Xiaomi Mi 10T smartphone review: Flagship power for little money
With the Mi 10T series, Xiaomi has been offering an affordable alternative to its Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro top smartphones since October. There are three Mi 10T models, each measuring 6.67 inches: The Mi 10T Lite, the Mi 10T Pro, and our review candidate, the Mi 10T.
In terms of performance, the Mi 10T clearly plays in the first division. Just as in the Mi 10T Pro, it has a Snapdragon 865 under its hood, one of the fastest smartphone SoCs, which is also used in the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro.
A look at the remaining specifications shows that the Mi 10T might be the more exciting smartphone compared to the Mi 10T Pro for many buyers. Both are identical except for a few details and use the same combination of high-end and mid-range components. But when it comes to the price, both are separated by a rather large gap.
The Mi 10T Pro offers a 108 MP triple-camera setup instead of a 64 MP one and is available with up to 256 GB of internal storage instead of 128 GB, but it costs at least 599 Euros (~$726). The Mi 10T starts at 499 Euros (~$605) and is already approaching the 400-Euro mark (~$485) in online stores.
All the specs of the Mi 10T smartphones can be found in this comparison.
Comparison devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86.3 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G SD 865, Adreno 650 | 216 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 88.5 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2020 | OnePlus 8 Pro SD 865, Adreno 650 | 199 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.78" | 3168x1440 | |
| 86.6 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2020 | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro SD 865, Adreno 650 | 219 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87.9 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G SD 865, Adreno 650 | 190 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.50" | 2400x1080 | |
| 81.6 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2019 | Xiaomi Mi 9T SD 730, Adreno 618 | 191 g | 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.39" | 2340x1080 |
Case - Stylish unit made of glass and aluminum
The Mi 10T is protected on the front and back by a layer of Gorilla Glass 5, which merges almost seamlessly into the aluminum frame. This looks fancy, feels high-quality, and results in an overall very stable unit that practically can't be dented or twisted.
The 2400x1080 pixel IPS display almost takes up all of the front side, but unlike on the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro, it's not curved at the corners - which version is better is a matter of taste in the end.
Due to its matte surface finish, the Mi 10T is hardly susceptible to fingerprints. As with the Mi 10T Pro, black and silver are available as case colors. If you prefer something that attracts more attention, you can choose the silver version that we have in review, because it's a real eye-catcher with its silky gloss.
The triple camera on the back can't be overlooked due to its large bezel and can also be felt immediately. It protrudes around 4 millimeters from the case, so that the smartphone doesn't lie flat on the table even when you put it in the included protective case. Furthermore, the Mi 10T doesn't have an IP certification, although the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro don't have one either.
Connectivity - Always with 128 GB of internal storage, optionally with 6 or 8 GB of RAM
Xiaomi offers the Mi 10T in two memory versions: One with 6 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage for 499 Euros (~$605). For 549 Euros (~$665), you can get the second version, which also has 128 GB of storage but offers 8 GB of RAM. The internal storage can't be expanded due to the lack of a microSD slot. For comparison purposes: The Mi 10T Pro is always available with 8 GB of RAM and either 128 GB of storage (599 Euros (~$726)) or 256 GB (649 Euros (~$786)). A microSD slot isn't available here either.
The USB OTG compatible USB-C port in the Mi 10T works at USB 2.0 speeds and is, therefore, just as fast or rather as slow as in the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro. The Mi 10T doesn't have a 3.5 mm audio jack, but Xiaomi includes a corresponding USB-C adapter with its smartphone so that external audio devices can still be connected.
Further features include an IR blaster and a notification LED. Since DRM Widevine L1 is also on board, the Mi 10T can also reproduce streaming content in HD quality.
Software - Android 10 and MIUI 12 for the Mi 10T
Xiaomi equips the Mi 10T with Android and its MIUI 12 user interface. At the time of testing (end of November), the Android security patches were at the level of September 1, 2020 and, therefore, still reasonably up to date.
