The combination of the Lazada 12.12 sale and my wife's Samsung Galaxy Note 8's screen going crazy was perfect timing for me to upgrade to a 5G Phone. I've been using my Galaxy Note 10 for about a year so I'll give that to the wife and now I'll be using the Xiaomi Redmi 10x 5G.

I'm quite content with my Galaxy Note 10 but I feel like I'm missing out on 5G technology. My Globe plan will not renew until the end of next year but I just can't wait for another year to experience 5G. Plus, since my Samsung Note 10 is Globe locked, my second sim which is Sun cellular, is stuck in 2G.

I've been looking around the internet for an affordable 5G phone that can also fill my everyday needs. You'll be surprised at how many there are to choose from! There's Huawei, Vivo, LG, Realme, Xiaomi, and many others. I've always been a Xiaomi fan and have tried a few devices since 2015 with my favorite being the first Redmi Note which gave me 2 years of solid service. Xiaomi alone will give you a handful of 5G choices, each one with its pros and cons. And after flip-flopping on which model to add to cart, I finally decided on buying the Xiaomi Redmi 10x 5G.

My decision was largely based on 2 things. First would be the price. I got this unit for Php12,300 during the 12.12 sale and regular price is at Php12,800. Second factor was that I want a phone that would closely resemble my experience with my Samsung Note 10, less the S-pen. So with an Amoled screen and an under display fingerprint scanner, this was the phone for me. Plus, the store on lazada had the unit locally and is fulfilled by lazada hence I got the unit December 13, only a day after I ordered it.

Inside the box you'll get the phone, a clear plastic case, a usb type c cable, and a 22.5 watt charger. Pretty basic stuff. The online store provided 2 free tempered glasses and even with a tempered glass the under display fingerprint sensor still works well. And by the way this unit has a chinese rom and not a global rom but setting the phone up, installing google play is relatively easy.

This phone is equipped with the Mediatek Dimensity 820. Now I've been far away from the chipset game too long to know which one is the best but for me it all comes down to your experience. So far I dont feel any lag in my everyday use and does not really feel much of a difference compared to my Samsung Note 10. In terms of gaming, i tried PUBG and NBA live and both run smoothly, although on PUBG only HD is supported and not HDR or UHD.

Main Camera has a triple camera set-up with 48MP shooter while the selfie cam is 16MP. The main camera takes good pictures specially if you are on 48MP mode . And for the selfie camera I'm actually recording this video using the 10x 5G's front camera. For me, in this pandemic, there would be less chances of us going to different places anyway so a high-end camera is not my priority.

At the same pricepoint, Xiaomi have other 5G offerings, you have the K30 and the 10T lite. Specs are almost the same and you should decide on what you really need whether a better camera, a bigger battery, or a better chipset. You can check-out gsmarena and compare the specs of the phones.

Overall after almost a week of using the unit and after removing all chinese apps and settings, I'm very satisfied with the unit and the only couple of things I miss with my old Samsung Note 10 is the wireless charging and the s-pen which I rarely use anyway. Plus the 10x 5G only costs only around 20% of the original price of the Galaxy Note 10!