Is Xiaomi Mi 10 5G Really An Overpriced Smartphone?

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After taking a break for a couple of years, Xiaomi India launched its flagship offering -- the Xiaomi Mi 10 5G with a starting price of Rs. 49,999. Just moments after the device became official, people started to express their views and opinions on various social media platforms.

 
Is Xiaomi Mi 10 5G Really An Overpriced Smartphone?

Some said the Xiaomi Mi 10 5G is a great offering for the asking price, whereas others felt that the device was overpriced in India and the reason given by the brand for the pricing was not enough. Is the Xiaomi Mi 10 5G really overpriced in India? Here's my take on it.

Not A Flagship Killer, It’s A Full-Blown Flagship

Not A Flagship Killer, It’s A Full-Blown Flagship

People tend to associated Xiaomi as a budget brand due to its Redmi lineup and they often forget that the Mi lineup from the company offers the latest innovations at a slightly higher price tag. Coming to the Mi 10 5G, unlike the previous iterations, it is an Android flagship smartphone with almost no compromises.

And not to forget the fact that all units of the Xiaomi Mi 10 5G that are sold in India are being imported from China. The company has to pay import duties and 18 percent of GST on top of that, which drives up the cost of the device.

The Xiaomi Mi 10 5G is the most affordable fastest wireless charging smartphone in the country and it is also the most affordable smartphone with a 108MP camera.

Not just that, it has a great AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate and dual-curved design, and everything is being powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC -- the best processor in the Android ecosystem in terms of performance and battery efficiency.

The device does use UFS 3.0 fast storage solution along with LPDDR5 RAM, and these components do come at a cost. And the device does support 5G NSA/SA modes and is future proof.

There Are Some Gimmicks On The Mi 10 5G
 

There Are Some Gimmicks On The Mi 10 5G

The aforementioned features of the Mi 10 5G make it look like a great flagship smartphone. However, the quad-camera setup on the Mi 10 5G seems like a gimmick. There is a 108MP primary camera and a 13MP ultra-wide angle lens. Then, there is a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor which are usually seen on budget smartphones priced around Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000.

Not just that, for a flagship smartphone that costs almost Rs. 50,000, there is no dedicated telephoto lens, which could be a deal-breaker for someone who is interested in taking pictures of further objects. Along with these two sensors the company should have included a dedicated telephoto lens as well.

Another thing that is affecting the Mi 10 5G's image in India is the software experience. The smartphone comes with MIUI 11 on top of Android 10 OS. Some people love MIUI and some hate and the company has been aggressively monitoring the custom UI by placing ads (recommendations) on first-party apps. Someone buying a phone with half a lakh rupees doesn't want to see intrusive semi-pornographic or any sort of recommendations in the UI.

Though the company says that the Mi 10 5G will not have as many ads as a budget Redmi device, there will be ads on apps like Mi Browser, Themes, and custom Mi App store.

Mi 10 5G Is Being Compared To OnePlus 8 Pro

Mi 10 5G Is Being Compared To OnePlus 8 Pro

The Xiaomi Mi 10 5G is being compared with the OnePlus 8 Pro. The base model of the OnePlus 8 Pro is a bit more expensive than the Mi 10 5G. However, it does offer a higher resolution screen and OxygenOS has a great reputation for being the cleanest looking custom Android UI.

Similarly, people do consider OnePlus as a flagship smartphone maker and they just can't see a Xiaomi device priced similar to the OnePlus 8 Pro. In fact, the Mi 10 5G sits right between the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro with respect to features and specifications.

Mi 10 5G Is Suffering From Brand's Reputation

Mi 10 5G Is Suffering From Brand's Reputation

The Xiaomi Mi 10 5G is not an overpriced smartphone if we don't consider the branding associated with the device. However, with the Xiaomi/Mi branding, the device does take a hit as these names are usually associated with cheap and affordable smartphones makes it look overpriced. 

Xiaomi's reason for the pricing of the Mi 10 5G (direct import duties and GST) is also not a valid point for a consumer who just wants a phone with the best possible specs at affordable pricing. For those who are looking for a flagship smartphone, better wait for the upcoming Poco F2 Pro, which is expected to be a flagship killer.

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