Besides several Google and Xiaomi tools, only a handful of third-party apps is preinstalled: Users who don't need Facebook, WPS Office, LinkedIn, eBay or Netflix can uninstall them all. Of the 128 GB of storage space on our test device, about 108 GB was still available out of the box.
Communication and GPS - 5G and moderately fast Wi-Fi 6
The Mi 10T supports 2G and 3G connections as well as 4G (band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28/32/38/40/41) and 5G (band 1/3/7/8/20/28/38/41/77/78). Close-range connection options are Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC.
In local networks, the Mi 10T communicates over Wi-Fi 6 (WLAN 802.11ax) including 2x2 MIMO. In combination with our reference router, the Netgear Nighthawk AX12, the Mi 10T achieves decent Wi-Fi transfer speeds of up to 701 Mb/s and is overall twice as fast as the Mi 9T in terms of LAN speeds. The data transfer rates are not particularly impressive for Wi-Fi 6, though - they are rather at the level of a fast Wi-Fi 5 connection.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T | |
GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou are the satellite navigation systems that the Mi 10T supports. Inside buildings and outdoors, the Xiaomi smartphone determines our position with an accuracy of three meters.
The positioning remains precise even when we are on the move. During a 12-kilometer bike ride, the Mi 10T guides us to our destination even more precisely than the professional Garmin Edge 500 navigation system. We take the latter along to make a direct comparison, but it was having a bad day, because unlike the Xiaomi phone, it took shortcuts through buildings at various points and showed unexpected zigzags. The navigation skills of the Mi 10T are easily sufficient for everyday use.
Telephone an call quality
The Mi 10T comes with two slots for nano SIM cards. Of these, the first SIM slot can establish 5G or 4G connections - this is the lower slot when looking at the display or the slot on the back of the SIM card tray. The second SIM slot is limited to 4G connections. The Xiaomi smartphone can use VoLTE and VoWiFi if supported by the network operator.
The Mi 10T delivers good call quality. Participants can understand each other well, and background noise is filtered out quite reliably even when the hands-free function is enabled.
Cameras - Good 64 MP camera with a couple of weaknesses
The Mi 10T contains a triple camera. At its heart is a 64 MP main camera with autofocus, 4-in-1 pixel-binning, and 10x digital zoom (Sony IMX682, 1/1.7", f/1.89 aperture). In addition, there's a 13 MP ultra wide-angle camera with a 123° field of view (f/2.4), and finally, there's a 5 MP macro camera (f/2.4) that operates in the range of 2 to 10 centimeters and has autofocus like the main camera. The Mi 10T can record videos at up to 8K and 30 fps. 1080p slow-motion videos are also possible at up to 960 fps.
An optical image stabilizer is only available with the Mi 10T Pro. The Pro version uses the same ultra wide-angle and macro cameras as the Mi 10T, but it's main camera features the 108 MP Samsung HMX sensor.
The selfie camera is identical on both smartphones: It's based on the Samsung S5K3T2 (1/3.4", f/2.2). Furthermore, it has a resolution of 20 MP and can take reasonable pictures in good ambient light. However, image sharpness and exposure are sometimes a bit off track. The selfie camera can record videos at up to 1080p and 30 frames per second, and slow-motion videos are possible at up to 720p and 120 fps.
The main camera also benefits from bright ambient light and delivers good image quality as a result. Photos are characterized by natural colors as well as by a high detail level and a high dynamic range. However, the smartphone's low price makes itself apparent in other areas: When zooming, for example, it quickly becomes noticeable that the Mi 10T only uses digital zoom, because the images look quite washed out and are sharpened rather aggressively. The triple-camera setup doesn't quite like poor lighting conditions either, and it doesn't manage to capture fine details from the subjects anymore. The 13 MP wide-angle camera can't compete with the main camera in terms of image quality. Its shots look rather dull and aren't particularly sharp either.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Daylight - Scene 1Daylight - Scene 2Wide angle5x zoomLow-light environment
We take another close look at the triple camera in the photo lab. Under good lighting conditions (lower color chart), it reproduces the reference colors quite accurately, and it also manages to capture the test chart in sharp focus almost entirely. In low-light conditions (upper color chart), there's a big difference between what you expect and what you obtain; consequently, only blurry fragments of the test chart can be recognized.
