Xiaomi Redmi 10 refreshed variant
Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022 Review: What’s new in the refreshed variant?
Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022 is nothing but a refreshed variant of the widely popular Redmi 10 released by Xiaomi last year. The phone was announced on 15th February and it is already available in the Bangladeshi market. A surprising aspect here is that even though the Redmi 10 2022 is a refreshed model, its price is much cheaper compared to the original one. So is this phone a good buy at an entry-level budget? Let's find out.
Key Features of Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022
Design and Build Quality
Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022 is the exact carbon copy of the Redmi 10. There’s no apparent change whatsoever other than the reduced price. The reduced price is attributed to the fact that the phone has been assembled in Bangladesh making it a semi-local produced phone. But the build quality is maintained just like other Redmi devices.
The device itself is a completely plastic one with a matte polycarbonate back. At 181 g, the phone feels pretty lightweight and handy thanks to the even weight distribution. The front panel features Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection which is a welcomed addition at this price range.
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The power button which also doubles as the fingerprint scanner and the volume rocker is situated at the right of the device. There is a dedicated microSDXC slot along with two hybrid sim slots on the left. On the top, there is the secondary noise cancellation mic along with the 3.5 mm headphone jack. The bottom features the main speaker and the Type-C port.
Display
Moving onto the display, Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022 features the same IPS LCD FHD+ 90 Hz panel from the Redmi 10. This panel is not exclusive to the Redmi 10, rather something that is seen on most of the similarly priced offerings from Xiaomi.
The display is a 6.5-inch panel with a cooler shade. There is a built-in color calibration tool for those who prefer natural or warm colors. There is a somewhat large punch-hole cut out for the front-facing camera. Being an LCD panel, there is some noticeable bleeding around the camera cutout. Viewing angles are decent but there are color shifts on extreme angles. The phone is perfectly bright enough for shaded and indoor conditions. However, legibility might be an issue in direct sunlight. Overall, the display performance is satisfactory without much room for complaints.
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Camera
The camera is where the Redmi 10 shines the most. The insane quad-camera setup with a 50 MP main sensor is unheard of at this price point. Yet somehow Redmi managed to squeeze in four sensors. But as things would turn out, more isn’t always good.
The 50 MP f/1.8 main lens performs perfectly fine under direct sunlight. But photos are a hit and miss at times. Sometimes the sensor can capture the perfectly balanced image but on others, they appear to be washed out. The issue becomes even more prominent in dimly-lit conditions and indoor lights. Images appear to be a bit soft with considerable grain and noise. The story is the same with portrait mode. While the sensor does an amazing job of edge detection, it grossly softens the subject and often creates a color shift.
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The additional lens also performs similarly. The included 8 MP ultrawide camera can take decent images in direct sunlight. Anything different, and the camera struggles. The other two 2 MP depth and macro sensors are purpose-built and do their job impressively.
The front camera is also no different. Users will get decent shots out of the 8 MP selfie shooter but it’s nothing revolutionary. The main camera can shoot 1080P at 30 fps but without any added stabilization, the videography looks shaky, to say the least.
Processor and Performance
Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022 is after all an entry-level device. The processor here is the MediaTek Helio G88 built on the 12 Nm architecture. It has an octa-core chip design with 2 2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 and 6 1.8 GHz Cortex-A55 chips coupled with a Mali-G52 MC2 GPU. The 12 Nm processor isn’t really known to be a power-efficient processor. But Redmi compensates for the drawback with a large battery.
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Coming back to performance, Xiaomi Redmi 10 performs well for an entry-level device. The G88 processor can run 3D games pretty smoothly. In a test, the device could run PUBG in high graphics settings. However, the phone does heat up after about 30 minutes of continuous gaming. The heat causes thermal throttling and it induces frame drops and lags here and there. But for day-to-day usage, the phone runs like a breeze. Browsing the net and social media or watching YouTube videos will be a pleasant experience given the performance and the display.
The phone runs on MIUI 12.5 operating system based on Android 11. MIUI shouldn’t be a new experience for people coming from other Xiaomi devices. The OS is much faster and smoother compared to its initial iterations and it should provide a pleasant experience all over.
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Battery and Charge Time
Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022 features a 5000 mAh battery. 5000 mAh is becoming increasingly normal in entry-level devices these days. The phone conveniently lasts around 6 to 7 hours of continuous charges. The included 18 W charger might feel a bit slow by 2022 standard, but it's better than having nothing.
Price of Redmi 10 2022 in Bangladesh
Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022 is officially available in Bangladesh. The price of the 4/64 GB model is 14,999 BDT and the price of the 6/128 GB variant is 16,999 BDT.
Verdict
Xiaomi Redmi 10 2022 is a local refresh of the much-loved Redmi 10 from last year. On top of that, the reduced price makes it an even more lucrative choice at this price range. The battery, display, and design are easily one of the strongest aspects of the device and key selling points. However, the camera fails to live up to the impressive specs it showcases.
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