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Review | Xiaomi Mi Note 10 full review: first 108-megapixel camera phone lives up to hype – but only in certain conditions

  • The 108MP specialist lens will be of most use to regular travellers and adventurers who want to perfectly capture landscapes and architecture
  • However, the sensor struggles in lowlight conditions, the phone does not offer great value, and does any handset really need six camera lenses?

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The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 is the first phone with a 108-megapixel camera, and has a curved OLED screen that blends seamlessly into the handset’s sides. Photo: Ben Sin

The Chinese phone spec war continues.

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Barely two months after Vivo introduced the world’s first phone with a 64-megapixel camera sensor, Xiaomi has topped it with a 108-megapixel shooter that is capable of capturing images with resolution of 12,032 x 9,204 pixels. The latest iPhone, for reference, captures images at 3,000 x 4,000 pixels.

Known as the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 globally, but as the Xiaomi CC9 Pro in its native China – confusing, yes – the phone packs four more camera sensors on its rear in addition to that 108-megapixel lens.

Add the selfie camera on the front, and we’re looking at a phone with six cameras. But do we really need all of them?

The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 has a 108-megapixel camera that was developed in collaboration with Samsung. Photo: Ben Sin
The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 has a 108-megapixel camera that was developed in collaboration with Samsung. Photo: Ben Sin
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Design and hardware

Xiaomi has been making high-quality hardware in recent years, but until now none of its handsets has had the extra flourish of a high-end Samsung or Huawei phone. Xiaomi’s display panels, for instance, were almost always entirely flat, leading to a somewhat abrupt edge where the screen meets a phone’s aluminium chassis.

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