Review of Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S - a smartphone with a juicy screen and NFC

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Users can only be saddened by the obtrusive advertising in the interface and the absence of serious differences from the Note 10 at a noticeably increased price.

Regular updating of smartphone lines, on the one hand, allows companies to stay on the cutting edge of progress. On the other hand, the releases of new products with growing indices and designations Pro, S, Ultra or SuperMega confuse potential buyers: “Is the previous model already outdated? Quite recently, it was relevant, new, but now everything, to the scrap?"

And many modifications of the same model with not very significant differences complicate the task for those who are looking for a device. In such situations, it seems that smartphone manufacturers should focus on the automotive industry and introduce the concepts of "restyling" and "model range", so that even with a slight difference in characteristics, somehow justify the increased price tag. After all, Redmi Note 10S, if you think about it, is a modification of Redmi Note 10 - a completely new model that recently visited our test.

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Design and ergonomics
• Screen
• Sound
• Performance
• System
• Camera
• Autonomy
• Outcomes

Specifications

Platform	Android 11, MIUI 12.5 firmware
Display	AMOLED DotDisplay, 6.43 inches, 2,400 x 1,080 pixels, 60 Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
CPU	MediaTek Helio G95
Memory	6 GB RAM + 64/128 GB user (microSD card support)
Cameras	Main: main - 64 Mp, f / 1.79, 0.8 microns and PDAF; wide-angle - 8 megapixels, f / 2.2, 118 °; macro - 2 Mp, f / 2.4; depth sensor - 2 Mp, f / 2.4. Front: 13 MP, f / 2.5
Communications	2 × nanoSIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n / ac (2, 4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 LE
Battery	5,000 mAh, 33W fast wired charging (USB Type-C 2.0)
Dimensions (edit)	160.5 × 74.5 × 8.3mm
The weight	179 g
Additionally	IP53 splash proof, stereo speakers, 3.5mm jack, fingerprint reader, NFC

Design and ergonomics

For testing, we got Redmi Note 10S in onyx gray. There are also pebble white and ocean blue options - white and blue, respectively. Like the Note 10 without the S index, the back panel of the novelty is plastic, but there is a difference in the design of the camera module: the main lens is supplemented with a metal insert, like the Note 10 Pro. Otherwise, there is no difference, even the dimensions are the same.

All buttons are on the right side. This is a volume rocker and a power key combined with a fingerprint sensor. The latter is slightly more recessed into the case, due to which it is almost impossible to confuse the buttons by touch.

The fingerprint scanner works very quickly, and if it doesn't like something, the smartphone reacts with a dissatisfied hum of the vibration motor.

There are two dynamics: on the upper and lower edges of the case. The bottom also has USB Type-C and 3.5mm headphone jacks. Plus here is the microphone hole. Above the speaker is complemented by an IrDA circle and another microphone.

The plastic case is very, very slippery, which is why the smartphone willingly rolls over the folds of upholstered furniture. And he flies out of his pockets at any convenient situation. And the case is scratched with ease. True, the bundle includes a transparent case that will protect the Redmi Note 10S from damage.

Display

Here, Xiaomi developers did not change anything and installed the same module - AMOLED DotDisplay with a diagonal of 6.43 inches with a resolution of 2,400 × 1,080 pixels. The brightness is enough for working on a sunny day, but the auto-adjustment is a little lame and does not allow the screen to unfold at full strength, so it is better to adjust this parameter manually.

The color reproduction in Redmi Note 10S is wonderful, the borders of the picture elements are clear. From the settings, there are two options for saturation and adjustment of the color scheme - warm, cold, custom. There is also DC Dimming, which was not available on the Note 10.

The front camera is built in the center of the top edge of the screen and is framed with a slightly uneven silver circle. By the standards of modern state employees, the frames at the screen are quite narrow, they will hardly be visible if you put a dark wallpaper. The black color on the AMOLED display is almost perfectly combined with the frames in hue, and it begins to seem as if the display occupies the entire front panel.

Sound

From the Note 10 to the Note 10S, stereo speakers migrated to the top and bottom ends. They work well: the sound is spatial, loud, but it is better not to twist it above 80%, otherwise the plastic case will start to rattle. For watching YouTube videos at breakfast, the Note 10S is great - both voices are clear and stereo effects creep from left to right as intended.

