Review | Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro review: premium phone is the pick of new releases, with none of the shortcomings of Samsung S20 Ultra, Huawei P40 Pro and Oppo Find X2 Pro
- Xiaomi’s first true flagship phone goes up against the best Samsung and Huawei smartphones available and matches them, but it will cost you
- Its camera system is improved and does almost all you’d want, its display is fast and smooth, and it beats Samsung and Oppo flagship handsets on battery life
Xiaomi is known for its cheap but functional mobile phones. This year, the Chinese brand is aiming higher.
The Pro variant of the new Xiaomi Mi 10 handset packs a lot of features – but with them comes a premium price tag that represents a departure for the company. Will the move pay off?
Design and hardware
Previous models in the Mi series all appeared at first glance to be on par with other brand’s flagship phones at first glance – they had the best Qualcomm chip available at the time, and their specs roughly matched those of the latest Samsung handset. Upon closer examination, however, cost-cutting became apparent in the form of inferior camera sensors, the lack of stereo speakers or a weak haptic vibration engine.
Well that is no more. The Mi 10 Pro does not compromise anywhere. There’s a robust stereo speaker system; an improved haptic vibration engine; and the OLED screen refreshes at 90Hz with smooth animations.
While the glass sandwich design with curved screen is no longer unique or fresh in 2020, it is still premium in look and feel. Even the notch in the front display has been eliminated, in favour of a small hole-punch cut-out housing a 20-megapixel selfie camera.