Xiaomi Mi 10i Review: One Fantastic Mid-Range All-Rounder

Xiaomi recently launched the Mi 10i in India as one of newest additions to the sub-Rs 25,000 smartphone segment – a space that was once wooed by the marvelous Redmi K20. On paper, the Mi 10i appears to be the best in its class, complete with an eye-grabbing specifications for a price that’s weird to digest. At its starting price of Rs 20,999, the Mi 10i directly competes with the Motorola Moto G 5G, another phone that I reviewed not a long ago.

The spec sheet is ambitious for a phone of its class. There’s 5G connectivity, a 108-megapixel main camera, a long-lasting battery, and some of the prettiest gradients we have seen on a phone in a while. But is it the ultimate one in its class? Should you buy it blindly based on the claims? What are its pros, and cons? Here’s a brief account of my experience with the phone, touching all the crucial points. For an in-depth review, you can check out the Xiaomi Mi 10i review from BGR India.

Xiaomi Mi 10i review in brief:

-The Mi 10i sticks to Xiaomi’s motto of well-built smartphones with attractive design. There’s a matte glass rear with a trendy circular camera hump. The glass on the rear and camera adheres to Gorilla Glass 5 protection and it resists smudges well. In the Pacific Sunrise variant, the Mi 10i is one of the most handsome looking phones under Rs 25,000. The front, however, looks the same as the more affordable Redmi Note 9 series phones and I wished Xiaomi figured out a way to go with uniform bezels around the display

-Since we are discussing the display, the 6.67-inch LCD display is good enough for content consumption. It pales out in comparison to the AMOLED displays the competition offers but unless you are comparing, this works just right. The 120Hz refresh rate makes for smoother browsing sessions as well as better gameplay experiences.

-The Snapdragon 750G chip inside is currently one of the most capable chips you can find in a midrange affordable Android smartphone. Whether playing resource intensive titles like Call of Duty: Mobile, or dealing with a bunch of those boring office apps simultaneously, the Mi 10i’s Snapdragon 750G chip does not sweat even slightly. Hardcore gamers, however, may still prefer a phone running the slightly superior Snapdragon 765G or the older Snapdragon 855 Plus powered Realme X3.

–MIUI 12 is a different experience in itself and if you love customizing your phone, you might love it. The interface is gracious with all-new UI experience inspired by iOS and Android 11. Xiaomi has replaced some of its core system apps with Google’s alternatives but the overall experience is fairly pleasant. I did not encounter any system-integrated ads but be ready to see a lot of undesired pre-loaded third-party apps and games. Xiaomi lets you uninstall most of them to declutter the phone.

-The combination of this well-optimized MIUI interface, the 8nm Snapdragon 750G chip and the 4820mAh battery makes the Mi 10i a two-day phone easily. Even for hardcore “power” users, the Mi 10i can easily last an entire day. The 33W wired charging system fills up the tank in around an hour. Not much to complain, eh?

Cameras is where the Mi 10i impresses the most. The 108-megapixel main camera is the best you can find in this segment. It excels all other smartphone camera systems in its class with superior details and better exposure controls, although the color tones are slightly saturated. The 108MP mode lets you click with exceptional levels of details, thereby negating the need for a dedicated zoom camera. The ultrawide camera is good enough in daylight only while the macro camera seeks a well-lit ambience to produce useable photos. Portrait mode photos look good from both the front and rear cameras. Selfie addicts will be happy with all the beauty tweaks as well as special effects.

Verdict

Starting at Rs 20,999, the Xiaomi Mi 10i is easily the most polished package I have seen in its class. It isn’t perfect and there are flaws in some key areas, with the MIUI interface playing a key role in purchase decision. Those seeking a cleaner Android experience may prefer the similarly priced Moto G 5G with the same chip under its hood. However, looking at the Mi 10i on the whole, I was impressed with the main camera performance, an amazing battery life with convenient fast charging, a pretty design owing to the Pacific Sunrise gradient, and, not to forget its fairly flawless performance. It is an easy recommendation for most people.

(Amritanshu Mukherjee works for BGR.com and occasionally contributes for India.Com)