Review: Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro – successor not better on all fronts

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro – design

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is a bit bigger than the predecessor, but still feels surprisingly well in the hand. The design is quite different. The cameras on the back are no longer in the top center, but on the top left. The camera island is quite large and sticks out quite a bit, even with the supplied case. The device has an aluminum frame with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back.

At the back, the corners slope towards the screen. This bulge on the sides ensures that the device fits very well in the hand. At the bottom we find the USB-C connection for your charger. On the right you will find the volume buttons and also the on / off button. The latter also serves as a fingerprint sensor to unlock the device. The design does not seem to have been spared, because the device looks very premium and feels sturdy. With a weight of 218 grams, it is a bit on the heavy side.

Display

Xiaomi is very proud of the display with a refresh rate of no less than 144 Hz. This allows you to scroll much more smoothly through your social media feeds and your favorite websites. The AdaptiveSync display automatically adjusts the refresh rate to what is shown on the screen. This way you watch your favorite movie in 48Hz, but you can play games again with the smooth experience of 144Hz.

Is this new step forward with 144Hz really visible to the naked eye? The answer to that is yes if you compare it to 90Hz, but whether you really need it is the question. I personally don’t see any difference between 120Hz and 144Hz. What is less good news for many users compared to the predecessor is that we are dealing here with an LCD screen. The Mi 9T series amoled screen is over and we are back to LCD. That is a step back and that is a shame with a device that is put on the market a lot more expensive. The 6.67-inch AdaptiveSync TrueColor display isn’t a bad LCD screen. Colors are clear with a wide range and you can see that especially when looking at your photos.

Connectivity

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is ready for 5g and all other modern connectivity options are also present. Wifi 6 is supported, as is Dual Sim, bluetooth and NFC. Unfortunately, the 3.5mm headphone jack is missing on this successor. This was still present on the Mi 9T series. Charging can be done via the USB-C connection at the bottom of the device. In the box you will find an adapter to connect your 3.5mm earbuds.

Furthermore, the fingerprint sensor in this successor is no longer incorporated in the screen. It has been moved to the power button on the right side of the device. It must be said that this fingerprint sensor works quickly and accurately. Face unlocking is also possible. Incidentally, you cannot expand the storage memory with a micro-SD card.

Speakers

A welcome change to this successor are the excellent Dual Speakers. The sound is therefore fine for a smartphone. Sounds are clear without distortion and the sound can be quite loud too. The device has an identical speaker on both the top and bottom, so that you can be sucked into your favorite entertainment through the Dual Speakers. The speakers are therefore a significant improvement, because they were not very impressive with the Mi 9T series.

Cameras

Xiaomi is taking a big step forward with the cameras on this device. The main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) impresses in particular. At the back of the device, this main camera immediately stands out because it is twice as large as the other camera sensors. The bright sensor is fast and is therefore able to deliver excellent results even in an environment with less light. The pleasant camera app also helps with this. In this clear environment you can really access all functions with one or two presses. You have a standard photo mode, portrait mode, video mode and Pro mode directly at your disposal. Via the button ‘More’ you can find options such as panorama, night, time-lapse or slow motion. At the top, you can easily switch on functions such as the flash, HDR or AI mode.

The main 108 megapixel camera with 4-in-1 Super Pixel combines four pixels into one for better results. For those who want to, however, can also shoot photos in 108 megapixels. If we’re honest, 108 megapixels is of course quite an exaggeration. More megapixels don’t automatically mean better photos. The Sony Xperia 1 II showed that you can also take very good photos with a maximum of twelve megapixels. Nevertheless, this 108 megapixel has an advantage and that is in the field of zoom. The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro does not have a dedicated zoom lens, but you can still zoom in up to 30 times. Zooming up to five times produces excellent results. Ten times zoom can also produce a great picture under the right conditions, but above that it quickly becomes one blurry whole.

Still, the main camera is a big step forward compared to the predecessor and knows how to measure itself against much more expensive devices. Photos are clear, sharp and show a lot of detail. The HDR function knows how to take beautiful photos, but can quickly exaggerate. The same applies to the AI ​​function, which makes photos appear flashy, but the natural colors are quickly thrown overboard. Fortunately, you are free to turn these options on or off. The main camera is what really impresses on this device, but it is not perfect. If you zoom in on a photo taken, unfortunately some details are missing that we do not expect. If you photograph an animal, you will soon no longer be able to see the individual hairs, but unfortunately it becomes a blurry whole. This is especially true for very bright conditions, because if it is a bit darker, this detail is captured much better. However, the camera must be able to capture this detail, so let’s hope a software update can improve this.

Where the main camera shoots great photos in most situations, this is less for the ultra-wide-angle lens. Actually, this lens is quite unnecessary, because the standard main camera already shoots at a very wide angle and takes better photos. The ultra-wide angle lens is less bright and we see that immediately in conditions with less light. This lens is sufficient under normal conditions, but clearly falls behind the main camera.

