Both Xiaomi and the manufacturer OPPO have agreed to bring economic mobile phones with great aspirations to the market where 5G is one of the main axes. In this new mid-range that does not lack anything, the Redmi Note 10 5G and the OPPO A74 5G are two of the best exponents that offer us value for money above all else.
As the decision will not be easy at all in these smartphones so similar and with different minimum points, we are going to put before all of you those aspects that make them beat their rival. Once we know everything about them, we can draw conclusions and recognize which is the ideal mobile to buy according to our use, needs and, of course, what they offer.
Phones with similarities on the outside and on the screen
As soon as we observe these two smartphones we realize that the similarities are evident from the outside, although it is true that they have some differences. The main material of both terminals is plastic that allows the OPPO A74 5G to have a lighter weight of 175 grams and thickness of 6.4 mm compared to the 190 grams and 8.9 mm of the Redmi. We continue to their rear cameras, where they use a large and vertical module to place their lenses and led flash, where the only difference seems to be in the Xiaomi model since it integrates an aluminum-based material for its two main lenses.
Ahead, the front camera is integrated as a hole in the screen in a different place, opting for the Xiaomi center and an OPPO corner. To continue with the similarities, we come across the fingerprint reader in the same place, which is the side of the screen since its panels are LCD IPS. The screens share measures of 6.5 inches with a rate of 90 Hz and are composed of Full HD + resolution, although OPPO integrates a 180 Hz touch response that will make a difference in demanding games. They have anti-scratch protection and Redmi in addition to Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certification, protection against extra blue light.
Different processors and options that leave evidence
Once we turn to focus on the interior aspect, we find that the processor of both models has great changes and that although they share the possibility of 5G, Xiaomi has opted for the MediaTek Dimensity 700, while OPPO has opted for the Snapdragon 480. The power differences are not very large, although for some aspects and results the speed of Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 10 5G is superior . Xiaomi’s chip is created in 7 nanometers and offers a frequency of 2.2 GHz together with the Arm Mali-G57 GPU. In front of him is the OPPO model with its 8 nanometers, 2 GHz of power and Adreno 619.
We move on to another important point such as configuration, where the first thing that stands out is that they share LPDDR4X RAM technology, but there is a small change in memory, with UFS 2.1 for the OPPO model and version 2.2 for Xiaomi. Another relevant point is that OPPO does not add the option to expand the memory through MicroSD and we have to settle for its only memory option of 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory. On the other hand, Xiaomi, as usual, monopolizes all the options and offers combinations for all tastes with 4 + 64 GB, 6 + 64 GB or 6 + 128 GB, the same complete option that OPPO presented.
What cameras are better?
Another point where there are many similarities is that of the cameras, although after analyzing everything they offer us, I will not be left with a single winner. The 48 Mpx main lens is identical in many models, where they offer enough detail to take good photos, accompanied by an aperture f / 1.79 so that at night and with the help of their respective night modes we get great results. We continue with the second of the lenses, the 2 Mpx macro sensor that they share to photograph the smallest details and a third 2 Mpx lens also to capture more detail and improve portrait mode. But the big difference is that only the OPPO A74 5G has a wide angle and offers 8 Mpx with a wide angle of view to photograph large landscapes.
Ahead we have to know the front lenses, serrated to selfies and video calls, where the 16 Mpx of OPPO pass over Xiaomi and its 8 Mpx. But the thing does not stop here since we must also know what it offers on video. Both terminals make use of stabilization improvements with an electronic sensor, which allows to record video with good results despite the adjusted price and with the following recording options:
Redmi Note 10 5G:
- 4K at 30fps
- 1080p at 30 / 60fps
- 720p at 30fps
- Slow motion video: 120fps
OPPO A74 5G:
- 1080p at 30 / 60fps
- 720p at 30fps
- Slow motion recording: 120fps
Tables on the battery and connectivity scoreboard
The importance of batteries in smartphones is evident, trying to find a smartphone that offers us the ability to last all day with autonomy. This time the Redmi Note 10 5G and the OPPO A 74 5G have 5,000 mAh , but they are also accompanied by an 18W fast charge that is also identical. Here the decision will not be a problem. Then we come across its other connectivity sections, where as is usual more and more in the mid-range we see that they have NFC and that they do not lose the desired audio jack to enjoy cable music.
For those who prefer wireless, it also has low-consumption Bluetooth 5.1 LE in both terminals and also the GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo positioning systems. They also add the option of using two SIMs at the same time, using 5G in them to navigate at the highest speed.
Software duel: MIUI vs ColorOS
The Android version on these two smartphones is on Android 11 and it is expected that they will be updated during the next two years without problems, but its layer is almost more important given all that it offers. On the part of the Redmi Note 10 5G we have MIUI 12, but in the coming weeks it will be updated to MIUI 12.5 to get rid of the problems or directly to MIUI 13 in case the update is delayed. A layer that boasts many possibilities with many additions and customization options with the themes app, which can sometimes be overwhelming and still reminds of having an “Asian” style even though it uses several Google apps.
On the part of OPPO, we came across a customization layer called ColorOS 11 that has improved a lot in recent years and maintains the best of Android Stock with a differentiating style. Add customization possibilities and a response speed that MIUI has nothing to do with. It has fewer options to customize the mobile or advanced tricks, but there is nothing important to miss and it is even appreciated for the lightness in the system.
Conclusions, price and final choice
Before deciding on one or the other model, we must take their prices into account and for this it is fair to look at the option with 6GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory, which is the same in both models. On the part of Xiaomi we find it at about 220 euros, which is an attractive price for everything it offers and on the OPPO side we find it at 249 euros, an increase of almost 30 euros that can make the difference between staying with a smartphone or with another.
To decide we are going to review the winners in each category, where according to what it is, it did not give the best design and screen would be to pass the OPPO A74 5G since it has a lower thickness and weight, in addition to a sampling rate that improves the result in many aspects. Then in power there is no doubt and it is that Xiaomi improves what OPPO offers by a little, but it does. In the cameras, the winner is once again the OPPO terminal since it has an extra wide-angle lens and a much superior selfie. Continuing in battery and connectivity we see a total tie and finally the customization layer gives the OPPO A74 5G as the winner. For all this, the investment of 30 euros more means getting it right when buying the OPPO A74 5G , having a smartphone spend a long time without regretting the choice.
