Infinix Hot 10S: A smartphone with a lot of Positives

Infinix Hot 10S 7

Infinix has been stepping their game and has launched a couple of large phones in the under INR 10K price segment. Their penetration is good in Tier 2 and Tier 3 offline markets and most of these phones have been made by keeping that audience in mind.

We now have yet another phone from the brand for review and this is the Infinix Hot 10S. The phone packs in a lot of hardware that you might have seen in other Infinix products that are currently in the market. What differentiates this phone is the fact that we get a slightly powerful chip and a better main camera. The phone is being sold in the market at a starting price of INR 9,999 for the first few sales for the 4GB RAM, 64GB storage variant.

We have been using the Infinix Hot 10S for a while now, and if you are in the market looking for a smartphone at a tight budget, this review is for you.

Infinix Hot 10S Specifications

Before starting with the Infinix Hot 10S review, let’s have a look at the phone’s specifications.

  • Display: 6.82-inch IPS LCD display, HD+ (720 x 1640 pixels) resolution
  • CPU: Octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 Processor
  • RAM: 4/6GB
  • Storage: 64GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB
  • Software: Android 11 (XOS 7.6)
  • Main Camera: 48MP (f/1.8, PDAF) + 2MP (f/2.4) depth sensor + AI lens
  • Selfie Camera: 8MP (f/2.0), LED flash
  • Connectivity: microUSB port, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM Radio
  • Cellular: Dual SIM
  • Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, rear-mounted
  • Battery: 6,000mAh, Li-ion Polymer, non-removable

Box Contents

Here’s a complete list of items you get inside the box:

  • Infinix Hot 10S
  • 10W charger
  • Micro USB Cable
  • TPU Case
  • Screen protector
  • SIM Ejector Tool
  • Documentation

Design & Display

When looking at the Hot 10S, you can’t neglect the fact that how big this phone is. Infinix has been making large phones for a while now and this new model ties in with their existing line-up very easily. The phone has a polycarbonate construction with a pattern on the back.

It is being offered in a bunch of colors that are neutral and not that flashy in our opinion. Starting off with the back, we get to see a triple-rear camera setup which is disguised as a quad-camera when you factor in the flash module location. There is also a fingerprint sensor in the center while Infinix branding lies underneath.

Coming to the button placement the power button and the volume rockers are located on the right side of the device. A SIM tray on the left-hand side, followed by the speaker grill, micro-USB port, microphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom.

Turning the phone reveals the massive 6.82 LCD with an HD+ resolution and a dewdrop notch though we would have liked a punch-hole which is quite common these days. The bezels all around have been kept to a minimum except for the chin, this can be justified given the price but we expect Infinix to improve on this aspect on upcoming phones. The quality of the display is decent but the sheer size of it coupled with just an HD+ resolution is a led-down.

The display gets sufficiently bright and outdoor visibility is decent at best. Colors come out well and can be tweaked as per your taste via settings. Overall, the display is just average at best, could’ve been better if we got an FDH panel but this is still ideal for content consumption.

Software & Performance

Talking about the software, the Infinix Hot 10S runs the latest Android 11 build with the company’s custom XOS 7.6 on top. XOS much like MIUI or ColorOS is a highly customizable skin on top of Android and lets you change a lot of aspects of the UI, ranging from themes, custom icons, and more.

Infinix Hot 10s

The UI is filled with animations that with the mid-range processor look cool for the most part. There are nifty additions in UI as well like a Game Boost mode, auto-call rejection, and auto-replies. You still get to see quite a lot of bloatware like Opera, PHX News, Flipkart, and games like Danger Dash and Mayan Jump, make a cut again. There is also the Palm store, which is a Play store alternative that is notorious for pushing spam notifications. On the plus side, some of these apps can be uninstalled or disabled from the settings.

Coming to the performance, the Infinix Hot 10S gets powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 SoC. This chip has been lately popping up on a number of smartphones and has a proven track record for delivering decent performance. The phone is being offered in two RAM configurations with either 4GB or 6GB while the storage is fixed at 64GB on both models. The Helio G85 is a capable chipset able to push the phone through day-to-day tasks but struggles when put under stress.

As with prior Infinix smartphones, the RAM management is good and you will not face any issues with either of the two models. During our tests, which included light browsing, social media, and casual gameplays, the phone performed well. We did try some gaming, and games like Call of Duty Mobile ran at low to medium settings without any struggle.

Cameras & Battery

Moving to the cameras, the Infinix Hot 10S comes with a triple-camera setup on the back. There is a 48-megapixel main sensor which is assisted with a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a third AI lens.

Infinix Hot 10S 1There is an 8-megapixel sensor on the front for selfies which has two LED flash modules on either side for better selfies. We get a fairly basic camera app with common modes and there is heavy use of AI baked in. Images taken by the main sensor in broad daylight come out decent. The HDR performance is also decent. With the additional depth sensor, we get some amount of background blur which elevates the shots.

In lowlight, as we expected, the main sensor did struggle a bit but kicking in the SuperNight mode did help brighten the subjects. Moving to the front camera, the 8-megapixel selfie shooter produces above-average shots in line with the price of the smartphone. Though the skin tones are way off in our opinion and they can see a bit of beautification being done in the background despite the being turned off.

6000 1

The phone comes packed with a 6,000mAh battery which is now becoming a standard in Infinix smartphones. What isn’t standard is the use of a MicroUSB port. In our tests, the phone lasted two days with moderate usage which comprised web surfing, social media, texting, and occasional gaming. The phone comes with a 10W charger inside the box and using the same brick we were able to top-up the phone in a little over 2 ½ hours.

Pros

  • Big display ideal for content consumption
  • Good performance
  • Excellent battery life

Cons

  • Bundled Bloatware
  • Camera performance can be better
  • MicroUSB charging port

Verdict- Should you buy it?

Infinix Hot 10S 2

The Infinix Hot 10S improves on a lot of aspects that we had been highlighting in our reviews. They now have an improved processor and a main 48-megapixel camera on the rear which have collectively bumped the experience.

That being said, the display resolution is still HD+ which at times proves to be sore eye. Also, the fact that the phone still comes with a lot of bloatware is a concern and we hope Infinix removes at least some of these apps on future devices.

Given the starting price of INR 9,999, the Infinix Hot 10S is a step up from the other Infinix products and can be a good buy for a lot of people offline.

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