Infinix Hot 10: Infinix has established a reputation for itself in the Indian budget smartphone segment by providing feature-rich smartphones at aggressive pricing. The Infinix Hot 10 is one such effort at bringing big-screen entertainment, good enough performance, and extended battery life to first-time buyers, and all that without burning a hole in the pocket.
Challenging value for money options like Realme, Redmi and Micromax, priced quite aggressively, the Hot 10 is for the value seeker. But does the general day-to-day experience hold up? Let’s dive in.
Design and Display: Bigger and Bolder
In the hand, the Infinix Hot 10 is surprisingly large for a budget phone due to the relatively huge 6,78-inch display. There is a 6.78-inch HD+ IPS LCD screen at the front, which should be more than enough to watch videos, browse or play games.
While it’s not the sharpest at 720 x 1640 pixels, it can output good color and brightness which is perfectly acceptable for use indoors and in the shade outside.
On design, the rear of the Hot 10 has a gem-cut textured finish for better look and grip. The device comes with colors such as Ocean Wave, Amber Red, and Moonlight Jade, and looks pricier than it is.
Performance: Better than You’d Expect for the Money
Beneath the hood, the Infinix Hot 10 is powered by MediaTek Helio G70, which is marketed as a gaming processor and is commonly found in premium-priced phones. It is accompanied up to 6GB of RAM and is available with up to 128GB of storage, again rare for a phone of this price.
In everyday use, the phone is fine for calls, browsing and social media apps. You can also manage some light gaming, and games like Free Fire and Call of Duty Mobile both are playable rather well in medium settings.
The processor also handles multitasking well, thanks in part to XOS 7’s RAM management.
Software:
Airtight But Pudgy When it arrives to software, this phone offers a packed, polished set, but it’s also a bit of a pudgy beast.
The phone ships with XOS 7.0 on top of Android 10, and despite being feature-rich, it’s pretty heavy on pre-installed apps and notifications. Some bloatware is removable, but the UI does require few hours to get used to. That aside, game mode, smart panel and gesture controls are a bonus.
This UI is quite friendly for those who are moving up from their basic phone. Just don’t expect the sparse appearance you associate with stock Android here.
Camera: Average, but Decent Enough for What I Want
The Hot 10 is equipped with a quad camera:
16MP main sensor
2MP macro lens
2MP depth sensor
Low-light AI sensor
During the daytime, optimal results can be achieved with 16MP camera, which clicks decent images with correct colors and natural contrasts. Although results in low light are pretty average and the macro and depth sensors are more for show than for actual use.
The 8MP selfie camera is good enough for social media, and it sports AI beauty modes and portrait filters.
Video tops out at 1080p and it’s just basic, no stabilization.
Battery: The Best Thing About It
A few highlights from the Hot 10 include its 5200mAh battery life, that lasts over a day on moderate usage. Even with heavy use, it should last you 24 hours without a charge. The phone arrives with a 10W charger, which is slow by today’s standards — it takes about 2.5 hours to fully charge — but you won’t have to charge it often.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Large 6.78-inch display
Solid battery life (5200mAh)
Well, a G70 performance is decent though.
Premium design aesthetics
Competitive pricing
Expandable memory and 3.5mm port
Cons:
Large screen with HD+ resolution
XOS IS FILLED WITH BLOATWARE AND SLUGGISH AS HELL
Average camera at best, especially in low light conditions
Small charging rate (only 10 W)
Micro-USB instead of USB Type-C
Infinix Hot 10 Final Verdict
There is no doubt that Infinix Hot 10 targets budget-friendly consumers who demand a big screen, good battery life, and workable performance for casual usage.
It’s not going to knock any of the fancier phones in terms of finish, nor lack a camera, but in the places where it counts for its target market, it shines.
If you are a student, full-time feature phone user or just want a no-nonsense daily driver for under ₹10,000, the Hot 10 is a lot of phone for not a lot of money.
