Xiaomi's paths are inscrutable talking about configurations, mobiles and ranges. We have had five Xiaomi Mi 9, a Mi MIX Alpha that has passed the Mi MIX and now comes a new member of the Note family with a composition as striking as it is difficult to understand: we tell you in the analysis of the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 .
The mobile does not fit within the high range talking about screen and processor, but integrates components worthy of a first-line mobile such as the fingerprint reader on screen or the five rear cameras . Although what they already highlighted (prior to mobile) is the 108 megapixel sensor that is part of one of those cameras and whose performance we really wanted to evaluate.
Xiaomi Mi Note 10 data sheet
| XIAOMI MI NOTE 10 | |
|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 157.8 × 74.2 × 9.67 mm, 208 grams |
| SCREEN | AMOLED 6.47 inches with notch FullHD + 3D, contrast 400,000: 1 (min), NTSC: DCI-P3 |
| PROCESSOR | Snapdragon 730G 8nm |
| RAM | 6 GB LPDDR4 |
| STORAGE | 128 GB UFS 2.1 |
| REAR CAMERAS | 108 MP (1 / 1.33 ”) f / 1.69, 7P, 82 ° - AF, Super Pixel, OIS 12 MP telephoto 2x, f / 2.0, 6P 5 MP telephoto 5x, f / 2.0 - OIS 20 MP ultra wide angle 117º, f / 2.2 2 MP macro |
| FRONTAL CAMERA | 32 MP f / 2.0, Super Pixel |
| OPERATING SYSTEM | Android 9 Pie + MIUI 11 |
| CONNECTIVITY | Dual 4G, GSM bands B2 / B3 / B5 / B8, WCDMA B1 / B2 / B4 / B5 / B6 / B8 / B19, FDD-LTE B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B8 / B18 / B19 / B20 / B26 / B28, TDD-LTE B38 / B40, NFC |
| BATTERY | 5,260 mAh |
| OTHERS | USB Type C, 3.5 mm jack, fingerprint reader on screen |
| PRICE | 549 euros |
Design: the invasion of curves and cameras, many cameras
There are more and more rear cameras and integrating them without neglecting the aesthetics is increasingly a challenge. We have seen more drastic changes in Apple and Google with their latest smartphones and that square tile of the Pixel 4 and the iPhone 11 , although we were seeing that design in the Huawei Mate 20 Pro , whose successor in turn has changed to the circle. Although the biggest challenge we had seen in the Nokia 9 Pu-review and its cynical rear cameras with the flash and the depth sensor, with quite a good result considering that there was not even a bump. What do we see in the Xiaomi Mi Note 10? A module for three of the cameras and the other two separated, protruding almost all and to one side.
The back thus keeps harmony with the design lines that we see in those of its predecessors, with the curvature both in this back and in the front (this only in the case of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 ) in relation to the side edges. It is something that at aesthetic level you can like and that usually favors ergonomics by talking about the grip, but on the screen it does not help except in the case of favoring the sensation of use.
The finishes are very reminiscent of what we saw in previous phones such as the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro , at the level of touch and brightness. It also reminds us in less positive aspects such as the trace of fingerprints or the one that is quite slippery , although with the mobile phone a case is delivered that avoids this a bit and that also protects the modules and the screen somewhat more (the counterpart: when excelling in the screen part makes gesture navigation a bit more difficult).
It is a fairly thick mobile , although it is true that the curvatures make the edge is quite thin. In fact, it has a good compaction considering that we are talking about a 6.47-inch screen and especially a battery of more than 5,000 mAh, which clearly has influenced the final dimensions seeing that other terminals with similar diagonals Smaller batteries (and fewer rear cameras) have a similar or larger surface area but less volume and weight.
It is comfortable, well built and quite elegant at least in its black edition (or rather, dark gray). Speaking of the front, the bottom edge is wider than the rest and at the base the only thing aligned is the speaker, the USB C and the 3.5 mm jack that are attached to one of the bezels not too well.
