Initial Verdict: The Infinix Hot 10S checks a lot of boxes for a budget device that’s been made for gaming with internals that are up to par with other offerings in the price segment. We’ve yet to see if it all adds up to make for serious competition but — barring anything going wrong during our testing — its large screen and feature set could make it a contender for people looking to cop a device for less than Php 7,000.

Pros

• Big screen, fast refresh rate
• 6000mAh battery

Cons

• Tinny speakers
• Slow charging times

Infinix Hot 10S specs

• MediaTek Helio G85 processor
• 4GB/6GB LPDDR4X RAM
• 64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage, expandable via microSD
• 6.82-inch HD+ IPS display, 90hz refresh rate, 180hz touch sampling rate
• 48-megapixel f/1.8 main camera, 2-megapixel macro camera, AI camera, LED flash
• 8-megapixel camera
• LTE, 4G
• WiFi, Bluetooth, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
• 10w charging
• 6000mAh battery
• Android 11, XOS 7.6

Infinix really has its eyes set on gamers and has added yet another phone to boost their current lineup with the Infinix Hot 10S and, if there’s one word to describe it, it’s massive in size but light on the wallet. Does this formula make for a good gaming device though?

Unboxing and Packaging Contents

The Infinix Hot 10S comes in the very familiar packaging from the brand in their signature green color. Highlighted on the box is their use of the Mediatek Helio G85 processor and the RAM plus ROM combination for the device.

In terms of the included accessories, it’s pretty much your standard fanfare. You get the documentation, SIM ejector PIN, charging brick, MicroUSB cable, and a pair of headphones. We appreciate the fact that you’re getting a hard plastic case with the device but, sadly, you are going to have to install the included screen protector yourself.

You’re also getting 1 X-Gold out of the box.

Design and Display

As we mentioned, the easiest way to describe this phone is massive. Thanks to its huge screen, which we will talk about later, the Hot 10S has equally huge dimensions, making it a definite two-hander even for someone with bigger hands like I do.

The device is primarily made out of plastic and the chassis has a unibody build. It comes in a variety of color options, such as: Purple, Ocean, and Morandi Green, but ours came in Black and all of them have a geometric pattern that kind of reminds us of dragon scales or scale mail armor.

As for the buttons and ports, you have access to the SIM tray on the left, the power button and volume rocker are on the right side, and on the bottom is where you’ll find the headphone jack, speaker grille, and the microUSB port.

You do have a fingerprint scanner on the device as well, which is located on the back of the device.

The display of the Infinix Hot 10S is definitely one of its big — pun intended — selling points. It measures in at 6.82-inches and uses an IPS LCD panel that’s still very much a staple for the budget segment.

Some might be bummed to find out that the resolution for this is capped at 720p or HD+ but you are getting a slighter faster refresh rate with the Hot 10S with the screen having a 90Hz panel; effectively giving you a touch sampling rate of 180 Hz to give you a bit of a competitive edge.

For the most part, you can still enjoy content on the display despite the lower pixel density but you may want to utilize the headphone jack and the included earphones because the audio can be a little lacking.

Cameras

For the cameras, the Infinix Hot 10S has a front shooter at 8-megapixels and is capable of shooting at 1080p 30fps. The array on the back looks like it has 3 cameras on there but you’re only going to be using the one, which is at 48-megapixels and that’s been partnered up with a 2-megapixel depth sensor and an AI camera.

No judgements on the output yet since we still have to take it around but here are a couple of snaps.

Performance, Software, and Battery

As mentioned above, Infinix proudly highlights the processing package in front of the box. We’re getting a Mediatek Helio G85 processor with the Infinix Hot 10S and that’s paired with an ample 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. If you really have to tighter your purse strings, its also available with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

We’ve seen plenty of devices with this set of hardware and, to its benefit, the internals have fared quite well for devices intended for mobile gamers that are on a budget. Infinix does have software enhancements for gaming called Dar-Link but we’ll tackle this in more detail in the full review if it does have a significant impact.

Speaking of software, the Infinix Hot 10S runs on Android 11 with the latest version of the company’s XOS UI overlay and keeping the lights on for this device is a large 6000mAh battery that should provide it with the endurance for long gaming sessions. It will take awhile to charge though since the included charger is only at 10w.

Wrap Up and Early Verdict

For a budget gaming phone, Infinix hits enough marks to make a compelling option. The processing package has been dependable in this space, the almost 7-inch display and higher touch sampling rate is a boon, and the large 6000mAh is more than enough to get you through the day.

We’ll have to test it out further to really see how it stacks up against some of its competition so make sure you stay tuned for its full review.

Infinix Hot 10S Unboxing Price Philippines

The Hot 10S is priced at Php 5,990 for the 4GB/64GB model and Php 6,990 for the 6GB/128GB model. Both variants will be Php 500 more affordable from June 15 to 18 during the Super Brand Days sale at the official Infinix Shopee store.