Smartphones

Redmi 10A: test and review

Published on: 20-09-2022 / Modified: 15-04-2023

We will no doubt remember the year 2022 as a historic year because of the level of inflation and the impact on the daily lives of a large majority of the population. While some wonder how they will pay their electricity bill, the new iPhone costing more than 1000€ is a hit. Fortunately, some brands continue to offer smartphones at an affordable price, Redmi has not forgotten you by launching its new generation of entry-level phones with the Redmi 10A.

The A range and the C range at Redmi represent the entry level in its simplest form, so they are complete phones but limited in performance and not having all the latest advances technologies. So I know in advance that this phone will come in at the bottom of my ranking on most criteria but that doesn't mean it's a bad phone. This phone will undoubtedly find an audience among those who do not want all the new features and it is to this audience that this test is aimed.

Manufacturer web site:

https://www.mi.com

Site where I have bought the Redmi 10A:
https://s.zbanx.com/...

Structure of my tests

I test the phones according to a pre-established structure (see below) to provide you with as much information as possible. Unfortunately, this takes a long time. Some tests like network performance tests take several days and for photo tests I sometimes have to wait until the weather is suitable to take pictures in good conditions. I am therefore obliged to publish the tests step by step, so I invite you to come back if the test is not complete at the time of your visit.

Price Redmi 10A

The list below shows the prices for the Redmi 10A from more than 50 sites around the world. If you are not satisfied with any price, you can subscribe to a price alert to be the first to be notified when the price drops.

The above links are affiliate links from companies such as Amazon, Gearbest, Aliexpress,... If you appreciate my work, I would be grateful if you could purchase these products through these links. It costs you absolutely nothing but I get a small commission that allows me to buy the material I test. Thank you very much!

Timeline

September 14, 2022: purchase of the Redmi 10A on Goboo.com on sale and using the promo code ZBANX99 to get it for €100
September 20, 2022: receipt of the package, the test can begin

Why this phone?

When I started testing smartphones, Xiaomi/Redmi only launched about ten phones a year, so I could buy them all and test them. Today, I no longer have the possibility of buying everything because the Xiaomi group (with the brands Mi, Redmi, Poco, Black Shark) markets too many phones. I therefore have to make choices and given the economic situation in which we find ourselves, I opted for the cheapest phone in their range. I had already tested the Redmi 9A and 9C a few years ago and these phones are still enjoying some success, so this new Redmi 10A will probably follow the same path.

The Redmi 10A is not a technological curiosity, it does not bring anything new but it offers a simple and complete smartphone at a lower price than other models. It is therefore not its characteristics that attracted me, I rather see this test as a free public service test to help those looking for a cheap phone to make their choice.

Unpacking

The Redmi 10A is packaged in a box similar to other boxes of the Redmi brand, nothing indicates that it is an entry-level phone. Inside we find the phone, a charger, a cable and a manual. There is no silicone protection like on the other models and the screen is also not protected by a plastic film. The box therefore contains the bare minimum.

First configuration

The Redmi 10A is released with MIUI 12.5 and the boot phase is no different from what I have seen on other phones. I was even quite surprised not to see any differences because since my test of the Redmi 9A, MIUI has evolved a lot and I expected to find a slimmed down version of MIUI so that the phone would not be too penalized by its lack of performance . I will see with use if Xiaomi has made a good choice.

Finish

I have already repeated several times that this phone is an entry level phone, I think you have understood the message but it is not directly visible on its level of finish. Yes, if you are used to using more expensive phones, you will notice here and there some clues such as the presence of thick borders around the screen or the selfie sensor in the form of a drop, it has been a long time that I hadn't seen that. The screen still has a nice size with its 6.53 inches.

The back of the phone is quite neutral, it is 100% plastic but it does not deform to the touch and the lined texture allows a good grip, this phone will therefore not quickly slip out of your hands. The photo block is clearly visible but quite well integrated because it does not protrude from the back of the phone by more than one or two millimeters.

The camera is integrated in a black block a bit like on some models from Poco but here the photo block is really reduced to a minimum. This black block also contains the fingerprint sensor and it's a rather curious choice because it positions the fingerprint sensor in a very unusual place, it takes a bit of fumbling to find it and the sensor is quite small.

On the upper part, there is only a jack-type headphone audio output.