It is comfortable, well built and quite elegant, although very slippery and gets dirty easily
It is not a groundbreaking combination of materials, glass with metal edges being a classic. Although the matte in the metal frame is somewhat less common and the truth is that it suits you very well.
Of course, the camera module is considerable and if we support it on a surface it will dance if we try to tap without holding it. Another problem that is solved with the case they deliver.
Screen: sometimes the conventional is the convincing
We said that not all the features of this mobile were integrated in the high range (or what we usually see there) partly on the screen. It is true that the front is well used by it and that it complies well in all aspects, but Xiaomi continues to opt for FullHD + resolution for its most powerful or complete mobiles.
In this case we have a panel of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels of super AMOLED type, with 398 pixels per inch and a diagonal of 6.47 inches . This makes it fit more in the mid-range that its processor marks as we will see later, but with a good use (towards 87.8% according to GSM Arena ) and a mobile with aspirations of being something more than a vitamin mid-range does not leave of looking like a missed opportunity to climb a step in resolution and density.
Despite this, the experience with the screen is quite good . It looks perfectly in full light, so we have both a sufficient maximum brightness and a good response of the automatic brightness adjustment (although sometimes it is a bit slow when moving from a darker environment to a brighter one).
Well at the level of contrast and tactile sensitivity, although with the curvature of the panel there is sometimes some accidental touch (if we tap and it does not respond we are probably resting without wanting part of our hand in the area closest to the metal edge). Although what may bother us the most is the "shadow" that the curvature usually cast and that we also saw in the Nokia 8 Sirocco and the Samsung Galaxy S10 + among others.
The screen comes somewhat cold from the factory, but in the settings we find the usual MIUI tool to adjust the contrast and temperature somewhat more to our liking. Once again, we consider that manual adjustments are better suited to our preferences, since the predefined ones leave a result that is too warm and impoverishes the experience.
Later we will talk about MIUI 11, a new version of the Xiaomi customization layer, but it is possible to anticipate now that it continues to maintain the distribution of screen settings in different sections and they are not always as intuitive as they should.
- Screen : the general settings in which we find the Color Scheme (the setting for contrast, saturation and temperature), also the activation of the dark mode, the brightness mode, the notch setting and the full screen setting.
- Home screen : select the default launcher , the grid for the distribution of apps, the presence of some items on the screen or the App Vault (the page as a Google tab that appears on the desktop with cards and shortcuts ).
- Wallpaper : set it.
- Ambient and lock screen : activation and configuration of the ambient screen, activation of the lift to wake up screen and double tap and other settings.
We see more news in the configuration of the ambient screen , not so much to the notifications and the information that it can show but at the aesthetic level (with many more possibilities). The rest more or less remains as it was in the latest versions of MIUI 10, including dark mode or gesture navigation (within the full screen configuration, by the way).
Speaking of gesture navigation , these work correctly and one is incorporated to go to the previous app prolonging the swipe back, going quite fluid and without confusing the closure with the launch of multitasking. Of course, as we have said before depending on whether we put cover or not (and which) the gestures that start from the chin will cost a little more.
With all this we can configure it to our liking in many aspects, including if we prefer to see the notch as a physical separation from the taskbar, if we prefer to camouflage it by staining said bar or if we want it to appear integral in addition to the one left with the notch. Aesthetic decision, since there is no difference at the level of handling with respect to one option or another (the same notification curtain will always come out of where we pull).
If we decide to hide it and move the taskbar the practical surface of the screen is reduced somewhat more by having a space of just over 9.5 millimeters occupied by frame and bar, while the notch (and the integrated status bar) occupy 4.49 mm. Hence, it seems quite more practical and aesthetic to choose to leave the notch in sight or cover it with the black bar, but not move the bar.
Performance: complying in power and heat dissipation
The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 comes with the Snapdragon 730G , a processor presented in the remittance for the mid-April range that focused on being able to exploit the photographic part and reduce latency to a minimum. As squires it has 6 GB of RAM as a single option and 128 GB storage (without the possibility of adding a microSD, but it is not that they are few).
