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MagyarXiaomi Redmi Note 10S Review: Cheap Android smartphone is water- and dust-proof
Just like the Redmi Note 9S, the Redmi Note 10S is intended for price-conscious buyers. There are two variants, which have different storage capacities (64/128 GB). The Android smartphone comes with the MediaTek Helio G95. The ARM Mali-G76 MP4 serves as the GPU. The smartphone offers 6 GB of RAM.
Our review device has 128 GB of internal memory. Below each section, users can add other devices from our database to the comparison chart.
Likely Competitors
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81.1 % | 06/2021 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S Helio G95, Mali-G76 MP4 | 178.8 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 80.7 % | 05/2020 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S SD 720G, Adreno 618 | 209 g | 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 81.7 % | 05/2021 | Realme 8 Helio G95, Mali-G76 MP4 | 177 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.40" | 2400x1080 | |
| 78.9 % | 06/2021 | Oppo A74 SD 662, Adreno 610 | 175 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 84.6 % | 05/2021 | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro SD 860, Adreno 640 | 215 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 |
Case - Low weight and IP53 certification
The midframe and the back of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S are made of plastic. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The Xiaomi smartphone has an IP53 certification, meaning that it is both water- and dust-proof. The build quality is on a very good level.
The Redmi Note 10S has the same design and weight as the Redmi Note 10. However, the two Xiaomi smartphones come in different colour schemes. When compared to the Note 9S and the Poco X3, the Note 10S is lighter and thinner.
Connectivity - Android smartphone with an IR blaster and a headphone jack
We have already mentioned that users can insert a microSD card in the Redmi Note 10S. The card slot can take two nanoSIM cards and one microSD at the same time. The Xiaomi smartphone supports both VoLTE and WiFi Calling. The Redmi Note 10S has a 3.5-mm audio jack and a USB-C port that operates at USB 2.0 speeds. The Note 10S supports the Camera2 L3 API. Widevine L1 is not supported, which is why users will not be able to stream video in HD quality. However, the Android smartphone features a notification LED.
Card Reader
With our reference-grade microSD card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501, the Redmi Note 10S achieved a data transfer rate of 18.76 MB/s when copying JPG files. This is a normal result for this type of device, but that does not mean that it is not a very poor result in the grand scheme of things.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Oppo A74 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - Xiaomi smartphone with MIUI 12
The Redmi Note 10S runs Android 11 (security patch level at the time of our review: May, 2021). The Xiaomi smartphone comes with a custom launcher known as MiUI (current version at the time of our review: 12.5.6). While the home screen layout will be familiar to most Android users, the rest of the software will take some getting used to.
The Redmi Note 10S comes with a whole host of preinstalled applications such as Facebook, TikTok and booking.com. There are also some first-party applications such as Xiaomi's File Manager and Photo Gallery. Unfortunately, the preinstalled applications can only be disabled. They cannot be completely uninstalled.
Communication & GNSS - Not suitable for navigation
The Redmi Note 10S supports the following mobile communication standards: GSM, 3G, LTE. The LTE modem can operate at LTE Cat. 12 speeds (maximum download speed: 600 Mb/s; maximum upload speed: 100 Mb/s).
For short-distance communication, our review device relies on NFC, Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi 5. With our reference-grade router Netgear Nighthawk AX12, the Redmi Note 10S can achieve download speeds of up to 283 Mb/s and upload speeds of up to 320 Mb/s. These are middling results when compared to the rest of the competition.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average of class Smartphone (16.9 - 1368, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Realme 8 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (32.7 - 953, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Realme 8 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
For geolocation, our review device relies on the following global navigation satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo. Outdoors, the Android smartphone has a margin of error of 2 m. We use an application known as GPS Test to determine the margin of error.
To determine how accurate our review device is when it comes to navigation, we take it with us on a bike ride. During this ride, we are also accompanied by the professional navigator Garmin Edge 500. Here the Redmi Note 10S struggled to properly map the route we took. This was likely caused by overaggressive energy management. However, we did disable all the energy-saving features that we could for this ride.
Telephony & Call Quality - Stable connection with the Xiaomi smartphone
The phone application offers direct access to favourite contacts and allows users to easily bring up the dial pad. There are also two other tabs; one for call history, the other for saved contacts.
The Redmi Note 10S provides a high call volume. The voices on either end of the call sound clear and intelligible and the background noise is filtered out successfully most of the time.
Camera - Suitable for snapshots
Thanks to a 2-MP depth sensor, the 64-MP main camera of the Redmi Note 10S can produce very detailed close-up shots. The colours look very natural. However, faraway objects often turn out blurry.
