Last year, Xiaomi beat the entire competition to emerge as the best-selling OEM in India and this was thanks to the impressive Xiaomi Redmi 4 and its bigger counterpart Redmi Note 4.
While expectations are high that Xiaomi will unveil the Redmi Note 5, there are reports that the Redmi 5 Plus could, in fact, be the successor to the Redmi Note 4 in the Indian market. Nonetheless, it is the standard Redmi 5, the successor to the Redmi 4, that is of our interest for now. The phone, as you would expect, is behind the Plus variant in the pecking order, but it brings a similar taste to a segment that is also becoming extremely competitive, especially following the entry of yet another Chinese company, 10.or, into the Indian market.
Last year, 10.or launched two phones towards the end of the year: one in September and the other in December. The 10.or E was the first to come out followed by the 10.or D. These two are budget phones, just like the Redmi 5, but they have their own differences, just like their names suggest.
If you are in the market for a new budget phone, any of these three can do, but which one should you buy between the Xiaomi Redmi 5, 10.or D and 10.or E? Let’s find out.
10.or D vs 10.or E vs Redmi 5 head-to-head
| Â | 10.or D | 10.or E | Redmi 5 |
| Display | 5.2-inch LCD, HD, 720 x 1280 pixels | 5.5-inch LCD, Full HD, 1080 x 1920 pixels | 5.7-inch LCD, 18:9, HD, 720 x 1440 pixels |
| Processor | Snapdragon 425 | Snapdragon 430 | Snapdragon 450 |
| RAM | 2/3GB | 2/3GB | 2/3GB |
| Storage | 16/32GB | 16/32GB | 16/32GB |
| Software | Near stock Android 7.1.2 Nougat (upgradable to Oreo) | Near stock Android 7.1.2 Nougat (upgradable to Oreo) | Android 7.1.2 Nougat with MIUI 9 (upgradable to Oreo) |
| Back camera | 13MP, Face detection, LED flash | 13MP, PDAF, LED flash | 12MP, PDAF, LED flash, 1080p video recording |
| Front camera | 5MP | 5MP, LED flash | 5MP, 1080p video recording |
| Battery capacity | 3500mAh | 4000mAh | 3300mAh |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, rear-mounted | Yes, rear-mounted | Yes, rear-mounted |
| Extras | Bluetooth 4.2, LTE | Bluetooth 4.2, LTE | Fast charging, Bluetooth 4.2, LTE |
| Price | INR 4,999/INR 5,999 | INR 5,999/INR 6,999 | Approx. INR 8,000 |
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Big, bigger, biggest display size
As depicted in the table above, we can have the three phones arranged in the order of big, bigger and biggest, namely 10.or D, 10.or E and Xiaomi Redmi 5. Where the smallest has a 5.2-inch HD display, the midrange model has a 5.5-inch full HD panel while the biggest has a huge 5.7-inch HD+ panel.
While we’ve seen cases where big is better, the story is not necessarily true for the Redmi 5. Having a bigger screen with a similar HD resolution as the smaller 10.or D means it is less crispy. Although some will argue that the difference is negligible, it gets pronounced when the 10.or E comes in with its slightly smaller 5.5-inch panel that boasts an even better full HD resolution.
So, if you are looking for a big device that offers a crispy display screen, the 10.or E is your best bet, but you’ll be missing out on the trendy 18:9 design, which is one of the major highlights of the Redmi 5. If you can live with a slightly pixelated, yet modern 18:9 screen — because this matters! — the Redmi 5 is a better one.
The best value for money
The trio of phones has the same market segment in mind, but 10.or goes even lower with the 10.or D’s price tag of just INR 4,999. At this price tag, you’ll be getting a phone that offers solid specs, a near stock Android Nougat that includes preinstalled Amazon apps and a huge 3500mAh battery unit.
For a device with a small 5.2-inch screen that consumes the least battery juice thanks to its HD resolution, having a massive 3500mAh battery unit is such a joy. You can be sure of more than two days of moderate use on a single charge, which is not your usual dose.
Things get even better when it comes to the 10.or E, which rocks a monstrous 4000mAh battery unit. Although the 5.5-inch full HD panel should suck more battery juice than the HD panels on the 10.or and Redmi 5, the battery life is still excellent and, in fact, the best on the list.
As for the Redmi 5, the 3300mAh unit is still a great pick considering that the huge 5.7-inch panel only manages a pixel density of 282ppi, same as the 10.or D. You can expect an equally impressive battery life, but not as good as the 10.or E.
And then there’s the issue of specs. Here, the Redmi 5 wins the game with its newest Snapdragon 450 processor compared to the 425 and 430 used in the 10.or D and 10.or E, respectively. But considering what near stock Android brings to the fold alongside the longer battery life and better display quality, it’s easy to go with the 10.or devices, especially since the better 10.or E is now available at a cheaper price than the expected launch price of the Redmi 5. Also, the performance difference between the Snapdragon 425, 430 and 450 is negligible. Oh, did we mention that 10.or will also be upgrading the devices to Android Oreo? Well, there you go.
Based on the current price tag of the 10.or E and the expected price of the Redmi 5, you’ll be getting a much better deal with the former than the latter.
Wrap up
- 10.or E gives you better specs, stock UI and a great battery life at low price
- Xiaomi Redmi 5 gives you modern design, bigger display, better camera, and a beautiful software
So, if you are after an affordable device that rocks a decent screen size, has a longer battery life, runs near stock software and compromises a bit on the design, the 10.or E is your pick. However, if you want a taste of the latest 18:9 design, a better camera, a myriad of software customizations and a premium-looking build, there’s no going past the Xiaomi Redmi 5.
While the 10.or D also rocks stock Android, has a decent battery life and even comes with a fingerprint scanner, for its price, it’s a great piece of hardware, but the mediocre cameras and plastic-like build mean it still lacks what it takes to beat the 10.or E and Redmi 5. But to be fair, these are things you can live with, especially when you are paying a mere INR 4,999 for a smartphone.
All in all, if you can afford INR 8,000, then just go for the Redmi 5. However, if your budget is restricted to INR 6,999 then 10.or E isn’t bad at all, but we would hope you find the extra INR 1,000 in your old pockets and god for the best in class with the Redmi 5.