We will talk about photography later, but regarding the graphic performance and power we can say that in general it behaves quite well. There is no appreciable lag in the loading of heavy apps or multitasking, nor when watching or editing videos or any symptoms that the hardware is insufficient to perform relatively demanding tasks.
The temperature rises slightly when we play, but neither the numbers we see nor the sensation to the touch are indicative that it goes out of the usual and occurs only when carrying some games. In fact, with a cover it is not even appreciated.
It is true that we have experienced some app closures, but they seem more related to the software talking about the games (since in the case of Asphalt 8 the closures disappear when removed from the game accelerator). What does seem to have more relation with the hardware is that from time to time some transition is dragged and the behavior of the camera app (when talking about a more demanding sensor), since as we will see in its corresponding section it does not have a behavior Right.
For those who attend to the results of the performance tests, we show you the Mi Note 10 benchmarks compared to those of similarly configured mobiles.
XIAOMI MI NOTE 10
|
XIAOMI MI 9T
|
SAMSUNG GALAXY A70
|
MOTOROLA ONE VISION
|
XIAOMI MI A2
|
LENOVO Z5S
|
HUAWEI P SMART 2019
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PROCESSOR
|
Snapdragon 730G
|
Snapdragon 730
|
Snapdragon 675
|
Exynos 9609
|
Snapdragon 660
|
Snapdragon 710
|
Kirin 710
|
RAM
|
6 GB
|
6 GB
|
6 GB
|
4GB
|
4GB
|
3GB
|
4GB
|
ANTUTU
|
253,660
|
211,901
|
170,567
|
136,111
|
127,610
|
130,026
|
130,026
|
GEEKBENCH
|
539 / 1,715 (5.0)
|
2,545 / 6,900
|
2,363 / 6,390
|
1,507 / 4,934
|
1,626 / 4,286
|
1,531 / 5,149
|
1,531 / 5,149
|
PC MARK WORK
|
7,473
|
9,166
|
8,889
|
6,812
|
6,332
|
8,809
|
5,853
|
3D MARK (ICE STORM UNLIMITED)
|
39,757
|
36,346
|
23,712
|
22,441
|
22,461
|
-
|
16,434
|
software
MIUI 11 is a recent update that therefore we have not tested on other Xiaomi front-line phones, but with the Mi Note 10 we have the opportunity to try the latest version and see those aesthetic and functional changes that it brings with respect to MIUI 10. Thus, we have this manufacturer's own layer on the Android 9 Pie version.
The appearance changes very slightly in some icons, noticing more in the settings and in some own apps like Notes. Speaking of which, we found a good assortment of our own pre-installed apps that we cannot delete in large part, such as Xiaomi's own app store (GetApps), being able to uninstall those from third parties (Aliexpress, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, Connect) but neither those of Google.
The adjustments , as we said, have received a face lift especially at the aesthetic level, but we also see new sections such as Digital Wellbeing, which like other manufacturers gives us an idea of the time we use in each app (and in total of use). From here we also have direct access to notification management, which is now much clearer and more complete.
We have already commented on the news about the personalization of the ambient screen, being able to configure animations, text or lighting of the edges (at least for this one, with curves on the screen). There are also new fonts and new animations also for the icons of the apps, but multitasking remains at the level of style and functions.
The layer continues to incorporate its maintenance suite , which includes the assistants to free memory, space, to manage installed applications and try to improve performance if the user prefers to be more guided, there is also access to information on energy consumption and battery, although later we will talk about this.
MIUI 11 also incorporates a game accelerator , which restricts some software activities trying to make the games we add work better. There are no added options at the level of accesses or buttons and in our experience it does not contribute much (the games do not feel more fluid), in fact as we have already said we had to deactivate it for the proper functioning of the 'Asphalt 8'.
The app vault is slightly renewed in interface, although what would have been good are more customization possibilities as in the case of other layers.
There is its own file manager, which also fits into this more minimalist redesign and is dyed in the dark mode (unlike the maintenance suite, which maintains the white background). The novelty that we have not seen yet: the button to deactivate the ads . We have found the possibility to unlink them to our personal preferences, but the ads continue to appear on some screens as when installing a new app.