Accessories and warranty - 33-watt power adapter in the box
The Xiaomi Mi 10T comes with a 33-watt power adapter, a USB-C cable (Type-A to Type-C), a SIM tool, a USB-C adapter for a 3.5 mm audio jack, a transparent protective case, a quick-start guide, and warranty information.
The Mi 10T comes with a 24-month warranty.
Input devices and handling - Very smooth controls
With its 144 Hz display, the Mi 10T reacts very quickly to input and makes scrolling through menus, texts, and websites a pleasure. The fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button works just as smoothly; it impresses with its excellent recognition rate and high speed. As soon as you touch it with a previously registered fingerprint, the smartphone is already practically unlocked. Another biometric unlocking method is facial recognition, but this only works well in bright ambient light.
Display - Bright IPS panel with 144 Hz
At a size of 6.67 inches, the Mi 10T is larger than the Mi 9T (6.39 inches). However, the display area has increased almost exclusively in one direction, because the Mi 10T is only slightly wider but about 8 millimeters longer. The second modification: Instead of an AMOLED panel, the Mi 10T uses an IPS display at 144 Hz. It provides 2400x1080 pixels, which corresponds almost exactly to the resolution of the smaller Mi 9T. But at a pixel density of 395 ppi, there's nothing to complain about in terms of sharpness.
At an average of 592.6 cd/m², the Mi 10T doesn't quite reach the brightness of high-end smartphones like the OnePlus 8 Pro, but it still has a lot of luminosity to offer. With evenly distributed bright and dark image areas (APL50), the maximum value is 619 cd/m², without the brightness sensor, it's up to 508 cd/m².
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 614 cd/m²
Contrast: 1279:1 (Black: 0.48 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 0.9 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 1.6 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
97.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.2
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G IPS, 2400x1080, 6.7" | OnePlus 8 Pro AMOLED, 3168x1440, 6.8" | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.5" | Xiaomi Mi 9T AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.4" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 26% | -13% | -31% | -46% | |
| Brightness middle | 614 | 796 30% | 799 30% | 714 16% | 589 -4% |
| Brightness | 593 | 779 31% | 801 35% | 721 22% | 589 -1% |
| Brightness Distribution | 92 | 94 2% | 97 5% | 95 3% | 96 4% |
| Black Level * | 0.48 | ||||
| Contrast | 1279 | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 0.9 | 0.68 24% | 1.46 -62% | 1.8 -100% | 2.5 -178% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.5 | 1.55 38% | 2.92 -17% | 5.1 -104% | 4.9 -96% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.6 | 1.1 31% | 2.7 -69% | 2 -25% | 1.6 -0% |
| Gamma | 2.2 100% | 2.237 98% | 2.237 98% | 2.16 102% | 2.24 98% |
| CCT | 6744 96% | 6310 103% | 6003 108% | 6588 99% | 6544 99% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 2381 Hz | ≤ 60 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 2381 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 60 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 2381 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8437 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
You can adjust the color scheme quite extensively in the Android settings, and you can even set the color space and the individual color channels here, among other things. If you prefer to switch to autopilot, the "Original Color" color mode will give you the best color reproduction. In this case, the Delta E values for colors and grayscales are in the ideal range at values of less than 3, respectively. The gamma (2.2) and color temperature values (6,744 K) are equally good in this mode.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 26.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 9.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 64 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 52.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 25.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 27.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 89 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.3 ms). | ||
Due to its bright IPS panel, the Mi 10T can be used very well outdoors. To further improve the visibility of the content, a sunlight mode can be activated to optimize the display for bright ambient light. But the sunlight mode only works when the brightness sensor is deactivated.
The Mi 10T doesn't allow itself any weaknesses in terms of viewing-angle stability. Even from flat viewing angles, the display remains color-accurate and only gets slightly darker.
