Xiaomi Redmi 5A vs 10.or D: Which One Should You Buy?

The 10.or D and the Xiaomi Redmi 5A are two entry-level smartphones that have managed to gather a lot of attention for what they offer at their respective prices. The Xiaomi Redmi 5A (Review) was the first to hit the market as the self-proclaimed desh ka smartphone. It was launched at a price of Rs 5,999 for the cheaper variant with 2GB of RAM, which was further discounted to Rs. 4,999 for the first 5 million units, making it a decent value for money offering.

However, Xiaomi did not have an unobstructed run of the market as 10.or has launched the 10.or D (Review) as a direct competitor to the Redmi 5A at the same price. While both these smartphones offer good hardware for the price, which one should you put your money on? We give you the answer.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A vs 10.or D: Design and features
The Xiaomi Redmi 5A and the 10.or D are entry-level smartphones and at this price, it’s no surprise that both have plastic bodies. The Redmi 5A has smaller dimensions and is comfortable to hold when compared to the 10.or D. This is primarily because the 5A sports a 5-inch display compared to the bigger 5.2-inch display on the 10.or D.

The 10.or D has a single SIM tray with two nano SIM slots and a dedicated microSD card slot. On the other hand, the Redmi 5A has two trays, one for the second SIM card and the other for the primary SIM and a microSD card. Both the phones have one distinct feature - the Xiaomi Redmi 5A has an IR emitter on the top while the 10.or D has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Xiaomi’s Redmi 5A is marginally thinner at 8.35mm in comparison to the near 9mm thickness of the 10.or D. The slightly bigger body lets the 10.or D sport a bigger 3500mAh battery compared to the 3000mAh battery in the Redmi 5A. And the difference is evident when you hold the two phones as the 10.or D weighs a noticeable 150g, while the 5A feels light at 137g. Also, the Redmi 5A uses better quality plastic and trumps the 10.or D in overall build quality.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A vs 10.or D: Specifications and software

The Xiaomi Redmi 5A sports a 5-inch display while the 10.or D sports a slightly bigger 5.2-inch display. Both the phones have the same resolution of 720x1280 pixels which is good considering the price. We noticed that the 10.or D misses out on an ambient light sensor forcing us to adjust screen brightness manually. The Redmi 5A has an ambient light sensor, slightly higher pixel density thanks to the smaller display, and a better display panel compared to 10.or D.

Both smartphones are powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 SoC, a quad-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz. The base variants of both phones have 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage while the higher variants have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Since both smartphones have dedicated microSD card slots, storage is expandable. While the 10.or D can accept cards up to 128GB, the Redmi 5A can handle a 256GB microSD card as well.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5A and the 10.or D have 13-megapixel cameras at the back and 5-megapixel selfie cameras. Software is where these phones have taken different approaches. While both phones run on Android Nougat, the Redmi 5A has Xiaomi’s custom MIUI 9 on top with a few other apps pre-installed. Xiaomi lets you customise the display output to suit your preference, it also includes button and gesture shortcuts which make it easy to take screenshots and load apps.

We also found the in-built support for Dual Apps very helpful. While Xiaomi offers these customisations, the 10.or D ships with stock Android with only a support app pre-installed. This means in terms of software, the pick is down to personal preference - whether you prefer the features of MIUI, or the purity and simplicity of stock Android.

The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner on the 10.or D gives it an edge over the IR blaster on the Xiaomi Redmi 5A in our opinion as we found the fingerprint scanner a more convenient feature for day-to-day use, helping the 10.or D cover some ground despite the missing ambient light sensor.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A vs 10.or D: Performance and battery life

We had the 2GB RAM variant of the Redmi 5A and the 3GB RAM variant of the 10.or D for the comparison - both priced at Rs. 5,999, though the former is available at a discount of Rs. 1,000 for first 5 million units for an effective price of Rs. 4,999. Despite the difference in RAM, the Redmi 5A managed to post roughly the same scores in benchmarks. While these aren’t super fast phones, you aren’t left waiting for really long while loading apps or multitasking with either. Games also run equally well on both and we didn’t find any difference between the two.

Like we mentioned earlier, we found the fingerprint scanner on the 10.or D to be more convenient while we had to use a PIN to unlock the Redmi 5A. However, the Redmi 5A feels more polished, the UI animations are smooth and it feels snappy to use. If you prefer stock Android and want the convenience of a fingerprint scanner, the 10.or D makes a strong case for itself. But if you like software customisations and enjoy using new features, Xiaomi’s MIUI 9 offers it all.

Battery life is where you can spot some difference between the two phones. The 10.or D has the edge thanks to the bigger battery which helps it outrun the Redmi 5A is our HD video loop test. The 5A managed 11 hours, 9 minutes while the 10.or went on for 12 hours, 26 minutes. Tests aside, both smartphones will last you one day of regular use.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A vs 10.or D: Camera

While both the smartphones have 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel rear and front cameras respectively, they perform a bit differently when put to the test. The Xiaomi camera app is well equipped with different shooting modes that is lacking on the 10.or D. We also found that the Auto Scene detection mode on the Redmi 5A performs better than the 10.or D and it makes a noticeable difference in the output.

Samples clicked on the 10.or D (top) and Xiaomi Redmi 5A (bottom)

Photos clicked with the Xiaomi Redmi 5A had slightly more detail than the photos clicked on the 10.or D. Daylight shots on the Redmi 5A had good detail in the same lighting conditions while the 10.or D missed out on some finer details. In the photo with the white car, it can be noticed that the Redmi 5A manages to capture colours slightly better than the 10.or D. We also saw that photos from the 10.or had a slightly cooler colour temperature. HDR on the 10.or D needs you to have a steady hand, while the Redmi 5A could manage to click HDRs well.

Samples clicked from the 10.or D (top) vs Xiaomi Redmi 5A (bottom)

In low light shots, the Xiaomi has the lead yet again as it could keep the noise under control while maintaining some detail. The 10.or D was not as aggressive with noise control and the difference in the output can be seen in the photo with the generator truck in it. Both the smartphones max out at 1080p for the rear cameras but we saw a slight stutter on the 10.or D while the Redmi had a smoother output. As for selfies, the 10.or D manages marginally better colour reproduction than the Redmi 5A but produces a dull output in comparison but neither phone has a good selfie camera. Both phones have basic cameras given their price but the camera software helps the Redmi 5A nudge slightly ahead of the 10.or D.

Verdict
The Redmi 5A and the D are both priced similarly and offer the same processor and RAM combinations. However, the approach to software is different resulting in different experiences. While performance is fairly similar, the Redmi 5A feels smoother and polished. We found the build quality to be better and it clicked better photos than the 10.or D, which makes it our first choice at this budget. Xiaomi has discounted the base variant of the Redmi 5A to Rs. 4,999 for the first 5 million units after which the price is slated to go up to Rs 5,999. The 3GB variant is priced at Rs. 6,999, making it more expensive than the 10.or D. Unless you want a fingerprint scanner at this price, the Xiaomi Redmi 5A is the phone to pick despite the premium.