The 8-MP ultra wide-angle camera produces sharp photographs with punchy colours. Howbeit, the pictures taken with the ultra wide-angle camera look a little grainy. In low-light conditions, the ultra wide-angle shooter fails to capture any detail. There is no optical zoom. Pictures shot using digital zoom appear very blurry. The additional 2-MP macro camera performs worse than the main camera when it comes to macro photography.
In Pro mode, users can adjust the shutter speed, brightness, ISO and the white balance for each camera. There is no Pro video mode. Videos taken with the Xiaomi smartphone look about as good as the photographs. Video can be recorded at 1080p and 720p at 60 or 30 FPS. The Redmi Note 10S can only record 4K video at 30 FPS.
The 13-MP front-facing camera produces well-derailed selfies. The colours look natural. There are colour filters and a beauty mode. The selfie camera does not have a Pro mode.
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.
Close-up shotPanoramic shotUltra wide-angle shot5X zoomLow-light shot
We use the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport to further examine the colour accuracy. Under controlled lighting conditions, most colours are a little too dim. Under these lighting conditions, the photographs of our testing chart appear well-detailed. However, the corners look quite blurry and washed-out
Accessories & Warranty - Protective case in the box
In addition to the smartphone itself, the box of the Redmi Note 10S contains a USB charger with an appropriate USB Type-C cable, a silicone case and a SIM card removal tool.
The Redmi Note 10S comes with a 12-month warranty. To learn more about warranty coverage and related topics, visit our FAQ section.
Input Devices & Handling - Fingerprint reader in the power button
The Redmi Note 10S comes with Android’s standard keyboard, which is known as GBoard. It offers a lot of customisation options and is suitable for typing longer texts. The touchscreen reacts reliably and promptly to inputs. The drag-and-drop functionality works very well because the screen surface is very smooth.
The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button. It is very reliable, but not very fast. The face unlock works well.
Display - Bright AMOLED panel
The 6.43-inch AMOLED screen of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S has a native resolution of 2400x1080 pixels. The display of the Redmi Note 10S can reach up to 700 cd/m², which is why it takes the top spot in our comparison chart. In the APL50 test, the brightness peaked at 938 cd/m². With the ambient light sensor disabled, the maximum brightness amounts to 441 cd/m². The minimum brightness is 2.63 cd/m².
For brightness control, the Redmi Note 10S utilises pulse width modulation (PWM). The frequency fluctuates between 123.8 and 250 Hz. There is a Direct Current Dimming mode, which can be enabled to eliminate flickering. There are no issues with colour reproduction in DC Dimming mode.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 706 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.1 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 1.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
91.6% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.29
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.43 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S IPS, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Realme 8 Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.40 | Oppo A74 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.43 | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro IPS, 2400x1080, 6.67 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -62% | -27% | -41% | 7% | |
| Brightness middle | 706 | 622 -12% | 590 -16% | 606 -14% | 567 -20% |
| Brightness | 701 | 612 -13% | 607 -13% | 606 -14% | 524 -25% |
| Brightness Distribution | 98 | 94 -4% | 92 -6% | 98 0% | 87 -11% |
| Black Level * | 0.56 | 0.57 | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.1 | 3.98 -90% | 2.64 -26% | 3.6 -71% | 1 52% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.9 | 7.33 -50% | 6.85 -40% | 6.2 -27% | 2.1 57% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 4.5 -200% | 2.4 -60% | 3.3 -120% | 1.7 -13% |
| Gamma | 2.29 96% | 2.206 100% | 2.265 97% | 2.31 95% | 2.16 102% |
| CCT | 6447 101% | 7361 88% | 6913 94% | 6704 97% | 6343 102% |
| Contrast | 1111 | 995 | |||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 114.9 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 250 Hz | ≤ 57 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 250 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 57 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 250 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19035 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The AMOLED panel of the Xiaomi smartphone can achieve perfect blacks because each pixel can be completely switched off. The colour reproduction can be adjusted in the settings menu. The Standard mode is the most colour-accurate. In Saturated mode, colours appear oversaturated.
The default colour mode of the Redmi Note 10S is known as “Automatic”. In this mode, the colour temperature automatically adjusts according to the lighting environment. However, the colours always appear too cool in this mode.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 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. » 8 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 4.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 2.4 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 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms). | ||
The screen of the Redmi Note 10S is readable outdoors, as long as you stay in a shaded place. The screen reflections can prove bothersome even on cloudy days.
The viewing angles of the AMOLED panel are very good. However, at very acute angles, users may notice some colour shimmering.
Performance - Virtually no improvement when compared to the Redmi Note 9S
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S features a two-year-old MediaTek Helio G95. The SoC performs as expected in our benchmarks. The Redmi Note 10S does not provide a boost in performance when compared to the Redmi Note 9S. As a matter of fact, the Redmi Note 9S is faster than its successor in some benchmarks. However, the Redmi Note 10S performs about as well as its main competitor realme 8.
