Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro smartphone review: Dream display for anti-5G users at a bargain price
Just last year, Xiaomi defined the display standard for the mid-range in terms of 60 Hz panels with the AMOLED panels in the Mi 10 Lite and Mi Note 10 Lite. This year, the Chinese manufacturer raises the bar even higher with the Redmi Note 10 Pro, because the panel of the affordable mid-range phone now relies on a high refresh rate of 120 Hz.
Besides the organic display, the Note 10 Pro also offers additional equipment highlights, such as the 108-megapixel main camera and 33-watt fast charging. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G runs internally, which is supported by 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM as well as up to 128 GB of flash storage. The following variants are available:
I. 64 GB storage/6 GB RAM: 280 Euros (~$336) MSRP).
II. 128 GB storage/6 GB RAM: 300 Euros (~$359) (MSRP)
III. 128 GB storage/8 GB RAM: 330 Euros (~$395) (MSRP)
Users who can do without the 120 Hz can consider the smaller brother, the Note 10, a possible alternative within the Redmi series; it was introduced together with the Pro model.
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83.7 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2021 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro SD 732G, Adreno 618 | 193 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 82.1 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G SD 750G 5G, Adreno 619 | 215 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 79.3 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G Dimensity 720, Mali-G57 MP3 | 205 g | 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 80.1 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2021 | Oppo A73 5G Dimensity 720, Mali-G57 MP3 | 177 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.50" | 2400x1080 | |
| 81.3 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | OnePlus Nord N10 5G SD 690 5G, Adreno 619L | 190 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.49" | 2400x1080 | |
| 81.3 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2021 | Motorola Moto G 5G SD 750G 5G, Adreno 619 | 212 g | 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.70" | 2400x1080 | |
| 81.8 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2020 | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC SD 732G, Adreno 618 | 215 g | 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 |
Case - Xiaomi phone with punch hole
The front of the Note 10 Pro is made of a scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 5 display glass that is flush with the plastic frame. The ratio between the display and the front of the device is a good 86% thanks to the comparatively small punch hole and the relatively narrow screen bezels. The only thing that looks a bit protruding is the "chin".
The transition between the bezel and the glass could have been a bit "rounder" for our taste, but the design is still a bit angular. There are no compromises in terms of feel thanks to the glass back. Besides our test sample in Onyx Gray, Gradient Bronze and Glacier Blue are available as color options.
Stability and workmanship are at a very appealing level. The built-in buttons in particular sit pleasantly firmly in the frame, and even the power button with the integrated fingerprint sensor, which is often a bit wobbly in smartphones, has almost no amount of play in the Note 10 Pro. Furthermore, the case of the Redmi phone has an official IP certification, albeit only according to IP53. The water-repellent coating protects the Note 10 Pro from rain and sweat on the inside and outside.
Connectivity - Redmi Note 10 Pro with 3.5 mm audio jack
The Xiaomi smartphone's equipment list includes a triple card slot, so that the dual-SIM function can be used independently of the dedicated SD card slot, a 3.5 mm audio jack as well as Miracast, and an IR blaster. An always-on display mode is also selectable, but at the time of testing, and as with the Xiaomi Mi 11, it's limited to a few seconds, which makes it more akin to the familiar display-preview feature of Motorola phones.
The internal UFS storage has a capacity of 128 GB in our review sample, but 21 GB is already occupied by the system out of the box. The 5,020 mAh battery is charged via a USB-C 2.0 port on the case's bottom. USB OTG is also supported, allowing the Redmi phone to easily connect to memory sticks, for example.
microSD reader
We take a look at the speed of the Redmi Note 10 Pro's card slot with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference memory card. While the results in the CPDT benchmark are appealing, the performance in our JPEG Copy test is less convincing at a good 13 MB/s.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - Xiaomi phone with MIUI 12
Google's Android version 11 with security patches from March 2021 is used as the operating system. The Chinese manufacturer has implemented its in-house user interface, MIUI 12.0.10, on top of it.
