Xiaomi Mi 10i 5G: How it compares with rivals
2 min read 05 Jan 2021, 01:22 PM ISTThe Mi 10i 5G will be competing with the likes of OnePlus Nord that starts at ₹24,999, and Samsung Galaxy M51 which has a starting price of ₹22,999
PremiumNEW DELHI : After sending out a strong message to rivals in the premium segment with the Mi 10 (launched at ₹49,999) and Mi 10T (starting at ₹35,999), Xiaomi has now got the higher mid-segment (20-30k) covered with the new Mi 10i 5G. It starts at ₹20,999 (6GB+64GB) and is followed by 6GB+128GB and 8GB+128GB variants priced at ₹21,999 and ₹23,999, respectively.
The Mi 10i 5G will be competing with the likes of OnePlus Nord that starts at ₹24,999, and Samsung Galaxy M51 which has a starting price of ₹22,999.
The Mi 10i belongs to this new breed of 5G ready smartphones, which also includes the OnePlus Nord. Though 5G services are yet to roll out in India, sale of 5G phones have picked up in last few quarters due to the element of future proofing.
The Mi 10i 5G’s other key highlight is a large 6.67-inch Full HD LCD display and the high refresh rate of 120Hz. The big screen and higher refresh rate can lift up the experience significantly especially while gaming. They also give it an edge over the likes of OnePlus Nord which has a 6.44-inch 90z display. The Nord has an AMOLED screen though, which means better contrast and black levels.
The Samsung Galaxy M51 has a slight upper hand over both rivals as it offers a large 6.7-inch AMOLED display, however, it offers only 60Hz refresh rate.
The other notable feature of the Mi 10i 5G is the quad camera setup which includes 108MP camera, an 8MP ultra wide camera, 2MP depth and macro cameras. The Nord also has a quad camera setup but the primary camera offer 48MP camera followed by 8MP ultra wide, 5MP depth and 2MP macro camera. The Nord’s camera module looks neat and is arranged in a single vertical line in comparison to Mi 10i’s circular camera module which looks too large and protruded. The Galaxy M51’s quad camera setup boasts a 64MP camera and the square module is neatly tucked on left top side of back panel just like the Nord.
Higher megapixel count doesn’t always mean better picture quality and we have seen many cameras with higher specs disappoint on many occasions.
The Mi 10i 5G has a non-reflective glass back and comes in three colour options including a unique looking dual tone red/mint finish.
The Mi10i also packs in a bigger 4,800mAh battery than the Nord’s 4,115 mAh battery, but is nowhere near the Galaxy M51’s massive 7,000mAh battery.
In terms of processing capability, all three phones rely on Qualcomm’s mid-segment chipsets with slight differences. The Nord uses the Snapdragon 765G, while the Mi 10i 5G has the Snapdragon 750G and the Galaxy M51 runs on Snapdragon 730G. Though the 765G has a slightly higher clock speed than 750G, in terms of overall performance and experience, the latter is rated higher by several benchmarks. The 730G is rated below the 765G.
Though the traction in the 20-30k segment has been poor compared to budget and premium segment in last few quarters of CY2020, as per market reports, sentiments look positive for the ongoing and next quarters.
