Remember Vertu? The British-based luxury cellphone brand that prided itself from products that are handmade from primo materials? Those cost a pretty penny, some costing from USD10,000 upward. They look pretty and but they were all flash and had no (technological) substance ("It's operating on a 'Symbian'?!)"
In 2017, the company applied for bankruptcy and its parent company, Vertu AK France, still continues its trade. These days, it's not uncommon to fork out a thousand for cellphones. There are many factors to this price jump: phones are not being sold as often as phone companies would like as consumers are still holding on to older models and not upgrading with every yearly release.
Another factor is the rising cost of raw materials used in the cellphones, as well as the challenges in adding a lot of shit into the average smartphone. Essentially, your smartphone is a chocolate-bar-sized computer but we expect it to take quality pictures; withstand dust and water size; able to play audio of great fidelity; be fast; last for longer on a single charge and so-on-and-forth.
It's little wonder that to meet these expectations, there needs to be the price to go with it.
But what if it can be affordable?
That's what Xiaomi is doing with its Mi 10T Pro. Right off the bat, the selling point of the device is the camera system. It has a 108MP AI camera with a 13MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro lenses and a 20MP front camera. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset and a 5,000mAh battery, the 10T Pro lets you indulge in your creative side thanks to its many camera features. With the optical image stabiliser (OIS) we played around with its camera features like the long exposure modes or focusing on a stationary subject while blurring the surroundings.
But its the video components that really shine. You're able to record an 8K 30fps video or simultaneous recording with the front and rear cameras or video cloning, like capturing yourselves in one video. The sky's the limit when you're shooting and editing videos and images.
But seeing your work on the 10T Pro screen is something else. With an industry-leading 144Hz refresh rate, the phone's AdaptiveSync display automatically matches the content’s frame rate, guaranteeing a smoother viewing experience and optimum battery usage (The latest Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra only has a 120Hz refresh rate!).
The phone's Reading mode 3.0 simulates a paper texture to protect your eyes (still prefer the feel of paper between the fingers but sure) while Sunlight display 3.0 automatically adjusts dynamic saturation when you're outdoors.
The Oscar-nominated movie, Tangerine, was shot entirely on the iPhone. With specs like these, it'd be great to watch for a film that's entirely shot on the Mi 10T Pro.
The Mi 10T Pro retails for SGD749 and is available at authorised Mi Stores, local telcos (M1, Singtel and StarHub) and online channels like Lazada, Shopee and Qoo10.