The MIUI 12 user interface is more reminiscent of Apple's iOS than of the underlying Android operating system due to the separate notification center, the app switcher, and the design of the control center, but it offers a lot of customization options and a well-optimized system interface. However, Xiaomi also preinstalls many third-party apps, but they can be uninstalled.
Video content from streaming services can be watched in HD quality with the Redmi Note 10 Pro, since the Widevine L1 certification process has been performed.
Communication and GNSS - Xiaomi smartphone without 5G
In terms of communication modules, Xiaomi relies on the a/b/g/n/ac WLAN standard, Bluetooth version 5.1, and an NFC chip, which enables contactless payments with the Redmi phone.
The budget mid-range phone offers solid and stable transfer rates within the home Wi-Fi network. In combination with our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router, the Note 10 Pro achieves average speeds of about 330 Mb/s for receiving data and 280 Mb/s for sending data, which is satisfactory for a smartphone in this price range but is clearly surpassed by the Poco X3 NFC or the OnePlus Nord N10 5G. Even the predecessor offered faster Wi-Fi speeds.
The X15 modem enables the Xiaomi smartphone to access mobile Internet at a maximum speed of 4G, so the faster 5G standard is not supported. The Note 10 Pro only supports access to a total of 13 LTE bands, but it covers all LTE frequencies relevant for Germany - including band 28.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro uses the main satellite systems GPS (L1), GLONASS (L1), BeiDou (B1), and Galileo (E1) to determine its position. This procedure takes place quickly and with an accuracy of three meters. Even indoors, positioning is quite fast but a bit less accurate at five meters.
In order to assess the positioning accuracy in practice, we take the Xiaomi smartphone on a short trip and track the route with a Garmin Edge 500 in parallel for comparison purposes. About 190 meters lie between the smartphone's GPS module and the navigation device at the end of the 6-kilometer test route. When looking at the detailed view of the GPS log, there are no major inaccuracies found in the Redmi phone's route.
Telephone and call quality - Redmi Note 10 Pro with dual SIM
There is nothing to complain about in terms of call quality with the Redmi Note 10 Pro. Voices are reproduced intelligibly and also characterized as being clear by our conversation partner. Skype video calls using the built-in front-facing camera and the speaker also worked smoothly in our test.
Thanks to Wi-Fi calling, the Xiaomi phone can be used to make calls over a Wi-Fi network when mobile reception is limited. Furthermore, calls can be made via LTE networks thanks to the VoLTE feature.
Cameras - Xiaomi phone with 108 MP camera
The main camera of the quad-cam setup is reportedly based on the 1/1.52-inch Samsung ISOCELL HM2 with a resolution of 108 MP - but the 9-in-1 binning technology stores photos with a resolution of 12 MP and a pixel size of 2.1 μm by default. In addition, there's an 8 MP ultra wide-angle lens, a 5 MP lens for macro shots, and a 2 MP depth sensor.
In practice, the wide-angle module delivers good results, especially in view of the MSRP of under 300 Euros (~$359). Photos taken with the 108 MP sensor score points with a good dynamic range and appealing sharpness. Even in low light, the pictures' brightness is appealing, but image sharpness decreases increasingly in the dark. Although there is no dedicated telephoto lens, zoom shots with a magnification of up to 5x still look quite decent.
The ultra wide-angle lens with a relatively wide field of view of 123° also provides very decent image quality. However, the photos taken with the Redmi Note 10 Pro present artifacts and pronounced blurriness at the edges. Both the image details and dynamics as well as the color reproduction are able to convince, though. As is typical in this price range, the resolution of the ultra wide-angle lens is quite low at only 8 MP.
As a result, video recorded with the ultra wide-angle lens are limited to a maximum of Full HD quality. With the 108 MP sensor, videos can also be shot in UHD at 30 fps. However, those who want to use a higher frame rate will have to settle for 1080p at up to 60 fps. Moreover, it's not possible to switch between the two lenses while a video recording is in progress.
The front-facing camera, which has been placed in a central punch-hole cutout, has a resolution of 16 MP. The results are quite respectable for a budget mid-range phone. Selfies have a solid base sharpness, and the exposure and blur effect in Portrait Mode are usually consistent.
