G95.

It could be more polished, yes, but it is not a bad experience , although it remains the thorn of knowing that it could be much ‘finer’. Of course, and it is to applaud, I think we do not have a proximity sensor as such, but Xiaomi continues to use the gyroscope and ultrasounds, but it works and I have not had any problem in calls.

And to finish, we have an unlock that is satisfactory both with a fingerprint with the capacitive sensor and with the face unlock . It is a satisfactory and fast unlocking system thanks to the fluidity of MIUI in this regard, although I have the feeling that it is not as fast as it could due to the optimization for this processor.

5,000 mAh and 60 Hz display is a winning combination

Where there is good optimization work is on the battery. The truth is that I have noticed that, at rest and without the Always-on Display, the terminal consumes very, very little . This little wear at rest is very positive, but if you are going to use the terminal more intensively, you should know that I have had an average of 8:30 hours of screen time.

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With my use, I consider that it is a very good autonomy because I have played, I have used many social networks, YouTube, photos and video games, as well as the notifications and updates of the different email accounts.

In the synthetic test we have 8 hours 50 minutes of screen with maximum brightness, which is not bad at all. 

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And charging is another strong point thanks to the 33 W charger included in the box that allows us to charge 100% in 68 minutes and 50% in just 25 minutes.

At some point you have to cut and it has been the turn of the cameras: Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S, analysis and opinion

And we come to the point of the analysis of the Redmi Note 10S in which it is noted that the company has put scissors to offer a price as low as possible while having a very balanced design, performance, battery and screen.

We have four cameras in our hands, but in practice we are only going to use two of them and, in addition, the quality of the final photo depends largely on the ambient light conditions. 

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There is not much to comment on the application, since it is the same that we have in all Xiaomi this year and its operation is stable and fluid. No news in this regard and, in fact, they still do not remove the macro from the ‘hamburger’ menu.

If we look at each of the cameras, we have a main one that is the one that comes out the best thanks to its 64 megapixel f / 1.8 sensor . It will allow us to cut and in good light conditions, the truth is that it behaves well, with somewhat desaturated colors (typical of the last Xiaomi of this price range) that give room to retouch in programs like Snapseed.

The problem with this camera with a focal length of about 26 millimeters is the size of the sensor, only 1 / 1.97 “. It is small and that is noticeable in situations at night or indoors, when the light is more complex to calculate. 

The 8 megapixel f / 2.2 wide angle also has a very, very small 1/4 “sensor and we have results that do comply, but which again need optimal lighting conditions to deliver good results.

We cannot zoom in, the colors are more washed out than with the main one and there is a lot of contrast because there are underexposed and overexposed areas more easily.

In addition, since the sensor is so small, it shoots at lower shutter speeds and if we move slightly it is easier to get an out-of-focus photo.

The other two sensors are 2 Mpx f / 2.4 for both the macro and the camera that is responsible for calculating the depth. 

This second does not have a real utility, since the blur in portrait mode is achieved by software and the macro … well, let’s say that it is very far from the telemacro of Xiaomi itself.

We need a good pulse and a lot of light and, even so, it is better to shoot with the main one in 64 Mpx mode to make a cut.

I did like the front camera with its 13 megapixels f / 2.5 that I think makes a correct selfie with an appropriate white balance for the range we are talking about and that allows, again, the software portrait.

And in the video section we have, surprise, 4K30 maximum . Here the colors are somewhat more saturated, a good thing in video, but we don’t have any kind of stabilization and in 4K there are some microtirons. 

In 1,080p60 things improve, but there is an obvious loss of definition and we will have to choose if we want a video with more clarity or lose that to gain fluidity. 

You can download the original files through this link .

Power and autonomy as strong points, although for little more you have a ‘Pro’ jump: Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S, analysis and opinion

Companies, obviously, must make concessions to offer balanced mobiles, but here we have a terminal that I dare to affirm, will appeal to anyone who is looking for power, a good screen and, above all, good autonomy.

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The Helio G95 has shown that, although it has a few months behind it, it is a very solvent SoC in day-to-day tasks, but that it will also know how to entertain us thanks to its good performance in the vast majority of games.

We have no complaints about performance in general, but we continue to notice that MIUI, even if it is 12.5.3, lacks some polish and, in addition, I notice a lack of optimization, something common in this system, but I think it is increased by the SoC switch from Qualcomm to MediaTek.

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The battery will give us a day and a half of use without problem and, in addition, we have a 33 W load, which is still really good and is something in which companies like Realme or the different branches of Xiaomi are teaching a lesson to many. other companies.

And the cameras, well, they are more fair simply because somewhere you have to cut to be able to maintain the price and, above all, to differentiate devices.  Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S, analysis and opinion