On the lower part we find the only speaker, a sound sensor and a micro-usb port! It had been years since I had seen a phone with a micro usb port and I do not understand this choice because I do not think that using this type of USB port is more economical than a usb type c port unless you've reused components from an old phone to save money.

On the left side, we find the sim drawer which can accommodate 2 sim cards and a memory card, the drawer is therefore quite long.

The volume and power buttons are in the usual place, here too it's 100% plastic but it's not shocking, it's the same with the rest of the phone.

The Redmi 10A has a fairly simple design that uses a very classic format, a 100% plastic but correct finish, a large screen for an entry-level phone. All the ingredients are there to satisfy an audience looking for a cheap smartphone without having to make too big a sacrifice on the finishes.

Specifications

The information below comes from the Device Info HW application. The application provides detailed technical information about the tested phone. I tested the 2Gb / 32 Gb version, it's the cheapest version but it is possible to go up to 4Gb for RAM and 128 Gb for storage. I have taken all the characteristics of the phone in the following screens, there is obviously nothing exceptional but I will come back to certain points later in this test.

CPU / GPU Performance

The Redmi 10A uses a Mediatek MT6762G CPU and a PowerVR Rogue GE8320 GPU, it's pretty much the same configuration as the Redmi 9A launched 3 years ago, so Redmi didn't try to reinvent itself. They took over old hardware, changed the exterior appearance and increased the price. We can therefore question this choice and wonder if it is better not to buy a Redmi 9A but I let you judge what suits you best. From a performance point of view, they are the same phones and most of the other components are strictly the same.

Benchmark Antutu/3DMark

The Redmi 10A is not a performance-oriented phone, so I was not surprised to obtain a score of 85928 points with Antutu, it is especially in the graphics part that this phone has more significant weaknesses. This phone is therefore not going to be the ideal candidate for playing 3D games.

Gaming

To test the performance in game, I download the mobile PUBG game and evaluate the in-game experience, graphics level and depth of vision. This game is quite demanding and should help you evaluating the performance of a phone. I tested PUBG Mobile on the Redmi 10A and although the game starts without issue, the experience is far from optimal. The low performance of the phone made capturing video during the game quite complicated because the recording of the video affected the performance in game. The level of graphics is at a minimum, the game is not smooth at all and we feel that the phone was not designed for that. Small bubble breaker type games should however work without problems.

Network performance

The Redmi 10A offers fairly average frequency coverage for 4G, most frequencies used in Europe are compatible (even the B28) but it is not a global phone, it lacks a few frequencies to be used everywhere.

Signal 4G (from December 2020)

I decided to change the methodology for measuring the network because I noticed that the configuration of the mobile network changes over time. This makes it more difficult to compare phones because the conditions are no longer exactly the same.

To overcome this problem, I set up a device that captures 24 hours a day about ten parameters from the mobile network (ex: cell id, rssi, rsrq, snr, frequency,...). I then place the phone next to the device for 24 to 48 hours taking the same measurements so that I can compare them.

Overview of the phones tested with this methodology

I made 751 measurements in 4G to measure the network sensitivity of this phone and I expected to obtain a positive result because it is often the case with simple phones but unfortunately it is not the case. I got an average signal of -97.97 dBm with the phone while I got a signal above 0.90 dBm with the probe, so the deviation is very large and indicates that this phone will lose contact with the network more quickly when the signal is weak.

Download/Upload speed

To test the download speed, I have identified some 4G cells offering good performance where I test all my devices several times to see what download and upload speed they can achieve.

Wifi performance

To test a phone's ability to receive the network properly, I take measurements near my router and then remotely (and always at the same place). This gives me an average in dBm where a value of -90 dBm indicates poorer performance than a value at -30 dBm.

Wifi signal

I got an average signal of -17dBm near the router, I had gotten the same signal level with the Redmi 9A. This is a good level of wifi sensitivity. From a distance I measured an average signal of -56 dBm, this is also a good signal level. Sensitivity to wifi is therefore good but beware, this phone does not seem to want to work with the 5Ghz frequency, I only detected wifi access in 2.4Ghz. This will therefore limit the download speed.

Download/Upload speed

To test the speed in Wifi, I connect to my router in 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz (if available) and use the Ookla application to measure the speed.

