Xiaomi Redmi 10C Review: Best Budget Phone for 2022?

Xiaomi releases a very interesting device off its entry level line - the Redmi 10C. The smartphone sports the powerful Snapdragon 680 chipset which you can rarely see in the sub Php 7K segment. On top of that, the device packs a humongous 6.71-inch HD+ panel, 50MP camera, and 5000 mAh battery.

Redmi 10C Review

Xiaomi Redmi 10C Review

On paper, the Xiaomi Redmi 10C speaks volumes knowing that it's only priced at Php 6,299 for the 4GB + 64GB variant and Php 7,299 for the 4GB + 128GB model. In this review, let's find out if the Redmi 10C is a steal buy, and we'll pass our judgment if it's really the best-value phone of 2022.

Design

Our review unit dons a Mint Green colorway that looks good with its geometrically-textured backing which mimics a metallic appeal. When it's exposed in direct light, the panel reflects the light in this pattern of lines. This complements the overall gloss and shine of the panel's sturdy plastic material. The unique design also accentuates the phone's curved edges. Aside from the Mint Green variant, there are also two other color options - the Graphite Gray and Ocean Blue.

Xiaomi Redmi 10C Review

The backing equips a square module housing various elements like the dual camera sensors top billed by a high resolution 50MP AI main camera, LED flash, Redmi branding, and the fingerprint scanner. Yes, Xiaomi made new design changes with this module in comparison to the phone's predecessor, the Redmi 9C. This module is now bigger to make room for the inclusion of the fingerprint sensor here.

On the get-go, the Xiaomi Redmi 10C is a big smartphone. The handset's dimensions are 169.59 x 76.56 x 8.29 mm and weighs 190 grams. The Redmi 10C is appealing for many who are in the look out for smartphones of this size, but it comes with drawbacks as well. It may not be very convenient for one handed-usage especially for someone with a small hand and it's also not easy to carry around with an average-sized pocket.

On the front panel, the Redmi 10C comes with a dewdrop notch which houses the front camera lens. The phone has chunky bezels which shrink the screen-to-body ratio to 82.0%. For the ports and buttons placement:

  • volume rocker and power button (right side);
  • SIM tray with 3 slots for 2 nano SIM cards and microSD card (left side);
  • 3.5mm audio jack (top);
  • microphone, USB-C port, and speaker (bottom).

Redmi 10C Review

The buttons are easily accessible. However, I'm not sure I could say the same for the fingerprint scanner. I would have preferred it to be mounted on the side. Also, the button is quite odd in terms of its size and positioning inside the camera module.

Display

The Redmi 10C's screen is pretty average except for its sheer size. The device equips a 6.71-inch display on an IPS LCD panel which renders an HD+ resolution at 720 x 1650 pixels, with a pixel density of 268 PPI.

Xiaomi Redmi 10C Review: Display

In terms of brightness, the screen offers up to 400 nits which is pretty standard by the way - good enough for indoor use but not quite enough for outdoor consumption under bright and/or direct sunlight. But then again, this is a very affordable entry-level phone.

Xiaomi could have made this handset more appealing in terms of the display by equipping it with an FHD panel, but that would also mean that this phone is going to have a higher price. Colors seem accurate, but not that commendable in terms of details as with other HD LCD panels.

Redmi 10C Review

The display is treated with a third-generation of Corning Gorilla Glass for scratch and damage resistance. But you still need to further damage-proof it with a tempered glass in case of an accidental drop. Unfortunately, the Redmi 10C package does not include one.

Watching videos and movies using the Redmi 10C is an enjoyable experience with its large screen real estate coupled with good quality speakers. Apart from that, the Redmi 10C supports Widevine L1, which is needed for streaming HD videos on Netflix. This means you can enjoy your Netflix HD subscription and watch your favorite titles in high quality.

Performance

The main selling point of the Redmi 10C is the Snapdragon 680 4G chipset which is built on a 6nm process. It's also the same chipset that runs the show in the Redmi Note 11. Its CPU runs with 4x2.4GHz Kryo 265 Gold and 4x1.9GHz Kryo 265 Silver. This is supported by 4GB LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB/128GB ROM. Thanks to UFS 2.2 storage, this device is going to perform with faster app startup speed, cache loading, better browsing behavior, faster encoding time, etc.

The device scored 243762 in our AnTuTu benchmark test.

Redmi 10C AnTuTu score

When we talk about gaming, the Xiaomi Redmi 10C is capable in this area. It can take on popular games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile, and Call of Duty Mobile with ease. Heavy-graphic gaming like Genshin Impact is also playable with the handset. There are occasional frame drops but it's nothing that the phone can't recover from easily.

Redmi 10C Review

We have an overall smooth experience when navigating thru the phone. With regards to its multimedia capabilities, we believe that the phone makes up for its shortcomings in the screen resolution thru its large screen real estate.