The quick responses can be activated, but have not seen differences and what can be done in MIUI 10. Nor we could organize apps in drawer or have seen the app My Go or the new suite My Word. Perhaps these news still come in future versions.
Biometrics
Screen fingerprint reader and facial recognition in the Xiaomi Mi Note 10, thus fulfilling what we are seeing more commonly in high-end phones and much of the average of 2019. They are based respectively on an optical unlock and the front camera action, without seeing in this case an ultrasound based system for the fingerprint or a combination of sensors for advanced face reading .
The experience is quite good with both systems, but facial unlocking is so fast and effective that it usually invalidates the footprint if we have it activated. In fact, it acts without having the mobile perfectly in front of our face, being with some angle (for example, in our hand).
It works in low light environments, for example in a night scene or inside the car with poor lighting (yes, you have to look at it). It will always be faster if we activate the option for the screen to wake up when raised, because this recognition requires that the panel be active or with the ambient screen on.
The fingerprint reading does not beat speed records, but it is not demanding and can recognize the fingerprint even if we do not put the maximum surface of it on the reading area (with the damp footprint does not work, yes). You do not need the screen to be activated, if we place the fingerprint blindly on the panel off and we do not succeed the sensor area will illuminate so that we can relocate the finger and the reading is effective.
What works much worse is the traditional pattern tracing method. The sensitivity of stroke detection is poor due to slowness , so it fails to detect the pattern and normally interprets it incorrectly, unless we draw it with patience.
Cameras: the 108 megapixels have known us little by little
One of the attractions of this mobile, if not the main one, is the photographic scheme that it presents especially in its back. A total of five cameras nurture the photographic capabilities of the Mi Note 10, scoring a goal for the Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha squad by being the first to be marketed with a 108 megapixel sensor (with the permission of the Chinese version, the Xiaomi CC9 Pro ). Let's see how they are:
- 1 / 1.33-inch 108 megapixel sensor (1.6 μm pixel) with 7P lens and f / 1.69 aperture. 4-in-1 pixel-binning technology and 4-axis optical image stabilization.
- Telephoto lens with 12 megapixel sensor (1.4 μm pixel) with 2x optical zoom and f / 2.0 aperture.
- Telephoto lens with 5 megapixel sensor (1 μm pixel) with 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid and 50x digital, lens with f / 2.0 aperture and four-axis optical stabilization.
- Ultra wide angle 117 degrees and f / 2.2 aperture with 20 megapixel sensor.
- Super macro lens with 2 megapixel sensor.
To all this is added the ability to record in slow motion at 960 frames per second at 720p (up to 4K at 30 fps in normal mode), artificial intelligence functions and modes also known as night or portrait. There is also a lack of beauty functions, quite complete especially if we talk about the subjective camera.
This, the front camera , integrates a 32 megapixel sensor (1.6 μm pixel ) with pixel-binning and a lens with 2.0 aperture. Also with the assistance of AI, portrait effects and beauty modes, being able to record video at up to 1,080p and 30fps.
Camera app
Slight changes in the camera app of the Mi Note 10, more visible at the level of functions to adapt to all that optics that we have described. The usual shortcuts are maintained in automatic mode, for HDR, AI, beauty effect, flash and a hamburger menu with additives such as timer, level or access to settings.
At the bottom we see all the modes and already in the field of view the button for zoom, ultra wide angle and macro mode, which is last after 0.6x. For other zooms we will have to adjust manually, being able to reach 50x digital .
We see here that the 108 megapixels have their tab added (as we saw already for the 48) although we can also select the lens in Pro mode, where we can also adjust ISO, shutter speed, white balance and focus (with the assistance of the peak , always so useful). In night mode we cannot adjust anything manually and in portrait mode we continue to see the possibility of adjusting aperture and background effects.
The video has several modes and in the shortcuts we see some for the beauty mode, the super stabilization or the hamburger menu from which we can select the quality. It is more direct in slow motion mode. There is also short video mode, very focused to achieve short shots similar to Instagram, Snapchat and similar Stories.