Moreover, some benchmarks could be conducted because of system restrictions. The Redmi Note 10S performed rather poorly in AI Mark and Basemark OS II, likely because of overaggressive energy management.
| Geekbench 5.4 | |
| Single-Core (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Realme 8 | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (506 - 532, n=6) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=237, last 2 years) | |
| Multi-Core (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Realme 8 | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (1622 - 1778, n=6) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (473 - 5538, n=237, last 2 years) | |
| Vulkan Score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Realme 8 | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (2055 - 2400, n=5) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (79 - 9992, n=173, last 2 years) | |
| OpenCL Score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Realme 8 | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (1943 - 2314, n=6) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (368 - 10711, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Realme 8 | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (7938 - 10373, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4780 - 28378, n=226, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (45 - 68, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (78 - 85, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (42 - 49, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (43 - 53, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (26 - 31, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 143, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (29 - 33, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 223, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (326670 - 330876, n=2) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (111952 - 1322448, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (282417 - 295778, n=2) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (101336 - 725649, n=39, last 2 years) | |
| AImark - Score v2.x (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (6118 - 12983, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1043 - 286905, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| BaseMark OS II | |
| Overall (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (1566 - 3198, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (411 - 9585, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| System (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (2083 - 5830, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2565 - 19657, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Memory (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (1012 - 4108, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (670 - 11617, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Graphics (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (3178 - 3807, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (697 - 30125, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Web (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | |
| Oppo A74 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (898 - 1288, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2392, n=162, last 2 years) | |
The Remdi Note 10S took last place in our browser benchmarks. We reran the browser benchmarks several times but always got the same results. We are not sure why the Remdi Note 10S performs so badly in these benchmarks.
Nevertheless, the Xiaomi smartphone provides a good web-browsing experience. The scrolling is smooth and websites load relatively quickly.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (17.3 - 282, n=164, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro (Chrome 90.0.4430.210) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S (Chrome 81) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (16.9 - 50.8, n=5) | |
| Oppo A74 (Chrome 91.0.4472.77) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S (Chrome 91) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27.5 - 414, n=77, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro (Chrome 90.0.4430.210) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S (Chrome 81) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (26.7 - 72.4, n=3) | |
| Oppo A74 (Chrome 91.0.4472.77) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S (Chrome 91) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.3 - 375, n=154, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro (Chrome 90.0.4430.210) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S (Chome 81) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (14.7 - 34.2, n=4) | |
| Oppo A74 (Chrome 91.0.4472.77) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S (Chrome 91) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34 - 292, n=145, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro (Chrome 90.0.4430.210) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S (Chrome 81) | |
| Oppo A74 (Chrome 91.0.4472.77) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (28 - 57, n=5) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S (Chrome 91) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro (Chrome 90.0.4430.210) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S (Chrome 81) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (4808 - 16289, n=4) | |
| Oppo A74 (Chrome 91.0.4472.77) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S (Chrome 91) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S (Chrome 91) | |
| Average Mediatek Helio G95 (2673 - 10797, n=5) | |
| Oppo A74 (Chrome 91.0.4472.77) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S (Chrome 81) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro (Chrome 90.0.4430.210) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 10031, n=167, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The Redmi Note 10S offers very similar read and write speeds to the rest of the competition. The only exception here is the Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro, which features significantly faster internal memory. There are two variants of the Redmi Note 10S: one with 64 GB of internal memory and the other with 128 GB of internal storage.
According to the specifications sheet, the Redmi Note 10S features UFS 2.2 memory. However, the Helio G95 cannot fully utilise such fast memory. According to the specifications sheet, the Redmi Note 10S features UFS 2.2 memory. However, the Helio G95 cannot fully utilise memory that is this fast. UFS 2.0 is the fastest type of memory that the MediaTek SoC can handle.
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S | Realme 8 | Oppo A74 | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro | Average 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -4% | -1% | 1% | 85% | 49% | 102% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 498.8 | 496.6 0% | 526 5% | 515 3% | 1330 167% | 722 ? 45% | 1186 ? 138% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 372 | 214.8 -42% | 187.8 -50% | 255.3 -31% | 527 42% | 514 ? 38% | 753 ? 102% |
| Random Read 4KB | 110.5 | 137 24% | 144 30% | 139.4 26% | 203.1 84% | 182.7 ? 65% | 208 ? 88% |
| Random Write 4KB | 121 | 123.6 2% | 133 10% | 126.4 4% | 176.9 46% | 177.1 ? 46% | 218 ? 80% |
Gaming - Unstable frame rates
The Redmi Note 10S can run non-demanding titles smoothly. The Redmi Note 10S managed to achieve relatively high frame rates in our gaming benchmarks. However, the frame time consistency was very poor. We use Gamebench to record frame rates.