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.
Wide angleLow light5x zoom Ultra wide angle
Under controlled lighting conditions, we subject the rear 108 MP camera to further tests. We use the ColorChecker Passport to analyze color reproduction in comparison to the actual reference colors, once under full studio lighting and once at 1 lux light intensity.
Colors are hit really well with the Redmi Note 10 Pro. Blue tones are brightened, but the deviations don't reveal any real weaknesses for a 280-Euro (~$335) phone - for comparison, the differences to the reference colors are slightly higher in the Xiaomi Mi 11 with a Delta E value of 11.14.
The image sharpness in our test chart is not very pronounced, and slight color distortions are also visible.
Accessories and warranty - Xiaomi phone with case
The Redmi Note 10 Pro comes with a 33-watt modular power adapter and a USB cable. A quality protective case is also included with the Xiaomi phone, and a protective film is also installed out of the box. The Chinese manufacturer hasn't listed any special accessories in its online store so far.
There's a 12-month warranty after the purchase date.
Input devices and handling - Redmi Note 10 Pro with 240 Hz
Not only does using the Note 10 Pro benefit from the high refresh rate of 120 Hz, but also from the sampling rate of 240 Hz. The capacitive multi-touchscreen is consequently monitored for taps up to 240 times per second (in games, among other things). The Xiaomi phone can also be operated correspondingly accurately.
The active fingerprint sensor, which is integrated into the on/off button, responds quickly and also recognizes fingers very precisely. It's position has been chosen comfortably. Those who want to use facial data to unlock the display can do so via the front-facing camera. However, biometric identification using a face is less secure due to the utilization of a 2D method.
Display - Redmi Note 10 Pro with a 120 Hz OLED
Xiaomi uses a 6.67-inch, HDR10-certified AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2400x1080 pixels and a refresh rate of 120 Hz in its mid-range phone. Furthermore, the Chinese manufacturer specifies a peak brightness of 1,200 nits for the Note 10 Pro. We can't quite completely reach these rates even in the APL50 test (991 cd/m²), but brightness is certainly not bad for HDR content - especially since the APL10 test definitely leaves some headroom. Even in our measurements with a white background, the AMOLED display manages a high luminance for this price range at 653 cd/m² with a very homogeneous brightness distribution.
It should be noted that the display is set to 60 Hz by default, and it has to be manually changed to a refresh rate of 120 Hz in the display settings. However, the Redmi Note 10 Pro doesn't offer an adaptive refresh rate like in the Xiaomi Mi 11. Therefore, the display operates either with a refresh rate of 60 Hz or 120 Hz.
For brightness control, the Xiaomi smartphone uses pulse width modulation (PWM) at a quite high frequency of 263-490 Hz as soon as brightness is dimmed to below 55%. Above that, we measure a frequency of 120 Hz, but the fluctuations in amplitude are much lower here. We didn't find a DC-dimming mode in the settings menus.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 653 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.2 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 1.8 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
99.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro OLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G IPS, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G TFT-LCD, 1600x720, 6.5" | Oppo A73 5G IPS, 2400x1080, 6.5" | OnePlus Nord N10 5G IPS LCD, 2400x1080, 6.5" | Motorola Moto G 5G LTPS LCD, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC IPS, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro IPS, 2400x1080, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -60% | -134% | -76% | -57% | -31% | -36% | -19% | |
