When we talk about Xiaomi we no longer refer to a new entry in the world of smartphones. The manufacturer is now well known, even within our market, and that is why Xiaomi Mi Note 10 no longer presents itself as an outsider.
Indeed, it is now one of the most important brands, especially for the value for money shown in almost all terminals. We tried the Mi Note 10, the smartphone that boasts a 108 MP camera .
Design
Xiaomi Mi Note 10, already from the name, portends the market segment in which it would like to try to graft. The name “Note”, which immediately recalls Samsung's memory, suggests a large terminal in size.
Indeed it is, thanks to a 6.5-inch screen. The hand terminal is quite solid, it holds well, due to the curved edges on both sides. the shape on the back also helps the grip, and despite the weight and size Mi Note 10 fits really well in the hand.
On the upper part of the display there is the front chamber inserted inside a teardrop notch, while on the back it displaces, in the first instance, the enormous range of cameras that protrude from the body. Fortunately, there is a silicone cover in the package that mitigates this feeling of disproportion between the size of the rooms and the terminal itself.
We already screamed in the title of the review that “something we didn't like”: the display. Attention, we are not referring to the quality of the display itself. The OLED unit is fantastic, well balanced colors, brightness that does not cause particular problems, deep blacks, everything seems to lead to a quality panel. What we didn't like is the double curvature. We explain why.
The edges curve on both sides of the terminal, but do not wrap around it. This results in two rather showy black bezels on the sides, although a curved display must serve to eliminate such bezels as much as possible, such as on a Galaxy Note 10.
On Mi Note 10, however, there is a rather accentuated curvature on the sides, followed by a large side frame. What's the point of this curved display? Sure, it could be said that it helps the grip when holding it, but it has no real functionality.
The software is not optimized to display additional information on the curved part, the curved glass does not eliminate the bezels. In short, it seems a bit like a feature thrown in for aesthetic purposes only. Too bad that it doesn't even succeed in these and that it actually ruins the visual and functional experience a bit.
Visual because it is enough to put a white page, or at least a clear one, to see a horrible black shadow near the curve. Functional because right next to the important curvature, it is difficult to type on the keyboard.
The writer likes Xiaomi products in all fields, yet this display will not remain among the best features offered by the brand.
Still, among the shortcomings, Mi Note 10 pro does not have wireless charging, nor any IP certification for waterproofing. On the other hand, however, it offers a headphone jack and an IR blaster for controlling devices such as TVs and air conditioners, always particularly appreciable.
The IR function, which might seem obsolete within a now smart stage, is instead one of the most interesting and used in everyday life, perhaps when in the evening you stand in front of the TV, always with your smartphone in hand.
On the plus side we include the under-screen fingerprint sensor. Also in this case it is not a lightning fast and reliable sensor like the physical ones used by Xiaomi itself in older terminals, but in any case it does an excellent job and it seemed slightly more reactive than the one appreciated on Xiaomi Mi 9.
As for the technical characteristics, the terminal does not offer mind-boggling numbers on paper. Although the price is higher than that of other Xiaomi terminals with top-of-the-range processors, Mi Note 10 does not mount a Snapdragon 855, but the mid-range Snapdragon 730G chip.
On this we must be honest: to notice the differences in performance between the two you really have to be picky and look for the needle in the haystack. Mi Note 10 is always fluid, fast and responsive, also thanks to the 6 GB of RAM and a memory of 128 GB.
The merit of this reactivity will also be of MIUI 11, Xiaomi's customized interface and equipped with useful functions such as the screen recorder, antivirus scanner for installed apps and a game mode that can hide all notifications and record gameplay, maximizing performance. of the terminal while gaming.
There are also some rather annoying bugs. During the review on some rare occasions the screen did not want to turn off, while the voice notes on WhatsApp are hardly diverted to the ear capsule, having often had to listen to them hands-free from the speaker.
Camera
We come to the reason why Mi Note 10 immediately jumped to the headlines. The camera department, due to a 108 megapixel sensor. Again, in short, it's not great, despite the record number of megapixels it boasts. True, it captures a lot of detail in certain situations, but close-up photos may not look that rich in detail.
Shooting with the 108 MP sensor is not very fast, and even the slow motion recording options are really slow, especially when processing the video. If you try to take several photos in sequence it will be impossible, and a few seconds will have to elapse between each shot. Who knows if it is a lack of software optimization.
The terminal also includes two telephoto lenses, one with 2x zoom and the other 5x. The former is great for portraits and the latter excellent for zooming. The super wide-angle camera also deserves praise, thanks in part to the autofocus for close-ups.
And speaking of close-ups, there's a fifth 2MP camera with a macro lens that can focus on objects as close as 2cm from the camera. However, as always happens with this type of sensor, it will be the one the user will need least. Fun to try, but with results that won't surprise you.
In a separate article we will compare the camera of the device with that of the Galaxy 10 Note + and, of course, the iPhone 11 Pro. In the meantime we leave you with an image gallery to evaluate what the terminal is capable of.
Battery life
It is probably the most convincing element of all. Xiaomi Mi Note 10 also lasts two days, without the need to try to save energy at all costs, and without deactivating any service. Not surprisingly, the battery is 5230 mAh, probably the main culprit for the considerable weight of 208 grams. Charging is reasonably fast, given the large battery capacity. A full charge using the standard 30W charger takes about an hour and a half.
Conclusion
Xiaomi Mi Note 10 is not a mediocre terminal. Except, probably, the expectations were much higher. It's the classic example of a device that presumably suffered from a super pre-launch ad, with a lot of hype created exclusively around the 108MP camera. The entire kit of 5 cameras offers a lot of flexibility, but when you want to “point and take” a normal photo, it may paradoxically not be the most suitable terminal.
The completely black display under the curvature creates some annoyance
Of course, it is always an effective terminal, which can be used in everyday life without any hitch, even if there are some bugs in the software. Furthermore, when we talk about Xiaomi, we cannot fail to speak of value for money.
This Xiaomi Mi Note 10 a little disappoints also on this: not for lack of quality, but because the price list (at least in the initial phase) is not so low.
We admit that we have been a bit critical with Xiaomi Mi Note 10. This only derives from the fact that the brand has accustomed us to excellent quality at really aggressive prices. Mi Note 10 isn't that cheap, and it doesn't lack a few drawbacks.
PRO
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