The app is relatively intuitive, although not so much for macro mode. The problem is that it is going quite slowly : the already "lageado" change of car to HDR now becomes eternal and it is quite difficult to change modes. The photos at 108 megapixels are very demanding and usually it is a few seconds processing (it does not reach what we saw in the Nokia 9 Pureview, but it follows closely without having to do what it with the processed), having lost some shots without giving us bill.
In addition, we see some bugs as sudden closures (especially when using the 108 megapixel mode) and after having reset the terminal (with the intention of seeing if this disappeared), we were left with the bug that the beauty adjustment of eye brightness to the front camera is fixed in “sleeve”, having to deactivate it every time (the rest remain as we adjust them). It is therefore necessary to debug and adjust this app a lot, beyond applying new fonts or animations.
Rear camera
Let's play something before showing you the analysis of the photos. We put two pairs of photos in two situations, do you appreciate the difference between those that make up each couple?
It helps us a little to answer the following question: do you notice the 108 megapixels in the photographs? Yes, but on the computer. The photos are larger (The 12,032 x 9,024 pixels will always occupy more MB than the 6,016 x 4,512 pixels of an automatic photo, grouping pixels), but in practice we will not see a much better picture at the level of detail or colors ( in the previous image, those on the left are 27 megapixels and those on the right are 108).
In general, the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 performs well in illuminated and outdoor environments , with a somewhat cold white balance but doing a good job in eliminating noise (based on what is seen in the RAW). It does not win in resolution, in this it would be necessary to do more work as in the dynamic range, but the result is acceptable in any of the resolutions, without excelling.
The dynamic range is correct in less demanding situations. In backlights it will always be better to pull HDR, which although it does not give a very different result in an easier situation when we have the Sun against it, it makes a better interpretation of illuminations and shadows as well as colorimetry.
The wide angle is somewhat lower than expected. Although it measures the exposure well (compensating for the difference that usually exists with a standard angle) and the deformation is corrected by the lens at the edges, the sharpness is quite low especially in afternoon shots and at more distant and general planes.
The zooms perform quite well. Even when the light is somewhat lower they save the shot well and keep the detail. The downside: the jump is quite slow and as we will see in video we can not change the lens in the same shot.
The macro mode is one of the novelties to be accompanied by a lens of its own. It will be a solution to the most demanding shots in terms of the minimum focusing distance, since we can get much closer to the object than by pulling automatically with the other lenses, and it is much easier than pulling the Pro mode and selecting this lens manually.
We do not notice changes in the night mode with respect to previous results with other mobiles and MIUI 10. It is a mode that brings out some more light and that will sit better in very dark and very low light environments, otherwise there will be a slight overexposure ( and if there are points of light such as street lamps there may be too exaggerated flashes
Nor do we perceive it in portrait mode , which is still very demanding and it is very difficult to activate it. When it does the trimming is usually correct and the blur relatively gradual, but in medium light it can give us a very poor result in sharpness.
Xiaomi continues to choose to place an AI button whose effect remains very, very questionable . Again, scene type detection is still fast and successful, but nothing is noticeable in the photo compared to automatic mode.
Frontal camera
The front camera performs very similarly to what we saw with the Xiaomi Mi 9 , despite being a different configuration. It makes a good treatment of color and white balance , even of detail in more demanding situations such as indoors or at night.
The HDR is necessary to save the sky outdoors and especially in backlights. The positive is that there are no excessive contrasts or exaggerated edges in the contours of the foreground.
The portrait mode is much less demanding than in the rear chamber and thus more effective. Of course, it is flatter although it is not too exaggerated, and the clipping usually occurs well except in the lighting effects, which are still too false and usually do not feel good in the photograph (although we try to favor it with the lighting or the background) .
The beauty mode has adjustments at various levels, ranging from the size of the eyes to the brightness of them, through virtual makeup and face thinning. Everything is activated by default as soon as we activate the front camera, having to readjust everything if we are not interested in the effect (which is very artificial).