Performance - Snapdragon 865 ensures high-end performance
Like its high-end relatives, the Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro, the Mi 10T also features the Snapdragon 865. The high-end SoC makes use of fast UFS 3.1 storage and of the powerful Adreno 650 graphics unit. In addition, there's 6 GB of LPDDR5 RAM like in our test device or optionally 8 GB of RAM. In the latter configuration, the Mi 10T should perform a bit better in the benchmarks, but you probably won't notice any difference between the memory variants in everyday life.
In the synthetic benchmarks, the Mi 10T achieves a first-class performance. The advantage over its predecessor is clear: With its Snapdragon 730 mid-range SoC, the Mi 9T has no chances against the Snapdragon 865's superiority.
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (10990 - 19989, n=22) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (9202 - 15299, n=23) | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (527301 - 631025, n=24) | |
The Mi 10T also ranks very high in the browser benchmarks. This can also be perceived, subjectively speaking: Websites load very quickly, waiting times are non-existent, and even complex HTML 5 content doesn't pose a challenge for the smartphone.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=165, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.66) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (45.2 - 77, n=20) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.66) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (74.2 - 145.1, n=21) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 569, n=147, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chome 80) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.66) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (30.6 - 74.5, n=19) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (97 - 127, n=23) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.66) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.66) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (14606 - 31224, n=23) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.66) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (1623 - 2911, n=24) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro (Chrome84) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=166, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The 128 GB of internal storage in the Mi 10T consists of UFS 3.1 flash memory, which is used by many high-end smartphones. The read and write performance is, therefore, excellent and puts the Xiaomi phone right at the top.
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G | OnePlus 8 Pro | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Xiaomi Mi 9T | Average 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -4% | 2% | -3% | -60% | 4% | 58% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1635 | 1627 0% | 1634 0% | 1528 -7% | 492.7 -70% | 1577 ? -4% | 2043 ? 25% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 722 | 730 1% | 722 0% | 676 -6% | 179.2 -75% | 732 ? 1% | 1659 ? 130% |
| Random Read 4KB | 231 | 208.3 -10% | 229.7 -1% | 228.4 -1% | 128.6 -44% | 243 ? 5% | 285 ? 23% |
| Random Write 4KB | 211.2 | 197.7 -6% | 226.4 7% | 218.4 3% | 107.8 -49% | 239 ? 13% | 327 ? 55% |
Games - Running smoothly as expected
With the Snapdragon 865 octa-core SoC and the high-end Adreno 650 graphics core, the Mi 10T contains the equivalent to a very fast gaming PC. As a result, our tests with the Gamebench tool shows that modern games run smoothly even at maximum graphics details. PUBG Mobile can't go beyond 30 frames per second, but only because the game has drawn this fps limit. Even with Armajet, the Mi 10T can't quite show what it can do. The smartphone would be able to deliver 144 Hz and 144 fps, but Armajet isn't intended for more than 120 Hz.
Emissions - The SoC's full performance is always available
Temperature
With a maximum of 37.6 °C (~100 °F), the Mi 10T doesn't get beyond lukewarm in our test, and it never feels uncomfortable to hold as a result. The GFXBench battery tests show that everything works well internally when it comes to thermals as well. Performance is not reduced even under prolonged load - the SoC can, therefore, retrieve its full performance at any time. This is also confirmed by the 3DMark Wild Life stress test, in which the Mi 10T achieves a performance stability of 99.7%.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.6 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.4 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.8 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The stereo speakers in the Mi 10T produce a passable sound and deliver high frequencies quite well in particular. However, bass tones are scarce, which is why the audio background is a bit thin overall.
Better sound is offered when using headphones or speakers connected to the Mi 10T via Bluetooth or the USB-C adapter. Qualcomm True Wireless is also supported with Bluetooth connections.
Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 20% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 41% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Mi 9T audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 22% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 69% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 43% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life - Very enduring Xiaomi smartphone
Energy consumption
Just like the Mi 10T Pro, the Mi 10T is equipped with the most powerful battery of the Mi 10 family: A 5,000 mAh battery that can be charged very quickly using the included 33-watt power adapter. In the test, it only takes about half an hour (27 minutes) to recharge it to 50%. The battery is at 100% after 1:10 hours. The Xiaomi smartphone can't be charged wirelessly and doesn't support reverse wireless charging either.
The Mi 10T uses its energy supply efficiently, because consumption is quite low both in idle usage and under load.
| Off / Standby |   0.01 / 0.18 Watt |
| Idle |  0.52 / 2.11 / 2.24 Watt |
| Load |
5.5 / 9 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G 5000 mAh | OnePlus 8 Pro 4510 mAh | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro 4700 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 9T 4000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -89% | -91% | 14% | 39% | -27% | -10% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.52 | 2.2 -323% | 2 -285% | 0.75 -44% | 0.54 -4% | 1.133 ? -118% | 0.872 ? -68% |
| Idle Average * | 2.11 | 3.3 -56% | 3.1 -47% | 1.41 33% | 0.95 55% | 2.23 ? -6% | 1.415 ? 33% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2.24 | 3.7 -65% | 4 -79% | 1.44 36% | 1.08 52% | 2.45 ? -9% | 1.556 ? 31% |
| Load Average * | 5.5 | 5.9 -7% | 6.4 -16% | 3.84 30% | 2.7 51% | 5.26 ? 4% | 7.04 ? -28% |
| Load Maximum * | 9 | 8.3 8% | 11.6 -29% | 7.67 15% | 5.4 40% | 9.68 ? -8% | 10.6 ? -18% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
The Mi 10T is able to draw long runtimes from its 5,000 mAh battery. It lasts over 19 hours in our web-surfing simulation test. When playing an H.264 video, it even takes just over 24 hours for the energy reserves to run out. Moreover, the 144 Hz display is always activated in both cases. In practice, the Xiaomi phone should survive a day of intensive use without any problems. If used sparingly, it will certainly last even two or more days at a time.
| Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G 5000 mAh | OnePlus 8 Pro 4510 mAh | Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro 4700 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 9T 4000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -20% | -15% | -25% | -19% | |
| Reader / Idle | 3109 | 2103 -32% | 1954 -37% | 2010 -35% | 2138 -31% |
| H.264 | 1448 | 1023 -29% | 1466 1% | 1232 -15% | 1208 -17% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 1166 | 923 -21% | 923 -21% | 763 -35% | 991 -15% |
| Load | 292 | 296 1% | 286 -2% | 255 -13% | 258 -12% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Good alternative to the Xiaomi Mi 10
The wait for a more affordable alternative to the Mi 10 was worth it. With the Snapdragon 865, the 6.67-inch Xiaomi Mi 10T uses the same high-end SoC as its high-end counterpart and is, therefore, just as fast. Its 5,000 mAh battery even helps the Mi 10T achieve better overall runtimes. Another unique selling point is the 144 Hz refresh rate, because the Mi 10 only supports a maximum of 120 Hz.
The Xiaomi Mi 10T scores points with a very fast SoC, a 144 Hz display, long battery life, and good workmanship. Only the camera doesn't quite live up to its promises.
The Mi 10T takes the same path as the Mi 9T: Instead of consistently focusing on high-end components, the smartphone also contains some mid-range parts, which pushes the price down.
For this reason, compromises have to be made with the Mi 10T, but these aren't many: There's no wireless charging, the Mi 10T Pro has the better camera, and instead of an AMOLED display, you only get an IPS one. But it does a pretty good job and convinces with its high-brightness and high-contrast display.
Currently, the Xiaomi Mi 10T is one of the cheapest smartphones with the Snapdragon 865. The Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro is an alternative: It has the same SoC, the same form factor, but it's a bit cheaper. in addition, it's equipped with an AMOLED display, and it comes with a pop-up camera like the Mi 9T.
Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G
- 11/30/2020 v7 (old)
Manuel Masiero
Price comparison