| Brightness middle | 653 | 606 -7% | 543 -17% | 527 -19% | 450 -31% | 586 -10% | 623 -5% | 610 -7% |
| Brightness | 651 | 574 -12% | 512 -21% | 499 -23% | 422 -35% | 565 -13% | 600 -8% | 579 -11% |
| Brightness Distribution | 98 | 89 -9% | 85 -13% | 87 -11% | 89 -9% | 88 -10% | 93 -5% | 92 -6% |
| Black Level * | 0.44 | 0.63 | 0.38 | 0.57 | 0.61 | 0.54 | 0.37 | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.2 | 2.4 -100% | 4.9 -308% | 3.5 -192% | 2.67 -123% | 1.74 -45% | 1.8 -50% | 1.8 -50% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.9 | 5.3 -83% | 8.6 -197% | 7.3 -152% | 6.76 -133% | 4.09 -41% | 4.7 -62% | 3 -3% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.8 | 4.5 -150% | 6.3 -250% | 2.9 -61% | 2 -11% | 3 -67% | 3.3 -83% | 2.5 -39% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.21 100% | 2.23 99% | 2.29 96% | 2.274 97% | 2.244 98% | 2.26 97% | 2.31 95% |
| CCT | 6426 101% | 6224 104% | 8120 80% | 6502 100% | 6859 95% | 6000 108% | 6712 97% | 6864 95% |
| Contrast | 1377 | 862 | 1387 | 789 | 961 | 1154 | 1649 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 490.2 Hz | ≤ 54 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 490.2 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 54 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 490.2 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8445 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
As in every OLED panel, the AMOLED Dot display in the Note 10 Pro completely turns off individual pixels, which results in an "absolute" black, and contrast theoretically tends towards infinity. In our tests with the CalMAN software and a spectrophotometer, the Xiaomi smartphone's display proves to be very well calibrated, and it delivers very low color deviations in the Standard profile.
In addition to "Standard", which covers most of the sRGB color space, the display settings also include the "Saturated" profile and the automatic profile; the latter is set by default and offers an almost full reproduction of the DCI-P3 color space. However, the Delta E color deviations are higher here.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 10 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 2.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 10 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms). | ||
The Redmi Note 10 Pro leaves a good impression outdoors. Thanks to pronounced contrasts and a relatively high brightness, outdoor readability is possible even in direct sunlight. It should be noted that the maximum luminance without the brightness sensor is only 419 cd/m².
As is typical for OLEDs, the viewing angles of the Redmi phone are also very good. A decrease in brightness is hardly noticeable when the panel is tilted slightly, and colors are relatively stable at very flat viewing angles.
Performance - Xiaomi smartphone with Snapdragon SoC
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G is an SoC manufactured in an 8 nm process with a total of eight cores that are divided into two clusters. While the performance cluster contains two fast Cortex-A76 cores that clock at up to 2.3 GHz in the Redmi Note 10 Pro, the power-saving cluster contains six energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores (1.8 GHz). The Big.LITTLE concept allows both clusters to run simultaneously.
The "G" in the name indicates that the SoC is optimized for gaming performance. According to Qualcomm, some Wi-Fi features have been adjusted for this purpose as well as the graphics card accelerated. The latter is a Qualcomm Adreno 618.
In our benchmark package, the Xiaomi phone delivers decent performance. The Snapdragon 732G in the Redmi Note 10 Pro is on par with the Poco X3 NFC, and the Snapdragon 750G in the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G is also partly outperformed. However, the UFS storage's rates in the AndroBench benchmarks are strikingly weak. The 2.2 standard performs more at the level of the relatively slow UFS 2.1 storage here. The AIMark results are also very low compared to the Poco Phone.
