Xiaomi sells a myriad of phones beyond its various sub-brands, and more than frequently than not they're very similar devices with only very slight differences in specs. This is the case with Redmi's latest Note 10S, which is only a tweaked version of the standard Annotation ten that nosotros checked out a couple of months dorsum. What that added 'Southward' in the name gets y'all is a MediaTek processor and a higher-res principal photographic camera. But there's much more to the two devices than what Redmi wants us to see.

The two budget phones expect identical on paper. It'south but when y'all use them next that yous get a sense of how much they differ. There's a clear distinction to be made regarding operation and battery life, too every bit in other areas, and the outcomes didn't ever favor the pricier Note 10S.

The aforementioned, only different

Left: Redmi Note 10, Right: Redmi Note 10S.

When it comes to the await and in-hand feel of the 2 phones, in that location'south absolutely no difference betwixt the Note 10 and Note 10S; they share the same dimensions and feel equally lightweight. But their similarities finish right there. Even though the specs sheet says that things like the display and battery capacity match on both devices, functioning is divergent.

Brandish

The screens share the same resolution and tiptop brightness, and they can produce an equal number of colors with 100% DCI-P3 coverage. However, in my day-to-day use, I noticed that both devices handle their brandish controls very differently, showing some visible variance in both screen brightness and color temperature.

At the same brightness level, the Note 10S tends to exist noticeably brighter than the 10. Its auto-brightness levels are also more consistent, despite the fact that both devices have a 360° ambience light sensor. On the standard 10, the screen looked dimmer, and I often institute myself scrubbing the brightness slider to become it right.

Left: Redmi Note 10S,Correct: Redmi Annotation x.

As for the color temperature, the Note 10 also looked slightly warmer than the 10S on the default display contour. You tin can always play with the scale controls to tune it the way yous similar. All the same, that isn't something everyone will be inclined to exercise; they will most likely stick with the stock settings and put up with whatever the display looks like.

I've tried to show both these display quirks in the prototype above, just the departure is much starker in person than what y'all see in the photograph.

Battery life

Just like the displays, both the Notation 10 and 10S go the same battery chapters and charging speeds. But information technology turns out that the latter is slightly less efficient at using up all that juice. I tried to keep my usage on each phone similar to get a fair picture of their existent-globe endurance. By the end of my testing, the Note ten was left with 33% battery, while the battery saver mode was just virtually to kick in on the 10S with simply sixteen% of charge remaining.

Left: Redmi Notation 10S,Right: Redmi Note x.

There could be multiple factors at play here, but I'd put my finger on the MediaTek processor (more on its performance later on) for the 10S's marginally poorer bombardment life. Having said that, the Note 10S still isn't that disappointing every bit it can easily last yous for more than than a day, even with heavy usage. Both phones offering excellent stand-past times that tin extend to multiple days if y'all aren't on your phone all the time.

The real differences

While the higher up differences are minor ones, the Redmi Notation ten and Notation 10S differ more severely on three major points: software, performance, and camera. We'll dive deeper into each of those aspects and try to empathize if it even makes sense to spend a few thou more than on the 10S.

Software

Left: Redmi Note 10S,Right: Redmi Note 10.

The Redmi Notation 10S is the outset telephone, at least in Republic of india, to ship with MIUI 12.five. Among other features, this build is supposed to go rid of all the actress apps that Xiaomi preloads on its phones (read: bloatware). You lot're able to take back control over which apps get to live on your device and which ones need to be kicked out. This was a much-needed motion, and Xiaomi deserves a pat on the back for making it.

Besides that pregnant improvement, you likewise get a few new features hither and in that location, like the new anti-flicker mode. In general, you're unlikely to detect too many differences between the Os versions unless they're pointed out to you. MIUI brings along a bunch of quirks on both phones, merely every bit I said in my review of the Note 10, yous volition likely grow used to them in no fourth dimension.

