Month: May 2022

The Redmi Note 10 Pro was one of our favourite budget phones – now can the Note 11 Pro 5G wear such a heavy crown?

Xiaomi has updated its affordable Redmi Note range with the new Note 11, Note 11 Pro 5G and various other models.

So, what makes something a Pro device at the cheap end of the market? Here’s the full Tech Advisor review.

Design & build
Square-edged design
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
IP53 rating
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a phone in the affordable bracket that had a truly pleasing design. Most are perfectly serviceable variations on the slab of glass and plastic that we know so well, but this time around Xiaomi has impressed with an aesthetic that defies the device’s price-tag.

Gone are the shiny surfaces, curved edges and jumbled camera bump of the Redmi Note 10 Pro, replaced instead with a more refined approach.

The squared off edges and chassis surround give the Note 11 Pro 5G a similar look to the current iPhone 13 range, while the simple plastic back and more organised camera array keep the minimalist design intact.

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It’s missing some sought-after features, but the Xiaomi 12X is an overall solid device, especially for those wanting a smaller phone

With the 12X, Xiaomi has basically taken its Mi 11X from last year and has made an ‘S’ variant since the two models are very similar (including the exact same processor).

While it shares a lot with the Mi 11X before it, there’s a lot to like with the Xiaomi 12X like the beautiful AMOLED screen, snappier performance and twice as fast charging. It’s also a cheaper option than its stablemates, the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro.

Design & Build
8.2mm thick
176g
No IP rating
Like its Xiaomi 12 counterpart, the Xiaomi 12X is fairly compact and easy to hold in one hand. This is especially helpful for those not interested in the massive phones of today like the Galaxy S22 Ultra or Pixel 6 Pro.

At just 176g, the phone has just the right amount of heft. Part of that is because the phone is made from aluminium and Gorilla Glass Victus which makes it feel like a solid slab of metal and glass without making it seem too heavy.

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Realme’s GT 2 Pro boasts an aggressive price/performance proposition, an environmentally conscious design and better software support than ever

Realme was among the first companies to reassure fans that it would be slipping the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor into its next flagship; after the silicon was unveiled at the end of 2021.

Sure enough, the Realme GT 2 Pro was announced in China promptly afterwards sporting the chip, going on sale in the region at the turn of the new year.

Fans in the rest of the world, however, were left waiting until the company made its Mobile World Congress debut in late February, where the GT 2 Pro’s international availability was confirmed for 8 March.

Now that the phone is here, it’s a matter of understanding whether the Pro strikes the characteristic price/performance balancing act that the company’s short lineage of existing flagship phones is known for or whether it offers a more competitive package against the wider flagship market.

Design & build
Unique biopolymer finish on Master Edition
Glass-backed models weigh 10g more
Still no IP rating or wireless charging
Paper isn’t the first material you might think of when it comes to smartphone materials but that’s exactly what Realme’s design team used as the jumping-off point for the finish on the GT 2 Pro (as well as the standard GT 2).

While the phone can be had in a relatively pedestrian Steel Black in Europe (as well as Titanium Blue in China) with a conventional glass back, Realme has also given the GT 2 Pro the Master Edition treatment by once again partnering with Japanese designer Naoto Fukusawa to create a unique set of finishes that pull away from traditional smartphone tropes.

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The OnePlus 10 Pro finally launches internationally, with powerful hardware, impressive battery tech and signs of Oppo’s growing influence

OnePlus has undergone a lot of change since we first met the brand as a plucky upstart all those years ago. Having been partially folded into sister company Oppo over the past 18 months or so, the phones that OnePlus is now releasing exist in a very different context to the company’s early handsets and the new OnePlus 10 Pro embodies this shift perfectly.

While an initial January release in China gave us our first taste of what a OnePlus flagship in 2022 looks like, the phone’s more recent expansion into new markets globally really highlights the enduring influence of the brand’s passionate fandom, while reflecting the change that the company is going through internally, all at once.

With no standard OnePlus 10 (and only rumours of a OnePlus 10 Ultra), the 10 Pro is currently the only top-tier OnePlus purpose-built to take on rivals from Samsung, Apple and beyond. But does it deliver?

Design & build
Surprisingly lightweight
OnePlus’ signature physical alert slider
No IP-certified dust or water resistance
For all the technical prowess, performance and innovation last year’s OnePlus 9 Pro touted, it came packaged in an uncharacteristically bland design for the brand. This year, OnePlus’ design team has veered in a wildly different direction, with the OnePlus 10 Pro’s form punctuated by a bold new camera housing that’s impossible to miss and unlike anything the company’s served up to date.

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Sony’s Xperia Pro-I walks a wholly different path to the previous Pro; with an impressive 1in sensor on its main camera that makes it ideal for vlogging

Should I buy the Sony Xperia PRO-I?
Expert’s Rating:

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Pros
Precision utilitarian design
Powerful camera controls
Clean software
Cons
Strange camera compromises
Dated chipset
Expensive
Our Verdict
While it’s unquestionably a technical achievement, almost everything that stands the Pro-I apart from the Xperia 1 III makes it unsuitable as a conventional smartphone recommendation. Only enthusiasts need apply.

Sony debuted the first Xperia Pro in early 2020; a device that we dubbed one of the only phones truly worthy of the ‘Pro’ suffix; with its skillset tailored towards industry-grade broadcasting over consumer use. Now the company has brought another Pro to market – the Xperia Pro-I – which takes a wholly different approach, aimed at a wholly different demographic.

Similarly to the previous Pro, the Pro-I builds on the company’s current flagship – the Xperia 1 III – with near-identical underlying hardware and a similar software experience, but it’s augmented by a bold new camera system that pushes past practically everything else currently out there; with the hopes of being perceived as a serious tool for creators and enthusiasts.