The audio jack allows you to connect wired headphones. The recommendations here are the same as for most budget smartphones: do not use full-size high-impedance headphones, the built-in amplifier will not have enough power for them. It should be limited to in-channel models.

Of the Bluetooth codecs, the smartphone supports LDAC. But aptX and aptX HD could not be turned on even through developer mode - these headphones only worked with AAC.

Performance

The main difference between Redmi Note 10S and Note 10 is in the processor: here instead of the Snapdragon 678, the eight-core MediaTek Helio G95 is installed, operating at a clock frequency of up to 2.05 GHz. Responsible for the graphics Mali G76.

Xiaomi itself claims that such a hardware platform is more productive in games, and we agree with that. We were unable to force the smartphone to strain too much. FPS drawdowns in shooters can be avoided by adding the required applications to Game Booster.

With prolonged use, the Note 10S heats up quite noticeably, but cools down quickly. And it also has an NFC module, which was not in the previous model.

System

Redmi Note 10S runs on Android 11 with MIUI 12.5 shell. We talked about it in detail in several reviews, and in the new smartphone it behaves in the same way as in others.

The smooth and not too cluttered interface comes with quite intrusive ads. Perhaps this is the only drawback. At the same time, the settings are very flexible, chips like floating windows are really convenient. And, unlike POCO Launcher, notifications are swiped to the right and left.

It is pleasant to use the smartphone: it works quickly, clearly, without any complaints.

Camera

Instead of the 48MP main module found in the Redmi Note 10, the Note 10S uses a 64MP OmniVision OV64B sensor with f / 1.79. The camera unit also includes an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide angle camera, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor.

Images from the main camera are not noisy, clear, with a fairly vivid color rendition. It only slightly goes into excessive contrast and saturation, but within the artistic norm. And even in cloudy, twilight weather, quite good detail is preserved, and the gray shades of the sky do not mix into incomprehensible mud. True, the focus loves to crawl to the wrong place, but it can be set manually by poking at the screen.

Filming with the main camera. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Filming with the main camera. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Filming with the main camera. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Filming with the main camera. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

The zoom is already 10x, but digital. A more or less decent magnification is obtained at 2X, but what follows is already too replete with artifacts.

Shooting with the main lens without zoom. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with the main lens at 2X zoom. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with the main lens with 4X zoom. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with the main lens at 6X zoom. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with the main lens at 8X zoom. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with the main lens at 10X zoom. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

The blur in portrait mode is soft, neat and more like a tilt-shift effect.

The wide-angle does not differ from the main module in colors and shades, it looks only a drop paler. Distortion at the edges is corrected by software, and in the end the image looks good - but only with sufficient lighting. Otherwise, the edges of the images after software processing become seemingly loose, unsharp.

Shooting with the main lens. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with a wide-angle lens. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with the main lens. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with a wide-angle lens. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

The macro lens is nominal: it has a completely elusive focus. It is better to take a photo with the main camera and crop it - the image will be clearer and more detailed.

Shooting with the main lens. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

Shooting with a macro lens. Photo: Alina Rand / Lifehacker

The 13 megapixel selfie camera works well. She has the same vivid color rendition as the main module, and an adequately working portrait mode.

Autonomy

The battery in the Redmi Note 10S, like the Note 10, is 5,000 mAh. But the processor has become more powerful, and this has a little effect on the autonomy. In general, in a mixed mode of use, it is quite possible to count on 1.5 days of work from charging to charging.

The complete power supply unit is 33 W. The smartphone will charge half the capacity in half an hour, and fully in one and a half.

Outcomes

The most noticeable difference to the end user for the Redmi Note 10S from the Note 10 is in the presence of an NFC module. In today's world, it really makes life easier.

Otherwise, the difference is nominal. The camera was good, but just a little better. The more powerful hardware platform allows you to play heavier games, but at the same time negatively affects the battery. However, the difference is that in the other case it is insignificant.

In Russia, now the version of Redmi Note 10S, which we had on the test - with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of user memory - costs 19,990 rubles, which is noticeably more expensive than the Note 10 at the start (13,990 rubles). And the gain in performance is not so significant. If you need an NFC module for contactless payment, it is easier to get a fitness bracelet with this function for the difference in price between the two devices.

At the same time, the smartphone itself is good: it has a good screen, stereo speakers, a smart, clear and non-braking interface, only annoying with ads, and a detailed camera. And yet, in comparison with the Note 10, it has practically no advantages.