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Redmi Note 10 Pro Max review: A worthy upgrade in every way |
Xiaomi's
sub-brand continues to push the envelope on budget devices every year and the
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is no exception. But let's find out whether you should
pay ₹18,999 for this device — or buy the cheaper Redmi Note 10 Pro variant
instead.
Product: Redmi Note 10 Pro
Max
Key
specs: 6.67-inch
Super AMOLED display at 120Hz, 108 MP primary sensor, 8 MP ultrawide sensor, 5
MP macro and 2 MP depth sensor, 6/8 GB RAM, 64/128GB UFS 2.2 storage,
Snapdragon 732G chipset, 5020 mAh battery with 33W charging.
Rating:
4.5/5
Xiaomi has firmly
established itself in the affordable smartphone category over the past five
years or so, bringing relevant upgrades to its budget line of devices while
keeping the price firmly below ₹20,000.
Many phone
manufacturers bring incremental upgrades over their previous offerings, and
this has been the case for Xiaomi’s Redmi Note series as well, with the notable
exception of this year’s Redmi Note 10 series. The company has brought some
serious upgrades across the board this year, starting from the screen to the
camera, design and durability.
If you’re in the market
for an affordable device under ₹20,000 and want something that offers
great bang for your buck, should the latest Redmi Note 10 Pro Max be on your
radar?
We’ve spent the better
part of two weeks with Xiaomi’s latest offering and here are our thoughts.
Design
and display
Redmi has brought some
interesting changes to their Note 10 series this year, and the most notable
change is switching out the IPS LCD screen on its predecessor with a Super
AMOLED panel this year. Redmi says the device has a peak brightness of 1200
nits and we had no issues using this device outside, even with dark mode turned
on.
For its first Super
AMOLED screen on a Redmi Note 10 device, Xiaomi seems to have done a decent job
in terms of colour accuracy, while HDR content looks great on the 1080p screen.
The screen also supports a refresh rate of 120Hz, making scrolling through the
gallery and webpages on both Samsung Internet and Chrome a very smooth
experience. One thing is certain, this is the best display to feature on a Note
series device from Redmi so far.
Redmi's new EVOL design
is probably its best budget series design, so far. (David Delima/ HT
Tech)
Redmi has dropped the
Aura design from its previous Redmi Note series devices this year in favour of
its new “EVOL. design” and the phone looks fantastic, with a frosted glass back
design that didn’t attract any fingerprints or smudges.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro
Max, especially the vintage bronze colour variant we tried, might subjectively
be the best-looking device in this price segment, and possibly Redmi’s most
mature design so far and we really like what Redmi has done with the overall
design this year.
This phone weighs 192
gms, thanks in part to the 5,020mAh battery that powers it. It’s still 17 grams
lighter than its predecessor, and this will make a difference when using a
case, which Redmi has included in the box. The case even has a rubber seal for
the charging port and wide cutouts for the earphone jack and the fingerprint
sensor.
Redmi's Note 10 Pro Max
features a 108MP primary sensor. (David Delima/ HT Tech)
The Redmi Note 10 Pro
Max has a side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor that is responsive, but we
couldn’t find a way to have it unlock without waking up the screen first.
Tapping on the screen or pressing the power button to unlock takes a bit of getting
used to since most smartphone sensors are usually waiting to authenticate you
as soon as you touch it.
The buttons on the side
are easy to reach, while the fingerprint sensor can also be used to set
gestures to perform different actions on the device.
Camera
Another big improvement
Redmi has brought to the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max this year is the 108MP primary
camera sensor. Including a 108MP sensor seems to be the latest smartphone
camera trend, and this phone is no exception. The device’s main sensor takes
very clear images and there is a lot of detail even after you zoom into the
photo.
Unlike other budget
phones, the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max takes high resolution photos almost
instantly. (Image has been resized for web) (David Delima/HT Tech)
Images taken with the
wide angle lens have a little bit of distortion around the edges, so you may
want to stick with the primary sensor. (Image has been resized for web)
(David Delima/ HT Tech)
While taking photos
during the daytime, the Note 10 Po Max takes bright images and colours are
accurate but we sometimes had to tap to focus, after which the phone took very
crisp shots. While the ultra-wide lens seems to do a decent job and we didn’t
see a lot of distortion at the edges, we ended up shooting with the main camera
most of the time.
