The 2020 lineup of Xiaomi Mi 10T series comes in three different models. Our review model is the Mi 10T 5G, the mid-range version.
The Mi 10T 5G comes in a premium glass-aluminum design, completely different from previous Xiaomi or Redmi devices, but a similar one to other smartphones from 2020.
Some highlights of the Mi 10T 5G include a 6.67 inch 144Hz IPS LCD panel with FHD+ resolution and HDR10+ support, a main 64MP camera that supports 8K video recording, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset with 5G support, 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128 UFS 3.1 storage and a 5,000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
Moving to the cameras, the selfie has a 20 MP sensor, and a triple setup at the back – a main 64MP sensor with Phase detection AF (no OIS unfortunately), joined by a 13MP ultrawide camera and a 5MP macro camera with autofocus. As for connectivity, the Mi 10T packs IR, Bluetooth 5.1, 4G and 5G, dual SIM slots, GPS, NFC and a USB-C 2.0 port.
Specifications
| DIMENSIONS: | 165.1 x 76.4 x 9.3 mm |
|---|---|
| WEIGHT: | 216 g |
| BATTERY SIZE: | 5,000 mAh |
| SCREEN SIZE: | 6.67 in |
| DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY: | 144Hz 6.67″ DotDisplay 2400 x 1080 FHD+ NTSC 96% (typ), DCI-P3 98% (typ) 500 nits (typ), 650 nits max brightness (typ) HDR10 Contrast ratio: 1500:1 (typ) |
| SCREEN: | 1080 x 2400 pixels (395 ppi) |
| FRONT CAMERA: | 20 megapixels |
| REAR CAMERA: | 64 MP, f/1.89, 26mm (wide), 1/1.17″, 0.8µm, AF 13 MP, f/2.4, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro), 1.12µm, AF |
| ANDROID VERSION: | 10 |
| USER INTERFACE: | MIUI12 |
| RAM: | 8 GB |
| INTERNAL STORAGE: | 128 GB |
| REMOVABLE STORAGE: | None |
| CHIPSET: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Qualcomm Kryo 585 Octa-core CPU, up to 2.84 GHz Qualcomm Adreno 650 GPU X55 modem |
| NUMBER OF CORES: | 8 |
| MAX. CLOCK SPEED: | 2.84 GHz |
| CONNECTIVITY: | 5G, Dual-SIM |
The model we’ve received for review is the Mi 10T Lunar Grey model
Packaging
The Mi 10T comes in a white cardboard box with the phone and accessories well protected in different compartments.
The box includes:
- The Mi 10T phone itself
- A plastic back cover
- 33W Fast-charging Adapter with the cable
- SIM tool
- Warranty and user guide
- USB-C to 3.5mm adapter
Design & Build
The Mi 10T sports a completely new design compared to last-gen Mi and Redmi models and is made of high-quality materials. The body is made of aluminum and has Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, it feels solid and well-built during use.
Measuring 165.1 x 76.4 x 9.3 mm, a weight of 216g and a 6.67-inch screen, this is a large phone; but the weight is well distributed and the device is pretty comfortable to use. However, if you are looking for a smartphone that is comfortable to use with one hand, this is not the device for you.
The Mi 10T comes in three colors – Cosmic Black, Lunar Silver, Aurora Blue. Our review model is the Lunar Silver.
There are no buttons on the left side of the phone. On the right are the volume up/down and power button. The fingerprint sensor is not embedded in the screen or at the back, but directly on the power button on the side and is very fast to recognize and unlock.
At the bottom is the USB-C 2.0 port for charging and can also be used for audio with the included 3.5mm adapter. Unfortunately, Mi 10T 5G does not meet any water or dust resistance standards, it’s just simply splash proof as advertised by the company.
Display
The Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G comes with a 6.67-inch IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 1080 × 2400 pixels, and a 144Hz adaptive refresh rate. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and the front camera built directly into the screen.
The display quality is great with HDR10+ support, high brightness (up to 650 nits), covering 96% of the NTSC color gamut and 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. While the display is IPS, the colors are well-calibrated and vivid with wide viewing angles and the 144hz refresh rate makes animations looks smoother and faster.
Connectivity
As the name suggests, the Mi 10T is a 5G phone and supports dual nano SIM’s. In terms of connectivity, it supports IR, WiFi 6, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC and GPS. The Mi 10T doesn’t have a 3.5 mm audio jack, but comes with a USB-C adapter in the box.
The first SIM slot can be used for 5G or 4G, while the second SIM slot is limited to 4G connection. Phone calls are loud and clear and Wi-Fi 6 & 5G speeds are excellent.
Performance
Mi 10T features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor, Adreno 619 GPU, 8GB of RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 internal memory.
While snapdragon 865 is not Qualcomm’s most powerful chip, it is powerful enough as a daily phone, performance is great with no visible delay or lags. When gaming, the Mi 10T runs all titles set no matter how demanding it may be, without any problems.
Camera
The Mi 10T 5G has a triple camera setup with the main camera able to shoot videos up to 8K resolution.
The 64MP main camera uses a Sony IMX682 sensor with a f/1.9 aperture and 10x digital zoom but lacks OIS. The photos produce good colors and well-rendered details.
The second 13MP ultra-wide camera produces images with a more dramatic look, without sacrificing too much detail.
The third camera has a 5MP macro lens for short-distance shooting. It comes with autofocus and works great for shooting macros compared to other phones in its price range. There is also an AI mode which improves color quality.
In low light conditions, the main camera of the Mi 10T is the only one that can take advantage of the special Night mode and their performance is impressive. The photos have good levels of detail, with very good color rendering. The dynamic range is slightly reduced compared to the photos during the day, but the difference is not significant.
The 20MP Portrait and selfie camera images of Mi 10T are good, the beauty mode sometimes makes the skin look unnatural but overall quality tends to be sharp and natural.
OS
The Mi 10T comes with MIUI12 – a skinned version of Android 10. The phone comes with a handful of third-party apps preinstalled, all if which can be uninstalled. Besides the of the new control center design, the interface has not changed too much and is highly customizable. The most noticeable change of MIUI 12 is the navigation gesture that has been changed to resemble Google’s native gesture on Android 10.
Battery
The phone comes with a large 5000mAh battery, which can easily last 2 days of use. As for charging, Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G comes with a 33W power charger, which will take the phone from 0 to 100% in about an hour and 10 minutes.
Audio
In terms of audio, the Mi 10T has dual stereo speakers, one each on the top and bottom edges. The sound is loud and quite detailed although there is a lack of bass. The microphones also offer very good audio quality during calls.
Verdict
The Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G offers very good performance, a good display and battery life, fast charging, stereo sound and a powerful camera setup all for half the price of a flagship smartphone.
It is one of the cheapest smartphones with a Snapdragon 865 with 5G support and a 144Hz display and is great for its price with some minor drawbacks but is otherwise excellent.