GPS performance

To test the accuracy of the GPS signal, I use two positioning applications to evaluate the difference between the actual position and the position indicated by the phone. This test is done outdoors with nothing to obstruct the signal. An accuracy level of up to 3 meters can easily be corrected by an application (e.g. Google Maps).

This phone is equipped with a Mediatek GPS chip and this usually results in a good level of precision, I obtained here a level of precision at 1 meter like the Redmi 9A but beware this level of precision is assisted. I compared my real position with my position on a map and the level of accuracy is more like 3 to 4 meters when the GPS application does not have landmarks like a street to improve the detected position.

Battery range

To test battery life I developed an application that measures the battery level minute by minute until the battery is empty. This application consumes about ten percent of the phone's resources and I do a test with 100 brightness. This test aims to reproduce a contemplative use of a phone (e.g. surfing the internet, reading articles, spending time on social networks). These results are not valid for intensive gaming/streaming use.

The Redmi 10a has a 5000mAh battery, it's the same battery as the previous model and I get pretty much the same results. I got 682 minutes of battery life with the screen on at maximum and 1820 minutes of battery life with the screen on at 50%. There is a big difference between the different levels of brightness, so the screen does not have a linear consumption because at 100% it consumes 3 times more than at 50%.

Autonomy with 50% brightness is excellent, this phone is in the top 5 among those I tested.

The charging time is on the other hand quite long, it took me more than 160 minutes to charge the phone from 4% to 100%. We cannot therefore speak of fast charging. It takes 25 minutes to reach 20% and the last 20 percent is very slow because it takes more than 50 minutes to go from 80 to 100%. It takes about 2 hours to charge the phone from 0 to 80%.

Energy performance

Given the low performance of this phone, I expected to get good energy performance and it is indeed the case. The processor and the graphics chip consume very little power and when pushed to the limit, it does not consume more than one Watt. The average temperature of the phone also remains very low, I only noticed a fluctuation of a few degrees during my load test.

Photo camera test

To test the quality of photos produced by a phone, I do a technical test (resolution, sharpness, chromatic aberration,...) in studio (identical conditions) to evaluate the technical part objectively. From the second half of 2020, I built my own laboratory to take completely objective technical measurements. I then take pictures in real conditions to see how the camera performs. I then evaluate these photos according to my criteria but I publish the photos so that you can evaluate the result according to your criteria.

Hardware

Not yet available / tested

Photo quality

Photo quality (indoor/studio)

The studio test is carried out under the same conditions so that the results can be compared on an equal basis. I calibrate my lighting for each test to obtain the same brightness and colour temperature. This test is a preliminary analysis of the technical qualities of a camera. Most phones fail this test, so you should also read the results of the other tests in the following paragraphs.

The main sensor of the Redmi 10A is a Galaxy Core, I think it's the same sensor as the Redmi 9A and I don't think I've tested it on another phone. This sensor is an ultra basic sensor but it still delivers a level of photos that is quite correct for this price level. In controlled conditions such as the studio, the exposure level is quite good, the color reproduction is not super faithful but not catastrophic either, the level of sharpness is good and I don't see any major degradation. The Redmi 10A is clearly not the phone of the year for photos but as with the Redmi 9A, I expected worse.

I was not yet doing the test with the banknotes when I tested the Redmi 9A but I would have probably obtained the same result. The sharpness of the photos is really good for an entry-level phone and this sharpness does not degrade too much at the periphery.

Photo: technical test

I was inspired by industrial technical tests to create my own technical test to evaluate the technical quality of a camera. This test is an objective assessment of a camera's ability to render a scene correctly.

I test the following elements:
- centre sharpness, peripheral sharpness
- colour fidelity based on 24 reference colours
- level of chromatic aberration
- dynamic range (ability to capture dark and light areas without loss)
- distortion

The technical evaluation may differ from the subjective evaluation as the feeling of a photo will be influenced by the processing provided by each manufacturer.

Outdoor photo quality

The Redmi 10A uses the same photo sensor as the Redmi 9A, it is a 13 million pixel Hynix 1337. When I tested the Redmi 9A, I found that this sensor produced photos of acceptable quality for a phone in this price range. This is still the case but obviously the world of smartphones has evolved a lot, prices too, this photo sensor is therefore falling behind without producing photos of catastrophic quality.

