Introduction
The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro was launched in October alongside the regular Mi 10T. Both devices were selling like hotcakes as they both offer great specs at very competitive prices. In fact, phones like that will usually cost more than RM2.5k. I’ve been using the Mi 10T Pro for a couple of weeks, and in this review, we’ll find out everything you should know before buying this phone.
Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro Specs
- 6.67-inch Full HD+ 144Hz AdaptiveSync TrueColor DotDisplay
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
- Cameras
- Rear: 108MP Samsung HMX main with OIS + 13MP ultra-wide + 5MP macro
- 20MP selfie camera
- 5,000mAh battery with wired 33W fast charge
- MIUI 12 based Android 10
- Colors: Cosmic Black, Lunar Silver, Aurora Blue
Design
The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro’s design is quite conservative, a 20:9 rounded screen on the front with a hole-punch front-facing camera at the top left corner together with that reasonably thick chin at the bottom. The front glass is a Corning Gorilla Glass 5, not the latest GC6, but that’s the price you pay. This is what a normal flagship will look like, nothing much to complain about.
My review unit is the Lunar Silver variant, which has a nice shimmering matte finish on the back. The back is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, just like the front. The back is slightly curved for a more comfortable and secure grip. My main complaint is the huge camera bump housing the triple-camera setup, but the phone doesn’t feel top-heavy.
The phone comes with an IR blaster on the top for you to control your home appliances via the Mi Remote app. The volume rocker and power button are located on the right side, and the power button also doubles as the fingerprint scanner since the in-display fingerprint sensor is not possible on an LCD. I actually prefer having the side fingerprint sensor instead of the in-display one as it is more accurate and responsive. The only problem is whenever you are holding the phone it’ll automatically unlock even if you don’t mean to do so.
The bottom of the phone houses the speaker grille, microphone, USB-C port, and a SIM tray. The phone doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio jack, but it still comes with a dongle in the box. Speaking of the speaker, the Mi 10T Pro actually comes with dual stereo speakers, the earpiece on top of the display also serves as another speaker. Kudos to Xiaomi for doing that!
Display
The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro sports a 6.67-inch Full HD+ 144Hz AdaptiveSync TrueColor DotDisplay. With its high brightness, HDR10+ support, and a 144Hz refresh rate, this is arguably one of the best LCDs on the market. The viewing experience can actually compete with an OLED screen, though it doesn’t have high contrast and deep black levels like an OLED screen. The overall quality is actually good enough. You’ll see the backlight halos around the hole-punch camera, which can be seen with white and bright backgrounds.
As for the AdaptiveSync refresh rate, the phone would adjust the screen’s refresh rate to 30, 48, 50, 60, 90, or 144Hz. It’s good that Xiaomi also allows users to choose the refresh rate between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 144Hz. The higher the refresh rate, the higher the battery consumption. Hence, it’s always better that you have the medium option.
Performance
Powering the Mi 10T Pro is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. It’s a good choice that Xiaomi has decided to use the Snapdragon 865 processor, instead of the Snapdragon 765G like some other manufacturers. We all already know the Snapdragon 865 processor is better than its rivals (except the Apple A13 Bionic chip) when it comes to performance and power efficiency. Everything is just buttery smooth, combining with the 144Hz refresh rate, this phone is just fast!
In terms of gaming, I was able to play Call of Duty: Mobile in “Very High” graphic quality and “Max” frame rate. As for PUBG Mobile, I was able to run “Ultra HD” graphics with “Ultra” frame rate, “HD” and “HDR” graphics with “Extreme” frame rate, and “Smooth” graphics with “90fps” frame rate. If you often game on your phone, this is a good option!
Software
If you ask me what I dislike about this phone, it would be the software. The Mi 10T Pro runs on MIUI 12 based on Android 10. In case you didn’t know, MIUI is a heavily-skinned Android interface. If you prefer stock Android, this is not completely the opposite of it.
The settings are just too messy, I struggled to find certain settings during my review period. Thankfully, it still comes with the search function in the settings. It also has Control Center to access all the quick settings, just like an iPhone. You can always change to the original one if you prefer it to be more like an Android phone.
Thankfully, MIUI now also comes with an app drawer. No more putting all the apps on your homescreen like an iPhone, something that what the MIUI is well-known for. Most pre-installed apps can be uninstalled, but it’s annoying to see duplicate apps like the Mi Browser and others.
The recent apps’ interface remains the same as the previous version of MIUI. Not really a fan of it, I think Xiaomi is trying a little bit too hard to make its MIUI to be different from other UIs. If you are not familiar with MIUI, you’ll need time to get used to it.
Camera
The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro has a triple-camera setup on the back — 108MP Samsung HMX main with OIS + 13MP ultra-wide + 5MP macro. These are the useful cameras, at least Xiaomi didn’t put a depth sensor just to make up the camera numbering game. Selfie wise, it has a 20MP front-facing camera. Due to the nature of its 4-in-1 pixel binning technology, the phone takes 27MP stills by default, you can still switch to the 108MP mode though. Its main sensor pixel size is 1.6µm, aided by a large f/1.69 aperture and OIS.
Image quality generally is quite good for a phone at this price tag, but it’s still not the flagship level. The main issue with its main camera was the edges around the photo are quite soft in detail, it’s quite noticeable when you are taking a close-up shot. The autofocus macro camera came in handy to resolve this issue, even though it’s only 5MP.
Shooting in 108MP mode won’t actually gain in detail, but the white balance often turns out to be slightly warmer. Just like many other phones, I don’t actually see a reason shooting in 108MP mode. Night mode performs quite well on the main camera, it’s a mediocre performance for the ultra-wide lens. Click here to see all the camera samples.
Battery Life
The Mi 10T Pro packs a 5,000mAh battery with 33w fast charging support. Nope, you don’t get wireless charging on this phone, guess it’s also one of the compromises for saving the cost. It has a great battery life! Based on my usage, I was able to get through a day easily with around 70% of battery to spare. In fact, I charge this phone once in two days. The AdaptiveSync tech works pretty well as enabling the 144Hz refresh rate won’t really consume too much battery. Speaking of charging, the phone charges to full in less than an hour, it is also compatible with the Power Delivery 3.0 standard.
Final Words
Retailing at just RM1,999, the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is really a go-to phone for most people. It comes with a silver ion antibacterial case, which can eliminate more than 99% of the bacteria. If you don’t mind having a lower-res main camera and less storage, you can just get the Mi 10T at a lower price (RM1,699). I think Xiaomi has nailed it this time, this phone is the new “flagship killer”. True, it has a few compromises here and there, such as USB 2.0 transfer speed, no wireless charging, no IP68 rating, and many more, but you don’t really need most of the features. Oh yeah, did I mention its vibration motor? Its vibration motor is pretty good, definitely close to the flagship level. This time around with the Mi 10T Pro, Xiaomi kept the essential stuff — impressive screen, great performance, decent camera, and long-lasting battery life. If only it has a better software experience, this could be the best all-around smartphone.
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