Sound: some more nuance (and stereo) would have been fine
The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 has a speaker on its base and an audio jack on the other side of the USB, also on the base. A location for this cable that we will like more or less, but what is not quite right is that of the speaker, since it is usually covered in the horizontal grip.
The solution is easy for the user: simply turn the phone so that the side with the USB and the speaker is on the other side, so that the thumb no longer covers it so easily. On the other hand, the headset is integrated very discreetly on the front camera, and the audio in the calls is correct (although the maximum volume, being sufficient for a standard hearing, is smaller than in other terminals).
Speaking of audio output for multimedia, the speaker is quite powerful giving up to 114 decibels on its output, which translate to about 71-74 ambient at maximum volume. However, it is not pleasant to keep it at this level since it is slightly distorted and the quality falls quite low with respect to the performance that is around 75-80% .
The quality is average, it gives an acceptable sound but it is somewhat poor in hue and dynamic range . They are missing serious and more compensation between them and the treble, although in the listening of podcasts, series and films this is less noticeable and there is a good treatment of the voices.
In MIUI we do not find many additions in terms of audio, but they still keep some options for when we connect headphones . The equalizer is only activated if we connect headphones and choose one of the presets for the proposed models, although in our case (without Xiaomi headphones) we did not like the sound of the preset corresponding to closed headphones.
Better result gives Hi-Fi audio , giving a bit more dynamic sharpness but killing a bit of the extra dynamic range that is had with headphone audio with respect to the external speaker. In general, we will notice that the volume should be increased somewhat more than usual when using them, since we will exceed that minimum that manufacturers place as an acceptable and not harmful level.
Autonomy: the treasure of the Mi Note 10 is to forget to charge it for many hours
The battery that carries this mobile is the largest that Xiaomi has mounted on a smartphone. It is a stack of 5,260 milliamps / hour , probably largely responsible for that volume and thickness that we saw in the design section.
Not everything is milliamps in the performance of a battery, as we usually remember the use, the control that the system makes of the activity plans, the connectivity and other factors in the end will have their share of fault in the hours that a mobile endures On with a single charge. Let's see what happens in this case.
The average that gives us autonomy after these days is one day and about four hours , alternating days of almost 24 hours and others of more wifi and less multimedia that exceeded 36 hours easily. The average screen hours is about 13 hours, and yet in the end it is an outstanding autonomy that has fully met expectations.
Beyond the figures (we also show you the Mark Work PC battery test, in which being aware that it is not the most exact measure personally I think that I had not seen such a high result so far), in the end what we It is to leave home with the absolute peace of mind that it will not leave us hanging even starting with 40% if we are not going to be more than 7-8 hours (or make a very intense use).
On the other hand is the fast charge, with which a full charge of 0 to 100% is achieved in 1 hour and 36 minutes (with the charger delivered and the mobile turned off). In addition, there are options to be able to save some more battery power such as consumption restrictions / background location, although in some cases it is worth disabling them so that for example we receive certain notifications (as in the case of Slack or for apps registration of sports activity).
Xiaomi Mi Note 10, Xataka's opinion
It seems that Xiaomi has wanted to take several hits on the table this year, one of them being the records in photographic aspect. But while it may win at the sensor level with more resolution in the mobile market (winning mobile phones with huge sensors like the Nokia 1020 , it does not gain in what matters: its performance .
We know that in photography the size matters, but more that of the sensor (and that of the pixel) than that of the resulting photos, although for now we do not see that the sensor clearly differs with the competition and its “minor” sensors. The versatility is clear, but the experience with the app is not good and the results do not compensate so much, corresponding more to what we expect from a standard mid-range, without so much objective or megapixel.
The rest of the aspects remind a lot of some Xiaomi Mi 9 of this year, giving a good experience at the level of screen and performance that can satisfy a large number of users, even relatively demanding. Especially that battery, since autonomy has met above expectations .
Perhaps it is convenient to see this Xiaomi Mi Note 10 as the seed of something that is about to germinate , of a future better photographic experience, more complete and more satisfactory. Especially waiting for MIUI 11 to fully deploy its new features.
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