This photo was taken at the end of the afternoon in December, the luminosity was not very important, the sun was partially hidden by a cloudy veil. If you look at this photo on a phone screen or a PC screen with a resolution lower than 2k, you will probably find that this photo is not that bad and you are right. If I analyze the photo, I'll find heaps of faults but for an entry-level phone, it's quite correct.

This photo is more complicated for a camera because there is a very large gap between the dark areas and the light areas. The Redmi 10A loses detail in dark areas but it's still quite acceptable and even if the dynamic range is not extraordinary, I find again that this Redmi 10A is doing very well.

When you buy a phone at this price I imagine you don't expect to get a high end camera so I would say the quality of the photos is in line with its price positioning and I would add that many more expensive brands are not able to do better.

Test photo / night

This phone is not designed to take pictures at night, it is not able to capture enough light and apply processing to improve exposure.

Video quality

Stabilisation

Video stabilization is non-existent, so movements are not damped and if you make videos while walking, you may get seasick when watching the videos again afterwards. This is again completely normal and predictable in this price range.

Video normale conditions

The Redmi 10A is limited to 1080p resolution at 30fps like many phones in this price range. The defects noted for the photo part are amplified on the videos because the phone must be able to process more information and it must do it faster. This phone is not very powerful and it shows in the processing of video. Movements are jerky, focus is unstable, exposure jumps are visible. These elements are much less visible on more powerful phones. You can reduce this problem by taking more static videos (without significant movements) and without too large differences in brightness.

The video is therefore not of very good quality but it was perfectly predictable by reading the technical characteristics of the phone.

Video low light

This phone already struggles to produce quality video in normal conditions, at night the result is terrible, so you have to forget about this kind of use with the Redmi 10A.

External audio quality

This test is intended to give you an overview of the volume and sound quality during calls and when listening to music through the external speakers.

Not yet available / tested

Audio quality (headphones)

To test the quality of the phone's audio output, I connect the device's audio output to a measuring tool, then play sounds on all frequencies and measure the differences between the original sound and the sound produced by the phone. In this way I measure the phone's ability to correctly reproduce all sounds.

Not yet available / tested

Screen quality

To test the screen, I use a colorimetric probe that measures the color accuracy of a screen, as well as other parameters to see if a screen is able to correctly reproduce an image. I also test the brightness level to determine if the screen will be able to display an image in full sunlight.

Colorimetry

I didn't expect to measure good colorimetry on this phone, but I was pleasantly surprised anyway. Basic settings aren't the best, as usual with Xiaomi, but after switching the screen to standard color mode, I got a dE of 3.03. It's clearly not the best phone for colorimetry but in this price level, it's really a good score. The white is a little too warm which gives a slightly yellow look to the photos but an untrained eye will probably not see it.

Brightness / Contrast

I measured a peak brightness of 427 cd/m² using sun mode and flooding the sensor with light. That's not a bad score, so you'll be able to use this phone in daylight but on very sunny days you might need to change the orientation of the screen to get better readability.

I measured a contrast ratio of 1541:1, which is a good score for this type of screen (LCD IPS). The screen settings are a bit better than the previous version but the contrast is a bit lower.

Biometry

Not yet available / tested

Operating system

The Redmi 10A runs on MIUI 12.5 and I was wondering if this was going to become problematic for such an underperforming phone. Unfortunately I find that the lack of performance is felt more on this phone than the Redmi 9A which ran on an earlier and lighter version of MIUI. The phone is quite slow in most day-to-day operations like accessing the app list, calling the keyboard, switching to another screen. If you are used to using more powerful phones, you will need some time to adapt. This obviously does not prevent using the phone but it is better to know before buying it.

Encoutered bugs

Not yet available / tested

Accessories Redmi 10A

Compare Redmi 10A with the others

Test / Review conclusion

Not yet available / tested

Strengths

Not yet available / tested

Weaknesses

Not yet available / tested

Alternatives to this product

Not yet available / tested

LAURENT WILLEN
Head of myself on this blog

I share my passions on my blog in my free time since 2006, I prefer that to watching nonsense on TV or on social networks. I work alone, I am undoubtedly one of the last survivors of the world of blogs and personal sites.

My speciality? Digital in all its forms. I have spent the last 25 years working for multinationals where I managed digital teams and generated revenues of over €500 million per year. I have expertise in telecoms, media, aviation, travel and tourism.