The Redmi Note 10S is the third and latest smartphone released from the Note 10 lineup, sitting between the Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro in terms of features, hardware, and price. Officially released in April 28 this year, the new 10S now has a better IP protection rating, a brighter screen, higher resolution cameras, and faster charging compared to last year’s 9S.
The plastic chassis and frame house an Amoled screen and an uncluttered back panel. Although the material is definitely a fingerprint magnet, the overall design looks simplistic and elegant. The rectangular housing for the rear cameras resembles the one found in the Redmi K30S or the Mi 10T 5G.
Only the dual-SIM tray with a dedicated microSDXC slot for memory expansion is present, while the power button that doubles as a fingerprint sensor is situated on the right, below the volume keys. Fingerprint authentication is snappy and the volume keys feel tactile and sturdy.
The Redmi Note 10S packs a wide arsenal of shooting tools meant for millennials and Gen-Z users. For shots taken at night, the 64MP quad camera setup uses a dedicated Night Mode that can still be adjusted after capturing. The cameras also support 4K resolution shooting at 30 frames-per-second, and can be further customized via Pro Mode.
The cameras are limited to 2x optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom, with the latter churning out poor quality and grainy photos. Despite this, the stock camera app features auto HDR which improves image details, as well as a full 64MP photo mode. The platform also comes with its own document scanner, slow motion mode, short video mode, panorama, and time lapse.
The MediaTek Helio G95 and Mali-G76 MC4 processor and GPU pairing is able to withstand demanding gaming titles up to 720p, although its performance takes a dip when displaying 1080p resolution content. In middling settings, it is able to produce decent framerates with minimal heating. Gamers can also take advantage of the advanced linear motor equipped on the device that produces realistic and more accurate vibration effects.
The SoC on the Redmi Note 10S is designed for 4G-powered premium gaming smartphones. Backed by proprietary technology HyperEngine, smartphones powered by this processor excel at user responsiveness in multitasking scenarios. With 8GB of RAM, the 10S encounters minimal difficulties in this area.
Conclusion
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S may offer decent performance and price-to-value ratio, but it easily fades into the background against its two siblings – the vanilla Redmi Note 10 taking the spotlight with its affordability and the Pro version with better features and improved performance.
Although the gap it hopes to fill is barely felt at all, it is able to hold its own when it comes to similarly priced competition. Some of its advantages include its sleek and lightweight profile, long battery life with fairly quick charging, and its processor that can handle the majority of what users throw at it. As a photo and video shooter, however, its performance is underwhelming, despite its many camera functionalities.