System speed is satisfactory in everyday use, and it ensures smooth operation in combination with the 6 GB of RAM and the 120 Hz refresh rate. However, small micro stutters can be noticed from time to time in the Redmi Note 10 Pro. Whether this is due to the somewhat too low performance of the Adreno 618, or if it might eventually be fixed by optimization processes in the MIUI interface is something that remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the Xiaomi phone has slight performance problems and stutters more strongly as soon as the system is put under heavy load, such as when a number of apps are installed in the background.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=165, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G (Chrome88) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.101) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G (49.5 - 53.4, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro (Chrome98) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| Oppo A73 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.101) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G (89.8 - 92.4, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro (Chrome98) | |
| Oppo A73 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 569, n=146, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.101) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro (Chrome98) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G (41.4 - 43.9, n=3) | |
| Oppo A73 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.101) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G (71 - 73, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro (Chrome98) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| Oppo A73 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=206, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.101) | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G (Chrome88) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G (17293 - 17817, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro (Chrome98) | |
| Oppo A73 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| Oppo A73 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro (Chrome98) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G (2673 - 2832, n=2) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G (Chrome 87.0.4280.101) | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G (Chrome88) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=166, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro | Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | Oppo A73 5G | OnePlus Nord N10 5G | Motorola Moto G 5G | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC | Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | Average 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 51% | 40% | -5% | 4% | 23% | -16% | 56% | 54% | 269% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 512 | 938 83% | 858 68% | 860 68% | 865 69% | 822 61% | 506 -1% | 927 81% | 728 ? 42% | 2054 ? 301% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 268 | 463.5 73% | 381.7 42% | 193 -28% | 187.2 -30% | 243 -9% | 173.1 -35% | 484.6 81% | 526 ? 96% | 1667 ? 522% |
| Random Read 4KB | 146.5 | 176.6 21% | 174.6 19% | 102.2 -30% | 137 -6% | 157.8 8% | 123.4 -16% | 176.1 20% | 192.1 ? 31% | 286 ? 95% |
| Random Write 4KB | 126.7 | 162.3 28% | 167.1 32% | 88.1 -30% | 106 -16% | 167.8 32% | 112.6 -11% | 179.2 41% | 184.5 ? 46% | 327 ? 158% |
Games - Xiaomi phone manages 90 fps
Besides GPU benchmarks, we determine the frame rates of modern Android games with the Gamebench app. The Adreno 618 that's integrated into the Qualcomm SoC even allows the smooth rendering of more complex 3D games from the Android Play Store, at least at low details.
Asphalt 9: Legends and PUBG Mobile are rendered relatively consistently at 30 fps and high graphics, although the racing game from Gameloft shows short but significant frame-rate drops. If the graphical details of the first-person shooter are reduced, the Redmi Note 10 Pro can even achieve 40 fps.
The 120 Hz display should also allow smoother graphics that exceed 40 fps; we test this with Armajet, which theoretically supports up to 144 Hz. However, the Xiaomi phone only manages a maximum peak of 90 fps.
Emissions - Cool Redmi Note 10 Pro
Temperature
The surface temperatures are very low in idle usage. Under load, the Note 10 Pro gets warmer with a maximum of 39 °C (~102 °F). With the GFXBench app's battery test, we also analyze the Qualcomm SoC's temperature behavior under continuous load. The respective scenarios are run 30 times in a row here, and various parameters are logged.
The Snapdragon 732G throttles less than 1% in the demanding Manhattan test (OpenGL ES 3.1). In addition, we test the Qualcomm chipset with the 3DMark Wild Life stress test. A very steady performance can be observed here as well.
| 3DMark - Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Oppo A73 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC | |
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.7 °C / 102 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 37.6 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.3 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
Not only does the Redmi Note 10 Pro use two speakers, but they also sound good. The dual-speaker system gets very loud at over 89 d(B), and we really like the sound quality, even though the low sound ranges are reproduced too thinly, and the super high tones sink a bit.
Bluetooth can be used wirelessly for media playback. The audio codecs SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX adaptive as well as LHDC and LDAC are supported. The mid-range phone also offers an audio jack. The 3.5 mm jack produces a clean sound with low noise levels - we measure a very good SNR value of 104.84 dBFS.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 14% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 35% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 57% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (93.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.6% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (3.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.8% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 12% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 80% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 33% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 59% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life - Xiaomi phone with 5,020 mAh
Energy consumption
Energy is supplied by a 5,020 mAh lithium-polymer battery that can be recharged in pretty much exactly 90 minutes with the included 33-watt power adapter when it's completely drained.