Considering the standard Note x will eventually go the MIUI 12.5 update (though nosotros don't know when exactly), software shouldn't be your master reason to choice 1 device over the other.

Left: Redmi Note 10S,Right: Redmi Note 10.

General performance & gaming

While software may non be the big gene in your purchasing determination, performance probably should exist. For most mean solar day-to-day apps, both phones perform identically. But as y'all move upwards to more taxing and graphics-intensive apps, the differences between the Annotation 10S'due south Helio G95 and Note 10's Snapdragon 678 go increasingly apparent.

Gaming happens to exist the focus for the Note 10S'south marketing and too for a lot of buyers in this cost bracket. The Mali G76 GPU paired with the Helio G95 does live up to the gaming performance expected from a phone of this kind. The Note 10S was generally faster to load games and have you lot into the action quicker.

Nevertheless, in-game functioning was better with the Snapdragon processor. The Note x should requite you a better overall experience when gaming with fewer stutters and frame drops. It also has the "improve quality" graphics setting in Mod Combat v, which the 10S lacks. Meanwhile, games similar Cobblestone nine and Call of Duty have matching graphics options, but the gameplay is noticeably ameliorate on the Notation x.

The Note 10S tends to run slightly warmer than the Annotation 10, though I wouldn't say information technology'south anywhere nigh the heating issues that older MediaTek processors were prone to. You will exist able to experience the heat increasing around the photographic camera on both phones if you game on for hours, though it's manageable on the Annotation 10. Yet, both phones may have a hard time coping with the harsh Indian summer if your gaming sessions are ordinarily outdoors, more so for the Note 10S.

Photographic camera

Technically, the Note 10S is supposed to have a better master photographic camera array with a college-res 64MP sensor (not the one found on the Note 10 Pro) versus 48MP on the standard Note 10. The megapixel count is usually more of a marketing gimmick for companies than an indicator of the bodily image quality, even so, and I think that's exactly the case here.

Left: Redmi Notation 10S,Correct: Redmi Note 10.

When shooting on auto mode, the biggest difference that I noticed was how the two phones procedure colors. Photos from the Note 10S accept truer-to-life colors, just they feel a scrap muted when compared with the Note 10's results. The colors in the latter'southward images pop, making them feel more pleasing and Instagram-ready without needing whatever tweaks. You can pick which side yous're on, but for me, the Note 10 prevails hither.

Left: Redmi Note 10S,Right: Redmi Note ten.

The Snapdragon model also does a bit ameliorate with the dynamic range in challenging situations. However, there'southward a skilful chance that yous may find the Note 10S in that area performing better if you zoom in on other well-lit images. It's frankly a hit or miss on both phones, and neither of them is fully reliable.

The balance of the sensors on the dorsum and the selfie cam are the same on the two devices. You can head to our review of the Note 10 to acquire more in-depth about its camera features and detect several more photographic camera samples.

First: Redmi Note 10S,Second: Redmi Note 10.

Verdict

The Redmi Note 10S has turned out to be a mixed bag that failed to impress or even justify its higher starting price. It may exist better than the standard Note 10 on certain fronts, just those are very slight improvements that, frankly, I wouldn't have fifty-fifty noticed had I not used both phones side by side. That's particularly true of the display quirks that I came across during my time with the Note 10S.

Redmi recently raised the Note 10's price by ₹yard. While this deceiving post-launch practice is a whole different beast to tackle, the Snapdragon model still makes more sense fifty-fifty at its increased price. You lot'd be better off getting the higher-end 6/128GB variant of the Redmi Note ten instead of the MediaTek-powered Annotation 10S.

Since you're here, it's pretty safe to assume that y'all're looking for something that is able to offering better performance and cameras than the Annotation 10. If that'due south indeed the case, I'd point y'all towards the slightly pricier Redmi Note 10 Pro, which serves as a sweet middle ground betwixt the Notation 10 Pro Max and the Note 10 (I know, all of these names are disruptive).