Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G review

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Introduction

Even though last year's Mi 9T lineup didn't get a Lite version, this year's 10T family did. And you can say that the Mi 10T lite is the spiritual successor to the vanilla Mi 9T since it has the mid-range specs and everything, whereas the vanilla Mi 10T is closer to the Pro version this time around.

Another interesting thing to note here is that the Mi 10T Lite 5G carries the same screen size as its other two siblings - 6.67 inches. The only difference is the punch-hole positioning for the front camera and the screen refresh rates. The Lite "settles" for 120Hz instead of 144Hz and moves the front-facing camera in the center.

Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G specs at a glance:

• Body: 165.4x76.8x9.0mm, 215g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame.
• Display: 6.67" IPS LCD, 120Hz, HDR10, 450 nits (typ), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7225 Snapdragon 750G 5G (8 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 570 & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 570); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 6GB RAM+64GB UFS2.1 storage, 6GB RAM+128GB UFS2.2 storage; microSDXC (hybrid slot).
• OS/Software: Android 10, MIUI 12.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4; Dual-LED dual-tone flash.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, 25mm (wide), 1/3.06" 1.0µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@960fps; gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps.
• Battery: 4820mAh; Fast charging 33W.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted), IR blaster, NFC, gyro, magnetometer, ambient light sensor on the front and back, ultra-sound proximity sensor, FM radio.

The back of the device is also radically different than the rest of the Mi 10T's. But compared to other Xiaomi phones, it's not very unique. The camera module's placement and design are strikingly similar to the Poco X3. Other features like the camera setup, the battery capacity, fast charging, and stereo speakers are pretty much in line with the rest of Mi 10Ts.

The most significant difference is in the chipset, of course, which can also be considered as the key selling point. It's the Snapdragon 750 5G, and it's one of the newest additions to Qualcomm's portfolio. A successor to the Snapdragon 730G with improvements to the overall performance, adds a couple of actually usable features and still sits right under the Snapdragon 865G in pricing while delivering the same 5G capabilities. But more on that later.

At a price hovering around €270, the Mi 10T 5G shapes up to be a pretty good deal considering all the hardware and software features it has to offer. However, it will be curious to see if it's any better than other Xiaomi-branded phones from earlier this year, which have all fallen to this price point. So not only does the Mi 10T Lite face external but some internal competitions as well.

Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G

There's nothing out of the ordinary inside the retail box. You will find the usual user manuals, a 33W-capable fast charger, a USB-A to USB-C cable for file transfer and charging as well as a transparent silicone case.