The Super Macro lens on
the Note 10 Pro Max takes crisp and clear images even when lighting isn't
ideal. (Image has been resized for web) (David Delima/ HT Tech)
Redmi has included a 5
MP “Super Macro” lens on the Note 10 Pro Max and this might just be the first
budget device where the macro camera doesn’t disappoint. Images clicked in
well-lit areas have a lot of detail and the colours are quite accurate,
although you should probably avoid using it in low light scenarios. We feel
like the 2MP depth sensor could really have been done away with entirely – the
phone took great portrait shots even when we covered it with a finger.
Performance
Part of the reason why
Redmi is so popular in the budget device category is their powerful
specification sheet and the Note 10 Pro Max is no exception. Redmi has thrown
in everything except the kitchen sink into this device, with the notable
exceptions of NFC and 5G connectivity.
However, benchmarks are
synthetic performance tests and rarely tell the whole story – the real-world
performance of a device is equally important. The device’s Snapdragon 732G
processor is definitely an improvement over its predecessor, and games like
Asphalt 9 and Call of Duty: Mobile run flawlessly. The device did get a little
warm after around 20 minutes of gameplay, so you may want to wait for a while
before charging it if you’ve been gaming for over an hour.
While the Redmi Note 10
Pro Max comes in 6GB and 8GB RAM variants, we recommend that users go for the
8GB variant. This is because of Google’s recent decision to allow 64-bit Chrome
to run only on devices that run Android 10 and have at least that much RAM.
Besides, having extra RAM for all your apps and games to remain cached in
memory is always a good thing.
However, even the 6GB
variant is extremely smooth and keeps apps in memory for long enough without
any issues. Switching between open apps is very smooth and there are no lags or
stutters.
MIUI may still be the best
version of Xiaomi's software so far, but we can't wait for the company to roll
out the MIUI 12.5 update so we can reduce the ads and bloatware. (David
Delima/ HT Tech)
Battery life on Redmi
phones has always been way above the competition, thanks in part to Xiaomi’s
aggressive background battery savings. However, the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
surprised us again with over a day and a half of battery life with moderate
use. Charging with the built-in 33W charger is quick, with the phone completing
a full charge in around an hour and ten minutes.
During the launch,
Xiaomi also mentioned that they have built-in a Z-Axis haptic vibration engine
on the device. After using the device for a while, we found that the haptic
feedback was tight and responsive to small gestures like swiping up from the
home screen. It’s a better experience than the one on the Samsung Galaxy A71,
for example, but it isn’t going to beat the one on the iPhone (ah, well).
When it comes to
software, Xiaomi’s MIUI has the same advantages and disadvantages as its
predecessors – there's a lot of bloatware and ads, but the company says you’ll
be able to reduce both of these (including quite a few system apps) with the
arrival of the MIUI 12.5 update later this year. You get all the MIUI related advantages,
such as a dual apps mode, an iOS inspired Control Center, and the built-in app
privacy protection service (for permissions) and “privacy indicators”.
Verdict
It’s almost impossible
to find another device that costs ₹18,999 and delivers such excellent
value for money, but the question arises — if the only difference between the
Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Note 10 Pro Max is the 108 MP primary camera, is it
worth spending ₹3,000 more if you don’t care about taking photos all the
time?
The Redmi Note 10 Pro
has every single feature we have mentioned in the review above, from the screen
to the processor – even the 5020mAh battery is the same.
Should you instead
spend some more money and get the Mi 10i instead of the Redmi Note 10 Pro
Max?
It depends.
The Mi 10i only has an
LCD screen and a slightly smaller battery. Buying a 5G capable phone right now,
when we do not have any 5G networks in the country seems a little premature. By
the time we see 5G network tech rolled out properly in the country, a mid-range
device like the Mi 10i might just feel outdated. However, if you really want to
buy a 5G device, then the Mi10i seems like a better choice.
If you want an
all-round device that has a great design, a vibrant AMOLED display with a high
refresh rate, takes good photos and videos, runs reliably without any stutters
and hiccups, and has great battery life – then the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is
probably the best device you can buy at this price point. If you don’t really
care about the 108MP camera, then the Redmi Note 10 Pro at ₹15,999 is a
far better deal.
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