Hong Kong-based smartphone brand Infinix is among the tech companies that are known for value-for-money devices. It's not surprising that Infinix regained its momentum and following in the Philippines when it came back in 2019 after exiting the local market in the previous year. And perhaps one of the reasons behind this is because the Philippines is a country where mobile phone users are always looking for affordable smartphones that don't compromise performance. Simply put, Infinix is a fitting piece in the puzzle that's the local smartphone market.
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| Infinix HOT 10 Play Review; Budget Sizzle |
Early this year, the brand released its budget take on a gaming-centric device -- the Infinix HOT 10 Play. Does this smartphone stay true to the impression Infinix has? Let's find out!
Get yours via Lazada at https://bit.ly/infinixofficialstore.
PHYSICAL:
You have four colorways of the Infinix Hot 10 Play to choose from. These include Aegean Blue, Morandi Gree, Obsidian Black, and Purple. At first glance, one would have mistaken this smartphone with a glass body, but it has a polycarbonate build. Its rear part -- which carries the Infinix branding, camera module, and fingerprint sensor -- has a beautiful pattern on it. It's prone to fingerprint smudges, though, so we recommend using a casing on the Infinix Hot 10 Play.
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| Obsidian Black |
The hardware buttons of the Infinix Hot 10 Play are the usual ones. On the right side, you have the volume rocker and the power button, while on the opposite are the triple card SIM tray. It can carry two NANO SIM cards and a microSD card all at once. At the bottom of this smartphone is where you'll find the micro USB port, primary microphone, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Noticeably, the Infinix Hot 10 Play doesn't have a loudspeaker. It produces its sound through the earpiece only, so there's nothing much to expect from the smartphone's audio department.
You can have a decent audio experience when you use the headphone jack. The smartphone has the DTS Sound feature that allows users to personalize sound effects for an immersive experience when listening to music, watching videos, and playing games.
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| HD Display |
The Infinix Hot 10 Play flaunts a 6.82-inch display in HD+ (720 x 1640) resolution as its screen, with a dewdrop notch front camera. The smartphone's screen size might not be that unique on paper, but real-life usage of the Infinix Hot 10 Play would make you appreciate its tall body. It gives an immersive display area that mobile gamers and binge-watchers would love.
In terms of display quality, this smartphone sits in the middle. It doesn't have that strikingly gorgeous color production and detail sharpness, but it isn't that lacking either. Safe to say that you'll get what you paid for with the Infinix 10 Hot Play when design and display are concerned.
See Also: Infinix HOT 10S with Gaming Chip, 90Hz Display and 6,000 Battery Launches in PH; Price Starts at Php5,490
SOFTWARE and PERFORMANCE:
Inside the Infinix Hot 10 Play is a reasonably competitive set of specs -- MediaTek Helio G35 gaming processor coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage expandable up to 512GB. Inevitably, there is bloatware on the device resulting in only 48GB of usable storage.
The device runs on Android 10 with the Infinix XOS 7.0 on top out of the box for its UI skin. It's clean and straightforward, and it has customizable features that make the entire smartphone experience with the Infinix Hot 10 Play easy and convenient. Infinix has released the XOS 7.1 so expect an update for the Infinix Hot 10 Play soon if it isn't rolled out yet as of writing.
The MediaTek Helio G35 GPU of the Infinix Hot 10 Play is a tell-tale sign that this smartphone is a decent budget mobile gaming device. To avoid experiencing any significant stutters when playing games like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, we suggest using mid graphics and audio settings at the maximum. You can also enhance the gaming experience with the Game Mode feature of the Infinix Hot 10 Play.
We also liked that the Infinix Hot 10 Play maintained its cool even with demanding tasks like gaming and an all-day social media scrolling spree with multitasking on the side.
To put things into perspective, here are the benchmark results of the Infinix Hot 10 Play:
- Antutu - 105,230
- Geekbench Single-Core - 165
- Geekbench Multi-Core - 987
- PC Mark Work Performance 3.0 - 5,869
- PC Mark Work Storage 2.0 - 7,826
- 3D Mark Sling Shot - 826
- 3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme - 436
CAMERA:
A 13MP F1.8 primary camera with artificial intelligence shooters makes up the Infinix Hot 10 Play rear camera system. Some would expect a poor camera performance with the pricepoint of the Infinix Hot 10 Play. However, surprisingly, the smartphone delivered good photos in well-lit environments, whether indoors or outdoors. The pictures showcased just the right amount of clarity and color accuracy. Some shots don't even need retouching. The quality is good enough to post the photos on social media as is.
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| 13MP Dual Camera |
It's a different story, though, when it comes to night mode shooting. Photos taken using the Infinix Hot 10 Play in the evening appeared cloudy and dull.
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| 8MP Front Camera |
Upfront, there's an 8-megapixel selfie camera that applies a skin-smoothening effect that sometimes looks a bit unnatural. Other than this, it's the same as the rear cameras. Photos taken during the day in bright areas are good enough, while night shots aren't impressive.
Here are some camera samples of the Infinix Hot 10 Play.
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| Day, Pool |
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| Day, Mini Bridge |
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| Day, Buildings |
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| Night, Playground |
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| Night, Pool |
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| Macro |
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| Selfie |
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| Night, Selfie |
Also Read: Mysterious New Infinix Phone Features Mind-Blowing New Charging Technology
BATTERY:
The battery of the Infinix Hot 10 Play is its most vital selling point. With 6,000mAh, you can last up to two days of moderate usage.
Since the Infinix Hot 10 Play carries the dated micro USB port, there's a lack of support for fast charging. A massive battery capacity like that of the Infinix Hot 10 Play could use a quick charging time via USB-C port, but again, complaining about this is out of the picture given its price. Refueling its battery back to 100% took us almost three hours.
FINAL WORDS:
Priced at only Php4,990 for the 4GB+64GB variant, the Infinix Hot 10 Play can give you your money's worth. This smartphone is available via the Infinix Flagship Store on Lazada.
How much is the Infinix HOT 10 PLAY price in the Philippines?
- The Infinix HOT 10 Play price in the Philippines is Php4,990 for the 4GB+64GB variant (new) and Php4,290 for the 2GB+32GB model (old).
- Get yours via Lazada at https://bit.ly/infinixofficialstore.
When will be the Infinix HOT 10 Play available in the Philippines?
- The Infinix HOT 10 Play is now available in the Philippines.