Xiaomi has announced the latest entries to its Note series today, and following the introduction of the Snapdragon-equipped Note 10 Pro and Note 10, we're turning our heads to the Note 10 5G and the Note 10S, both coming with Mediatek processors. Unlike the Snapdragon phones, these two apparently aren't headed for India and will be exclusive to other markets at first, launching in April.

Redmi Note 10 5G

The Redmi Note 10 5G is among the first phones to come with the MediaTek Dimensity 700, one of the first processors to bring 5G to the entry and mid-range market. But the Dimensity 700 is not a one-hit wonder only good for 5G. It also allows for a 90Hz display, high-quality cameras, and dual-SIM capabilities. And indeed, the Note 10 5G comes with a 2400x1080 6.5-inch LCD with an adaptive refresh rate, ranging from 50 to 90Hz (30Hz will come after a software update). It's protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and only interrupted by a small punch-hole 8MP selfie cam in the middle of the notification bar. It does have pretty sizable bottom bezels, though.

On the bottom of the phone, you'll find a USB Type-C connector and a speaker grille, and up top, you'll see a beautiful relic from an older time: a headphone jack. The power button has an integrated fingerprint reader, and the 5,000mAh battery should easily last you a day. It charges at up to 18W.

SPECS

Display

90Hz AdaptiveSync 6.5” DotDisplay

- AdaptiveSync display

50Hz/60Hz/90Hz (30Hz following a software update)

- Resolution

2400 x 1080

- Contrast ratio

1500:1

- Brightness

400 nits (typ), HBM 500 nits (typ) - Reading mode 3.0 - Sunlight display - Corning Gorilla Glass 3 front

Software

MIUI 12 based on Android 11

CPU

MediaTek Dimensity 700

RAM & Storage

4GB+64GB, 4GB+128GB, 6GB+128GB (LPDDR4X RAM, UFS 2.2) (availability varies by market)

Battery

5,000mAh (typ) battery, 18W fast charging, 22.5W in-box charger

Rear cameras

48MP wide-angle camera (1/2” sensor size, 0.8μm, f/1.79, 6P lens) 2MP macro camera (f/2.4) 2MP depth sensor (f/2.4)

Front camera

8MP (f/2.0)

Connectivity

Dual SIM, Dual 5G standby

Bands

- 5G: SA: n1/n3/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n40/n41/n66/n77/n78

- 5G

NSA: n1/n3/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n40/n41/n66/n77/n78

- 4G

LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/20/28/32/66

- 4G

LTE TDD: B38/40/41

- 3G

WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8

- 2G

GSM: 850 900 1800 1900 MHz

Miscellaneous

Headphone jack, IR blaster, NFC, USB Type-C, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, AI face unlock

Measurements

161.81mm × 75.34mm × 8.92mm, 190g

Colors

Chrome Silver, Graphite Gray, Nighttime Blue, Aurora Green

The camera bump in the top left corner of the otherwise understated back is reminiscent of the Mi 11 flagship, even if its hardware specifications can't compare. It's a triple camera array with a 48MP wide-angle main shooter, a 2MP macro, and a 2MP depth sensor. The latter two could be of questionable utility, but only a proper review will tell.

On the software front, we're looking at MIUI 12 based on Android 11, which comes with a flatter, more toned-down UI than previous iterations and some neat privacy enhancements like camera and microphone indicators.

The Redmi Note 10 5G will launch later in Q1 and will be available in Chrome Silver, Graphite Gray, Nighttime Blue, and Aurora Green. Depending on where you live, you can pick between a few RAM and storage variants: 4GB+64GB at $199, 4GB+128GB at $229, and 6GB+128GB. They'll be available in April.

Redmi Note 10S

The Redmi Note 10S is the Mediatek brother of the Redmi Note 10. Like it, it has a 6.43-inch AMOLED dot display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. But it runs on a 4G MediaTek Helio G95 processor, engineered for mid-range gaming smartphones. And unlike its Snapdragon sibling, the 10S steps up the photography game with a 64 MP main camera, accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide, a 2MP macro, and a 2MP depth sensor. Like the Note 10 5G, it looks similar to the Mi 11 sensor array, sitting in the top left corner of the understated back with nothing but the Redmi logo on it — just like the rest of the Note 10 lineup.

Like the rest of the lineup, the Note 10S has a fingerprint reader integrated into its power button. You'll find a USB Type-C charging port powering the 5,000mAh battery with up to 33W fast-charging next to a headphone jack on the bottom. A dual speaker setup allows for stereo sound, and the phone is splash-proof as per the IP53 specification.

SPECS

Display

6.43” AMOLED DotDisplay

- Resolution

2400 x 1080

- Contrast ratio

4,500,000:1

- Color gamut

DCI-P3

- Brightness

450 nits (typ), HBM 700 nits (typ), 1100 nits peak (typ) - Reading mode 3.0 - Sunlight display 2.0 - Low blue light certified by SGS - Corning Gorilla Glass 3 front

Software

MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11

CPU

MediaTek Helio G95

RAM & Storage

6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB, 8GB+128GB (LPDDR4X RAM, UFS 2.2 storage, availability varies by market), expandable with microSD (up to 512GB)

Battery

5,000mAh (typ) battery, 33W fast charging, 33W in-box charger

Rear cameras

64MP wide-angle camera (1/1.97” sensor size, 0.7μm, ƒ/1.79, 6P lens) 8MP ultra-wide camera (118° FOV, ƒ/2.2) 2MP macro camera (ƒ/2.4) 2MP depth sensor (ƒ/2.4)

Front camera

13MP (ƒ/2.45)

Connectivity

Dual SIM 4G

Bands

- LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28

- LTE TDD

B38/40/41(2535-2655 MHz)

- WCDMA

1/2/4/5/8

- GSM

850/900/1800/1900MHz

Miscellaneous

Headphone jack, IP53, IR blaster, NFC, USB Type-C, side-mounted fingerprint reader, AI face unlock

Measurements

160.46mm × 74.5mm × 8.29mm, 178.8g

Colors

Ocean Blue, Onyx Gray, Pebble White

The Note 10S comes with the brand-new MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11, which has some neat tricks up its sleeve like smoother animations and tons of uninstallable system apps — great if you want to avoid bloatware.

The Note 10S will be available in Ocean Blue, Onyx Gray, and Pebble White. You'll be able to get your hands on one of three RAM and storage configurations: 6GB+64GB at $229, 6GB+128GB at $249, or 8GB+128GB at $279 — all using LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. It will launch in April.