JOIN USXiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro Max review: All-round performer
Recently, Xiaomi launched the company's brand new iteration of the Redmi Note 10 series in India. It is coming in three models-- a generic Redmi Note 10, standard Redmi Note 10 Pro, and a top-end Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
Last week, we reviewed the Redmi Note 10 and we are ready with the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. The company has beefed up this phone to the tilt. On paper, no rival brand comes close to this Xiaomi phone in terms of specs-to-price ratio. But, does it deliver the goods, let's see.
Design, build quality, and display
Xiaomi's new phone comes with a visually appealing and distinguishable design language over the predecessor. The device not just looks flagship to the eyes, but also offers premium hand-feel.
Our review unit is a Dark Night variant. It has a dark grey-hued shell with a glossy finish and looks lovely in the sunlight. The company is offering Redmi Note 10 Pro Max in two other colours- Vintage Bronze and Glacial Blue. The former is said to be the best-looking model among the lot.
For some, the camera protrusion on the back may not please their eyes, but it's fine for me. The only qualm is that it seems to attract the dust around the frame. But, on the bright side, the company offers a soft and sturdy shell case and this fixes the issue of the bulge and also saves the trouble of cleaning it often.
On the front, it sports a 6.67-inch full HD+ (1080 × 2400p) with super AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, and support HDR10+.
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max has one of the best and brightest display in its class. It supports up to a peak brightness of 1200nits. It offers a really good viewing experience and as you can see the Blue Manakin (Our Planet series on Netflix) on the display, there is accurate colour reproduction including true black shades of the bird's feathers below the beak.
I did not face stress to the eyes during binging the nature documentaries. So, big thumbs up to the Xiaomi team for incorporating a super fine quality display for such a low price.
The screen is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 shield and the on top of that, the company has pre-fitter an additional layer of synthetic guard. This comes in handy for protection against scratches by keys in the pocket.
Also, the device comes with an IP52 rating, meaning the device can survive light rain showers and accidental water splashes. As mention before, the device's retail package also comes with a silicone cover. These protective gears and water-repellant coating ensures the device lasts longer.
On the right side, it features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which doubles up as the power button. It works fantastic and very quick to recognise the finger impression.
Other key features of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max include a 3.5mm audio jack, IR Blaster to control smart devices and stereo speakers (one on top and the other at the base), which by the way, works wonderfully well. It livens up the room when the phone is put max volume.
It also comes with triple slots (nano SIM-1 + nano SIM-2 + microSD) and users never have to compromise on choosing between the second SIM or the extra storage.
Performance
Xiaomi's new Redmi Note 10 Pro Max comes packed with Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G octa-core CPU, Adreno 618 graphics engine, Android 11-based MIUI 12 (new v12.5 coming soon), 6GB/8GB LPDDR4X RAM with 64GB (UFS 2.1)/128GB (UFS 2.2) storage (expandable up to 512GB).
The phone works smoothly without much fuss be it launching apps, switching to other apps, watching videos, playing games. I did not face any issue in this aspect.
For statistical purposes, we ran Geekbench 5.0 performance testing app on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. It scored an impressive 552 and 1,493 points on single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.
Though the phone offers up to 120Hz refresh rate, very few games support it and some prominent ones banned in India. It has limited scope.
But having said that, scrolling on the newsfeed with a high display refresh rate feels really good.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max houses a massive 5,000mAh non-removable cell and it consistently offered more than a day's battery life under normal usage. Even if you indulge in binge-watching videos on the OTT platforms, it can still last a whole day. With the Indian Premier League Cricket tournament 2021 edition just days away, this should serve you well.
Guess what, the device comes with a 33W adaptor along with a Type-C cable. It can fully charge the device in under one and half hours. 60 per cent in under 30 percent. This is another plus point of owning the Xiaomi phone. While companies are taking away the charging brick, Xiaomi is offering them that too for such low MRP is a value addition for the consumer.
Camera
The new Redmi Note 10 Pro Max boasts feature-rich quad-camera module- main 108MP (1/1.52-inch Samsung HM2 sensor with 0.7μm pixel size)+ 8MP 120-degree ultra-wide sensor + 2MP depth + 5MP telemacro camera- with LED flash.
It also supports 4K at 30fps (frames per second), 1080p at 30/60/120fp and 720p at 960fps (slow motion) video recording.
Xiaomi has done a wonderful of optimizing the photography hardware and camera app. It takes fantastic images in all lighting conditions. I am pretty impressed with macro shots, night mode, and portrait mode shots.
The only complaint is the wide-angle shots tend to bend the structures, particularly buildings to accommodate more details in the landscape mode. But, it's fine compared to the rival brands.
On the front, it features a 16MP snapper. Again, here to the camera does a fine job of capturing selfies. It is a bit aggressive in terms of smoothening the skin tone. If you have pimples, the photo app offers Beautify editing tool to clear. That's not it. there are more to adjust jaw bone structure, the shape of the eyes, and more.
There are more value-added features including Clone (you can create double-acting scenes in videos or stills), Dual mode (you can take simultaneous videos from front and rear cameras at the same time), Timelapse, Pro mode, 108MP resolution photos, Panorama, slow motion, Long Exposure, Pro mode, Short Video, Vlog mode, and there are lots more. Young millennials will love Xiaomi's camera app.
Final thoughts
With the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, Xiaomi continues its brand superiority in the mid-range segment. This new phone personifies the company's motto of democratising premium features in affordable models.
It offers a super AMOLED display, supports a 120Hz display refresh rate, amazing design language, and build quality, comes with a massive battery with 33W fast charging capability, a reliable processor and the camera beats every competitor in the sub-Rs 35,000 segments.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max comes in three configurations--6GB + 64GB, 6GB RAM +128GB storage and 8GB + 128GB storage-- Rs 18, 999,Rs 19,999 and Rs 21, 999, respectively.
Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.