The Note 10 Pro's power consumption could be a bit lower in idle mode, but overall, power consumption is okay for a 120 Hz smartphone.
| Off / Standby |   0.01 / 0.14 Watt |
| Idle |  1.05 / 1.8 / 1.85 Watt |
| Load |
4.2 / 6.29 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro 5020 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G 4820 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G 5000 mAh | Oppo A73 5G 4040 mAh | OnePlus Nord N10 5G 4300 mAh | Motorola Moto G 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC 5160 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -5% | -24% | 17% | -12% | -26% | -21% | -7% | -17% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.05 | 0.5 52% | 0.64 39% | 0.58 45% | 0.9 14% | 1.3 -24% | 0.93 11% | 0.93 ? 11% | 0.872 ? 17% |
| Idle Average * | 1.8 | 2.1 -17% | 1.95 -8% | 1.86 -3% | 1.6 11% | 1.5 17% | 2.47 -37% | 2.09 ? -16% | 1.415 ? 21% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.85 | 2.13 -15% | 1.98 -7% | 1.88 -2% | 2.1 -14% | 2.1 -14% | 2.51 -36% | 2.13 ? -15% | 1.556 ? 16% |
| Load Average * | 4.2 | 5.39 -28% | 6.77 -61% | 3.1 26% | 6.2 -48% | 7 -67% | 5.62 -34% | 4.6 ? -10% | 7.04 ? -68% |
| Load Maximum * | 6.29 | 7.4 -18% | 11.42 -82% | 5.01 20% | 7.8 -24% | 8.9 -41% | 6.93 -10% | 6.5 ? -3% | 10.6 ? -69% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
The Note 10 Pro lasted 12.5 hours in our Wi-Fi test with an adjusted display brightness of 150 cd/m², which should even get heavy users through the day. If the battery capacity is running low at the end of the day, switching to 60 Hz mode can still squeeze a few battery percent points out of the Xiaomi phone. We reach 887 minutes here.
During our continuous video playback with the Wi-Fi module deactivated, the battery keeps the 6.67-inch OLED panel and its 120 Hz alive for 8 hours longer than in the Wi-Fi test.
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro 5020 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G 4820 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G 5000 mAh | Oppo A73 5G 4040 mAh | OnePlus Nord N10 5G 4300 mAh | Motorola Moto G 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC 5160 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 32% | 52% | 89% | 23% | 40% | 27% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1489 | 2870 93% | 2958 99% | 2539 71% | 2427 63% | ||
| H.264 | 1232 | 1234 0% | 1323 7% | 1154 -6% | 1188 -4% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 | 753 | 1096 46% | 1235 64% | 1426 89% | 974 29% | 1056 40% | 1116 48% |
| Load | 283 | 250 -12% | 393 39% | 278 -2% | 280 -1% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro - The mid-range display king has a name
With the Redmi Note 10 Pro, Xiaomi has managed to create an all-around successful mid-range phone with a focus on the display. The entry into the Redmi Note Pro series is 30 Euros (~$36) more expensive this year than with the predecessor, which, however, is in a different league in terms of the display with its 60 Hz IPS panel. It's precisely in this area that the Redmi Note 10 Pro convinces in every respect. Not only is the 120 Hz panel very smooth and rich in contrast, but it's also very bright.
In addition, the Xiaomi phone offers a good 108 MP camera, stereo speakers, a fast fingerprint reader, and an appealing configuration. The battery life is also very decent in view of the 120 Hz, especially since charging is quite fast thanks to the included 33-watt power adapter.
One of the few weak points of the Redmi Note 10 Pro is the lack of 5G support. The Wi-Fi module and the UFS storage could be a bit faster as well.
Users who can do without 5G will get a very good and also inexpensive mid-range smartphone with the Redmi Note 10 Pro.
Price and availability
The Redmi Note 10 Pro isn't officially available in the United Stated, but you can find some listings on ebay. Keep in mind that the device goes by the name of "Redmi Note 10 Pro Max" in India. You can also keep tabs on Amazon in case that the smartphone pops up here.
If you're in the UK, you're in luck because the Redmi Note 10 Pro is officially sold by Xiaomi and starts at £249 (~$344) for the 6 GB/64 GB version, while the 128 GB model is priced at £269 (~$372).
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
- 08/31/2022 v7 (old)
Marcus Herbrich
Price comparison
