Redmi 10C- Best Budget smartphone with one (big) compromise

Xiaomi is known to make excellent hardware for people on a budget. In Bangladesh, however, their market share in this segment has been under pressure as more brands introduced competitive smartphones to stake their claim. 

Xiaomi Bangladesh introduced the Redmi 10C recently, and for the price, it seems like the best device money can buy for its price. Can Xiaomi win back the market share they have been losing with this mostly all-rounded phone? Let us find out.

Display and build quality

Sporting a 6.71 inch 720p IPS LCD water drop notch display, this might turn off the interest of many potential buyers of this device, but works in this device's favour.

A higher resolution screen would have put more stress on the CPU, causing lags and stutters. Hence the 720p display here is a good display with competent performance. However, the bezels and the water drop notch design screams a 2019 design in 2022.

The polycarbonate plastic design and build helps keep the weight of the device down to a manageable 190 grams. 

We advise purchasers to use a protective case as polycarbonate plastic scuffs and scratches the skin quite easily. 

The Redmi 10C also has a 3.5mm stereo headphone port and a triple sim slot where you can insert 2 sims and a micro SD card.

Processor

The hardware that sets the 10C apart is the Snapdragon 680 SOC, which can also be found on Xiaomi's much more expensive Note 11. At this price point, this is the best stable SOC that money can buy. 

To make it even better, the 680 is built on a newer 6nm fabrication process, which will result in better performance, lower heating and better battery efficiency. 

However, for the 5G fans out there, please note this is a 4G chipset. This is by no means a gaming smartphone but you can easily get through with stable frame rates on low to medium settings on optimised games like Call of Duty Mobile. 

Software

This is the weakest link of the Redmi 10C's claim to being the best budget phone: MIUI 13. Do not get us wrong, the MIUI 13 software is far better than its earlier iterations, it is feature-rich. However, as this is the case with all smartphones running MIUI 13, expect a few minor bugs here and there. 

Every device running on MIUI 13 will contain bugs, stutters, and slowdowns over time. The software updates more often than not breaks the user interface and consumer experience as time passes on. 

Another downside in the software department is the fact that in 2022, the 10C is running Android 11 out of the box. This is concerning in terms of its longevity as Redmi phones just get 2 Android version updates with a further year of security updates. 

However, as MIUI is a custom Android UI, it will continue to get the latest MIUI updates (eventually, but when, only Xiaomi knows), so you will not miss out on the latest features on Android smartphones.

The software of the Redmi 10C might be a deal breaker for you if you are looking for a clean interface.

Camera

Sporting a dual-camera at the rear, the highlight is the primary 50mp Samsung JN1 sensor with a pretty useless 2mp Omnivision B10 sensor for depth. The hardware is decent for its price. 

Expect good photos in bright light, but as the light drops or as you move indoors, the camera performance drops. You will need to keep your hands steady to avoid blurry photos. 

The 2.2 aperture 5mp front camera is not great either, as it only manages to take decent photos in natural outdoor lighting, but beyond that, the performance is absolutely disappointing.

Battery and Charging

The Redmi 10C comes with a 5,000mah battery which supports 18W fast charging. Paired with an efficient 6nm Snapdragon 680, and the lower resolution 720p display, this is easily a two day battery life phone. 

At this price, the 18W fast charging is acceptable. The charger in the box charges the phone fully in just over two hours.

Memory Options

Xiaomi Bangladesh offers an option of 4GB RAM, 64GB base variant, and a 4GB RAM, 128GB variant of the 10C. We are disappointed at the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant as it would have been better to offer a 6GB ram option here. 

Another key selling point of the 10C is the type of storage being used here with its UFS 2.2 storage. This is a welcome addition in this price segment as most of the competitors offer the much slower emmc 5.1 storage. 

Should you buy?

If you are looking for a device at this price point with the latest specs and decent performance, this may cater to your needs well. 

It is a well rounded smartphone where it does not excel in any department particularly, but neither is it extremely disappointing considering its price. 

Xiaomi Bangladesh claims this is a device under the "Made in Bangladesh" initiative of theirs. In that regard, it is our view that the price should have been more "affordable".

Price:

4GB+64GB Tk13,999
4GB+128GB Tk14,999

Where to Buy: 

Xiaomi Authorised Stores in Bangladesh

Key Specifications:

Body Dimensions: 169.6 x 76.6 x 8.3 mm (6.68 x 3.02 x 0.33 in)

Weight: 190 g (6.70 oz)

Display: 6.71 inches  IPS LCD 720 x 1650 pixels (~268 ppi density)

OS: Android 11, MIUI 13

Chipset: Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm)

Internal: UFS 2.2 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM (dedicated microSDXC slot)

Main camera: Dual 50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), PDAF

2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)

Battery Type: Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable

Charging: 18W

Colours: Graphite Grey, Ocean Blue, Mint Green