The Redmi Note 10S was unable to maintain consistent frame rates on any graphics settings in the titles which we benchmarked. However, the touchscreen and the motion sensor worked without any issues.
Emissions - Smartphone with stereo speakers
Temperature
According to our measurements, the surface temperatures of the Redmi Note 10S reached 38.6 °C (101.48 °F) under load. The Xiaomi smartphone gets quite warm. Nevertheless, it is always comfortable to hold in the hand.
Our GFXBench stress test reveals that the Redmi Note 10S can maintain all of its performance under sustained load. The Xiaomi smartphone should not be throttling under load due to overheating.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.6 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 54.6 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.5 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.6 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The speakers of the Redmi Note 10S offer a relatively high volume. However, the highs are significantly overrepresented. The speakers are good at reproducing voices. For media consumption, we recommend using a set of headphones or external speakers.
Users can connect headphones or external speakers to the Xiaomi smartphone via either the 3.5-mm audio jack or Bluetooth 5. The headphone jack offers a good signal-to-noise ratio (91.42 dBFS)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 31.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 37% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 61% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Realme 8 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.3% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 55% of all tested devices in this class were better, 12% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 73% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Battery Life - Good battery runtimes
Energy Consumption
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S is a very energy-efficient smartphone. In fact, it takes the top spot in our comparison chart when it comes to power consumption. In the Geekbench benchmark, the power draw peaked at 8 W.
The rated output of the included charger amounts to 33 W.
| Off / Standby |   0.01 / 0.12 Watt |
| Idle |  0.69 / 1.46 / 1.5 Watt |
| Load |
3.67 / 5.58 Watt |
    
| |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S 5020 mAh | Oppo A74 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro 5160 mAh | Average Mediatek Helio G95 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -61% | -2% | -53% | -43% | -17% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.69 | 1.5 -117% | 0.62 10% | 0.79 -14% | 1.273 ? -84% | 0.88 ? -28% |
| Idle Average * | 1.46 | 2.1 -44% | 1.59 -9% | 2.21 -51% | 1.865 ? -28% | 1.48 ? -1% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.5 | 2.5 -67% | 1.63 -9% | 2.26 -51% | 2.05 ? -37% | 1.695 ? -13% |
| Load Average * | 3.67 | 5.2 -42% | 4.05 -10% | 6.17 -68% | 4.87 ? -33% | 4.27 ? -16% |
| Load Maximum * | 5.58 | 7.5 -34% | 5.2 7% | 10.09 -81% | 7.32 ? -31% | 7.1 ? -27% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench, GFXBench and when idle (150 cd/m²)
Battery Life
In our practically oriented Wi-Fi test, the Redmi Note 10S achieved a battery runtime of over 18 hours. The realme 8 lasted about as long in the same test. However, the Redmi Note 9S lasted longer than the Redmi Note 10S in our Internet-surfing test. All in all, the Redmi Note 10S offers good battery life for a smartphone with a 5000-mAh battery.
The Xiaomi smartphone supports fast charging. It takes about one and a half hours to fully charge the Redmi Note 10S with the included charger.
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S 5020 mAh | Realme 8 5000 mAh | Oppo A74 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro 5160 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -11% | -4% | -15% | -24% | |
| Reader / Idle | 3612 | 2263 -37% | 2386 -34% | 2372 -34% | |
| H.264 | 1172 | 1269 8% | 1179 1% | 973 -17% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 1087 | 1187 9% | 1039 -4% | 982 -10% | 879 -19% |
| Load | 368 | 279 -24% | 314 -15% | 276 -25% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Solid performance, good hardware
The Redmi Note 10S is another well-priced mid-range smartphone from Xiaomi. It offers a decent level of performance and can handle most applications. The Xiaomi smartphone may feel laggy in very demanding applications. Moreover, it may take a while for web content to load on very heavy sites. The battery runtimes are quite good and the camera system is decent.
The Redmi Note 10 offers a very good mix of hardware.
Now the question is which to choose: The Redmi Note 10, the Redmi Note 10S or the Redmi Note 10 Pro. The prices for these smartphones range from 200 to 300 Euros (~$240-$360). By choosing the right one, you can save yourself some money. While the Redmi Note 10 does not have an NFC chip, the Note 10 Pro does, but it also comes with a better camera system. This is why the Redmi Note 10S looks like a good compromise. The main competitor of the Redmi Note 10S is the realme 8, which offers a very similar level of performance. Owners of the Redmi Note 9S should not upgrade to the Redmi Note 10S.
Price and Availability
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 is currently available at Walmart for $270.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
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08/31/2022 v7
Mike Wobker