The macro lens is a nice addition and works well. You can get subjects very close and can achieve good results with sufficient light. I am less satisfied with the selfie camera on the front. The hole in the display is very small, which is of course handy because the display is hardly obstructed by it. However, this small sensor quickly has difficulty with low light and therefore only delivers reasonable performance outside. Indoors in artificial light, a photo immediately produces a lot of noise.

Another feature that Xiaomi is very proud of are the 8k videos that you can make with this device. Videos are generally good, but the point is beyond me. The device has a Full HD + resolution and hardly anyone has an 8k television at home. Fortunately, you can also make videos in full hd and 4k (both 30fps and 60fps).

The cameras also have many extra functions on board to make the most fantastic creations. Distortions can be automatically corrected, the volume buttons can be used as a shutter, there is a burst mode to capture moving objects well. You can spend hours trying out all the various options. Because of the many possibilities, you can go in many directions with this camera, making the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro a real camera monster.

Battery life

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro comes with a large battery of 5,000 mAh on board. That’s nice, because a device with a higher refresh rate always requires more energy than a device with a display at 60Hz. Still, you can get through the day with this and probably also a large part of the following day. You will receive a 33W fast charger, so that the device is recharged quickly. Wireless charging is also supported up to 33W.

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro – software

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro comes with MIUI 12 which is based on Android 10 . MIUI has greatly improved in recent years and has become much clearer. Superfluous functions have been thrown out and it is nice to see that a Google Discover feed is now possible if you scroll to the left page from the home screen. Yet we do see some errors in the translation here and there, but for that you have to dive deeper into the settings. Everything is fine on the surface. It is a pity that there are a lot of pre-installed apps available. Fortunately, you can remove it immediately.

However, MIUI 12 has one major drawback and that is the use of advertisements in the Xiaomi apps. Immediately at the first start, you will receive the message whether you want to receive personalized advertisements. If you choose ‘No’, you will still see advertisements. Ultimately, you have to manually turn off the advertisements (Xiaomi calls it ‘recommendations’) via every Xiaomi app and it takes a long time. Xiaomi always tries to keep the price of smartphones low and then comes with a function such as advertisements to further earn something, but on a device of at least 599 euros, nobody is waiting for advertisements?

Once turned off, however, you do have a decent software dispute. Updates from Xiaomi are generally reasonably on time, although an error can still crop up every now and then. Still, MIUI 12 is a nice software shell. You can adjust many things to your liking and that is always nice, but turn off those advertisements as soon as possible.

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro – in use

I have been using the device for some time now and the first day I was somewhat disappointed. I own the predecessor myself and this was just a very solid device with an excellent price-quality ratio. The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is many times more expensive and has an LCD screen. The fingerprint sensor under the screen is also missing. As the successor to the Xiaomi Mi 9T (Pro), Xiaomi makes strange choices. In terms of name, this is the successor, but no further comparison can be made.

Nevertheless, that feeling changed over time. The device still has a lot to offer. This time, the device really has a premium design that is certainly not inferior to smartphones that are twice as expensive. It is on the heavy side, but feels great in the hand. The display may be a step back, but it manages to offer a smooth experience due to the refresh rate of 144 Hz. Colors of your photos in particular still come into their own quite well. It’s not a top screen, but it does the job. However, the speakers are fine, which is always nice while gaming or watching your favorite movie or series.

The best thing about this device are the extensive camera options in the field of photo and film. The main camera with large sensor generally does a fantastic job for a device in this price category and can also compete with much more expensive devices. For the hobby photographer who also wants to have many camera options at his or her disposal with a smartphone, this device is an excellent choice. Still, there are better alternatives available in this price category. Consider, for example, the OnePlus 8 , but Xiaomi itself with the Mi 10 may be a better alternative.

Performance

We can be brief about the performance, because they are perfectly fine. The Snapdragon 865 is very fast and will be able to handle all the tasks you give the device. You can easily play the latest games on this device. 8 GB of RAM is also sufficient to run multiple programs and windows side by side. The storage memory is admittedly a bit on the scant side, so we recommend taking the 256 GB version.

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro – conclusion

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is a bit of a strange device. In terms of name, it may well be the successor to the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, but in practice we see nothing of this. No pop-up camera, no OLED screen, no fingerprint sensor under the display and a much more expensive price. Users of the Mi 9T series who want to upgrade will probably be disappointed with this device.

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is a real winner in some areas, with performance that matches a much more expensive device. In other areas it seems to have been saved considerably and it is even less than the predecessor. This results in a smartphone in conflict. It has a lot of gimmick features such as the 108-megapixel main camera, the 8k videos and the 144Hz screen which, while nice in a promotional video, are not all equally useful. The LCD screen is the real setback, but the fast hardware, the camera options with the excellent main camera, the premium design and the speakers are the positive outliers and make up for a lot. Whether it is worth the price of 599 euros? That is a personal decision that you will have to make. The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is a good device, but there are better alternatives.