It seems like it was only yesterday that 5G network connectivity was announced to the world. In reality, however, it is almost two years now and many countries around the world, have yet to fully implement it. This has not stopped manufacturers from trying to take advantage of this. Two such competing devices are the Redmi Note 10 5G VS Vivo V21 5G.

Read: 0G to 5G (the journey so far)

Apart from the usual big hitters, like Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi who already have phones with 5G connectivity, not a lot of companies have 5G phones at the flagship level, let alone 5G for the midrange market. But this is exactly what Xiaomi and Vivo are offering so big ups to them.

Read: Redmi Note 10 5G

In Africa (and India), where 90% of the continent (and sub-continent) are yet to have 5G (or even 4G in a lot of places), having a 5G phone may be a tad unnecessary. So unless of course, you are trying to future-proof yourself, a 5G phone is a bit of an overkill. This is because we may not get 5G till well into 2022 or beyond, given our poor track record with infrastructure development.

With that out of the way, and you are sure that you want a 5G smartphone, these are the two best pocket-friendly options on the continent right now, especially if you are in Nigeria. The stage is now set for the Redmi Note 10 5G VS Vivo V21 5G.

The Redmi Note 10 5G VS Vivo V21 5G

Build/body

Both phones are made of plastic. They both have plastic frames and plastic backs The only difference here is the Redmi Note 10 5G is much heavier. This is due in part to its bigger battery.

Read: Mediatek, the full lineup of SoCs

SoCs/Software/Performance

The Redmi Note 10 5G has a MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC. It has an octa-core setup with two Cortex A76 CPU cores running at 2.20GHz and six Cortex A55 CPU cores clocked at 2.0GHz. The Dimensity 700 has a Mali G57 MC2 GPU and it is built on a 7nm process.

The Vivo V21 5G on the other hand is powered by the more superior MediaTek Dimensity 800U. This SoC also has an octa-core setup with two Cortex A76 CPU cores running at 2.40GHz and six Cortex A55 CPU cores clocked at 2.0GHz. It is built on a 7nm process as well. The 800U uses a Mali G57 MC3 for graphics.

Both phones are shipped with Android 11 out of the box. The Redmi Note 10 5G runs on MIUI 12 whilst the Vivo V21 5G uses the Funtouch 11.1.

When both phones were subjected to synthetic benchmark tests, the Vivo V21 5G posted a better performance of 365,055 than the 299,111 of the Redmi Note 10 5G on Antutu (v9).

Memory

Both phones use LPDDR4X RAM, UFS 2.2 internal storage, and support external SD cards. The Vivo V21 5G is limited to two storage options: 8/128GB and 8/256 GB. The Redmi Note 10 5G has a lot of storage options here. We have 4/64GB, 4/128GB, 6/128GB, 8/128GB, and 8/256 GB.

Camera

The Redmi Note 10 5G has a standard triple camera setup. The main camera is a 48MP Sony IMX 582 Exmor RS sensor (binned to 12MP). The other cameras are the 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensor.

The Vivo V21 5G has a triple camera setup as well. The main camera is a 64MP (binned to 16MP) sensor of which Vivo did not state its maker and neither GSMArena nor Kimovil seems to know its origin. The other two cameras are an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro camera.

The main camera as well as the supporting acts on the Vivo V21 5G makes it a much more better option for photography than the Redmi Note 10 5G.

GSMArena compare tool

Both phones can record 4K video (30fps), 1080p (30fps), and slow-motion videos (120fps). The V21 5G can do 1080p at 60fps as well.

Moving over to the selfie department, the Vivo V21 5G completely outclasses the Redmi Note 10 5G. The Redmi Note 10 5G uses an 8MP selfie while the Vivo V21 5G houses a 44MP Samsung S5KGH1 selfie.

Both selfies record 1080p video at 30fps but the V21 5G takes it a step further and can do 4K video also.

Display

The display on this Redmi Note 10 5G is a 6.5” IPS LCD with Full HD+ resolution. It has a pixel density of 405ppi and can reach a maximum brightness of 500 nits. The display also supports a 90Hz refresh rate as well as adaptive sync and its display is protected by a Gorilla Glass 3.

The Vivo V21 5G has a 6.44″ AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution. The display has a pixel density of 409ppi, can reach 500 nits of brightness, and supports a 90Hz refresh rate. The display also supports HDR 10+ but does not seem to have any screen protection.

Battery

The battery on the Redmi Note 10 5G is huge 5000mAh (with 18W fast charging) while the V21 5G comes with a 4000mAh battery and 33W fast charge.

Audio

Both phones have single-firing loudspeakers at the bottom. The Redmi Note 10 5G also has a 3.5mm audio jack for earphones and supports FM radio. The V21 5G on the other hand, lacks support for both of these.

Connectivity and sensors

Both devices support 5G as well as 4G LTE. The Redmi Note 10 5G however supports more 4G LTE bands than the V21 5G.

They also both support WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. On both phones, you can find GPS, accelerometers, proximity sensors, ambient light sensors, gyroscopes, compasses, and of course a USB-C port for charging/connections. That’s where the similarities end.

For security, the Redmi Note 10 5G uses a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, while the V21 5G has an under-display fingerprint sensor.

The Redmi Note 10 5G also houses an Infrared blaster and NFC. The V21 does not have both.

Prices

The Redmi Note 10 5G is the more affordable device. The 4/64GB variant sells for N92,500, the 4/128GB sells for N100,800 and the 6/128GB goes for N111,000.

The Vivo V21 5G (8/256GB) sells for N159,000 courtesy of both Slot and Pointek.

Verdict

  • Performance: Vivo V21 5G
  • Memory: Redmi Note 10 5G
  • Camera: Vivo V21 5G
  • Display: Vivo V21 5G
  • Battery: Tie
  • Sensors/Connectivity: Redmi Note 10 5G

Conclusion

Both phones look good for their respective prices although the V21 5G is a bit overpriced. That aside, the V21 5G is the better device here as it covers all angles that relate to normal smartphone use. It has better SoC performance, better cameras, and an AMOLED display.

For the battery department, it is up to personal preferences. Smaller battery with faster charging speeds or a bigger battery with slower charging speeds? You decide.

The redeeming factors of the Redmi Note 10 5G are the fact that buyers are spoilt for choice on memory variants as well as packing a whole slew of connectivity options.

If you are buying a phone just for 5G connectivity sake and you are not too concerned with SoC/camera performance, the Redmi Note 10 will serve you well. It is also super affordable.

If you want top-notch performance (SoC/camera/display) and can ignore the smaller battery capacity, missing audio jack, and NFC, then the V21 5G is probably the best option for you.

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