Redmi 10C Review

We also noticed that viewing angles are fine; I personally expected to see some yellow tint in extreme angles but failed to spot one. If you're not very particular of the pixel count, then you're good to go with the phone's multimedia performance.

Camera

The Xiaomi Redmi 10C boasts a dual camera setup top-billed by the Samsung S5KJN1 50MP f/1.8 sensor. It's coupled by a 2MP Omnivision OV02B10 f/2.4 depth sensor. Photos produced by the main sensor is surprisingly good when taken in a good lighting environment. There's enough details with good contrast and color saturation. In lowlight, the quality drops as photos are plague with noise and washed-out colors. There's a Night mode function on the camera app which exposes shadows but could hardly recover majority of the details. This leaves the shot grainy for the most part.

Redmi 10C Camera Review

On the front, the handset features a 5MP f/2.2 selfie shooter which produces good photos for social media use. The Redmi 10C also has a beautification function which is fun to have. Here are some of the photos we took with the device:

Redmi 10C Sample Photos

Redmi 10C Sample Photos

Redmi 10C Sample Photos

Redmi 10C Sample Photos

Redmi 10C Sample Photos

Redmi 10C Sample Photos
Sample Photos: Night Mode

Redmi 10C Sample Photos
Sample Photo: Selfie

Software

Xiaomi Redmi 10C boots with MIUI 13 which is based on Android 11. Though we still have a generation-old Android version, it's still a breath of fresh air to know that the phone comes with MIUI 13. This forked version of Android is cleaner with flat icons and system toggles.

Redmi 10C Software

You can access the Notification center when swiping from the top left. On the other hand, you'll see your toggles and control center when you swipe from upper right. You can also take advantage of the gesture navigation feature which is quite popular to Android phones nowadays.

The Settings app has some pretty much laid out subfolders; the camera app is also simple and user-friendly. Of course, you can still see a number of bloatwares, some of them you can't even uninstall.

Redmi 10C Review

Battery

The Redmi 10C is equipped with a large 5000mAh (typ) battery. According to Xiaomi, it powers 29 hrs. of reading, 190 hrs. of music, 19 hrs. of video playback, and 11 hrs. of gaming. In our PCMark battery life test, the handset scored a whooping 22 hours and 34 minutes.

Xiaomi Redmi 12C Review: A Dependable Entry-Level Phone

The Redmi 10C also has support for 18W fast charging. However, Xiaomi has cut corners with this device, and that includes only a 10W adapter in the phone's package. We charged the phone from 0 to 100% using an 18W adapter in 2 hours and 11 minutes.

Redmi 10C Review

Verdict: Should You Buy The Xiaomi Redmi 10C?

Even if the Xiaomi Redmi 10C is priced at below Php 7K, it's gunning for several handsets twice its price. With the usage of Snapdragon 680 in the budget segment, the Redmi 10C definitely poses as the one to beat when you're looking for the best budget phone in the market for 2022.

Of course, the handset is far from perfect due to its low resolution display, performance inconsistencies, and basic design language. But with its price, it's really hard to complain or even nitpick on anything about the Redmi 10C.

Pros

  1. Insanely affordable hardware
  2. Large screen real estate
  3. Long battery life

What's in the box?

  • Redmi 10C unit
  • 10W Power Supply unit
  • USB-C cable
  • SIM eject tool
  • Quick Start Guide, Safety Information
  • Warranty Card

The package does not include a silicone case and screen protector.

Redmi 10C Specs

  • 6.71-inch HD+ IPS LCD display, 720 x 1650 pixels @ 268 ppi density, 20:9 Aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass
  • Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm)
  • 2.4GHz Octa-core CPU
  • Adreno 610 GPU
  • 4GB LPDDR4X RAM
  • 64GB/128GB ROM, UFS 2.2
  • microSD support up to 1TB, dedicated slot
  • Dual rear camera: 50MP, f/1.8, 26mm main, PDAF + 2MP, f/2.4 depth sensor
  • 5MP, f/2.2 front camera
  • 1080p@30fps videos (rear/front)
  • Loudspeaker
  • 3.5mm jack
  • Dual SIM (Nano)
  • 4G/LTE
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  • Bluetooth v5.0, A2DP, LE
  • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
  • Infrared port
  • FM radio
  • USB Type-C 2.0, USB OTG
  • Fingerprint (rear-mounted), AI face unlock
  • Proximity sensor, Ambient light, Accelerometer
  • MIUI 13, based on Android 11
  • 169.59 x 76.56 x 8.29 mm, 190 grams
  • Li-Po 5000 mAh battery with 18W fast charging
  • Graphite Gray, Ocean Blue, Mint Green
  • Starts at Php 6,299
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