With the Redmi Note 10 Pro (Global, Note 10 Pro Max in India), Xiaomi picks features from its flagships and offers them in the mid-range segment. The latest Redmi device features a 108MP camera, a Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and a design that could put some flagships to shame. “They must be charging a fortune for that,” you’d say, but it’s not the case. Surprisingly, the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max starts at INR 19,000 / $279 (global). I’ve been using it for the past three days, and here’s my Redmi Note 10 Pro Max hands-on preview.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max features a glass back with curved sides. Xiaomi is calling it the “Evol” design. It comes in three color options: Dark Night, Vintage Bronze, and Glacial Blue. We received the first two colors. The Black is glossy and attracts fingerprints, which can easily be wiped away. On the other hand, the Vintage Bronze color is unique and looks gorgeous.
It’s a big phone but it doesn’t feel like a solid brick in hand. It is comfortable to hold and operate with one hand despite the screen being north of 6.5 inches. Xiaomi managed to shave off some weight from the predecessor, and the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max weighs 192 grams. It is comparably lighter than some phones of the same size.
There is a rectangular camera module on the back, which houses four cameras. It sports a two-stepped design. The primary 108MP sensor gets a large silver border, while the other cameras are stacked within the black island. You’ll find the usual volume rockers and the power button on the right edge, which doubles as a fingerprint scanner. It is quick, and I’ve had no issues thus far. You also get a double-tap gesture on the power button that you can program to trigger the Google Assistant, pull down the notifications shade, and turn on the torch, among other things.
At the top lies the 3.5mm audio jack, second speaker grille, and an IR blaster. I’m happy they included the headphone jack as I listen to music on my AKG K371, which offers a significant sound boost in wired form. The device provides an IP53 rating for water and dust resistance.
Turning over the phone, you are greeted by a 6.67-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED display that offers a 120HZ refresh rate. Notably, it is not dynamic like the Mi 10i, but I’m thrilled with the consistent performance (more on that in the full review). Xiaomi has gone all-out with the display, offering 1200nits peak brightness, 100 percent DCI-P3 broad color gamut support, and TÜV Rheinland certification for low blue light emission.
On the top lies a 16MP selfie shooter in one of the tiniest punch-hole cutouts in the segment. The display lies under the protection of Gorilla Glass 5. It comes with a pre-applied plastic screen protector, which I managed to scratch within my short duration with the phone.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G chipset on the performance front. I’m yet to put it through thorough use and haven’t played any games yet. However, it should be enough for the device. That said, we’ll test the performance in our full review. The Snapdragon 732G SoC means you get no 5G support. And, for a country like India, it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. Xiaomi offers LPDDR4X RAM, UFS 2.2 storage, and a 5,020mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging.
Coming to the optics, the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max sports a quad rear camera setup. It is led by a whopping 108MP sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 5MP macro shooter, which is touted to offer “super macro” capabilities. Xiaomi says it has used a macro lens with 2X zoom. Theoretically, it should allow you to capture macro shots even from a distance. Oh, and the cameras are plenty versatile! Here are some camera samples:
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max runs MIUI 12 based on Android 11. It will be upgraded to MIUI 12.5 in the coming months. It would allow you to remove all the bloatware you don’t use. So far, I haven’t received any ads from the GetApps app. After our Redmi Note 10 Pro Max hands-on preview, I can safely say it is shaping up to be a promising device. I’ll go in-depth in my upcoming review later this week. Stay tuned! Also, comment down below if you have any questions.
