Xiaomi’s Redmi recently launched the Redmi Note 10S and Redmi Watch in India. While the Redmi Note 10S is a re-make of Redmi Note 10 with an updated MediaTek Helio G95 SoC, MIUI 12.5 software and more powerful 64MP main camera, Redmi Watch is Redmi’s first smartwatch in the country.
Redmi Watch is the Redmi’s second fitness wearable device in India after the Redmi Band. While still not a full-blown smartwatch per se, given its low price and slightly better spec-sheet, it comes as a no-brainer for anybody looking to upgrade. For context, the Note 10 comes with 4GB RAM by default and tops out at 6GB. Talking about Software of the phone it is the first Xiaomi phone in India to ship with MIUI 12.5 out-of-the-box though it is not the final version. Xiaomi calls it “interim” MIUI 12.5. It has all the key core elements related to performance and efficiency but does not include its marquee feature, which is the ability to uninstall and remove many pre-loaded applications. The phone will get it soon via an OTA update.
The Note 10S has a 6.43-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display that can, at least in theory, peak 1100nits same as the Note 10. There is no HDR support or high refresh rate like the Note 10 Pro/Note 10 Pro Max. For protection, it has Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The design and build materials have been lifted as is from the Note 10 though there is a new blue colourway which is exclusive to this model. There is a side-mounted fingerprint reader for biometrics. Rounding off the package are dual speakers and Hi-Res audio support. The phone has an 8-core 12nm Helio G95 SoC with up to 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and to 128GB USF2.2 storage (expandable). For photography, it has a quad-cam setup with a 64MP main, 8MP ultra-wide-angle, and two 2MP cameras, one for depth and another for macros. On the front, it has a 13MP camera. The Note 10S further has a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
Redmi Watch has a 1.4-inch TFT LCD display with 320×320 pixel resolution and 480nits of brightness. There is an ambient light sensor in the smartwatch to automatically tune brightness according to your surroundings though there is no always-on functionality. Raise to wake option is available. The watch can be customised with over 200 watch faces (accessible from the Xiaomi Wear app). The Redmi Watch will also let you view notifications and silence or reject calls though it can’t do responses. The body is made of plastic and comes in three colours: ivory, black and blue. It is 5ATM certified. The straps are user swappable with Xiaomi offering a choice of ivory, black, blue and olive options. Redmi Note 10S India price starts at Rs 14,999 and will be available from May 18. Redmi Watch will be available from May 25 at a price of Rs 3,999.
