The new Infinix Hot 10 Play smartphone is a 3rd- generation smartphone hailing from the Hot series, and the 8th member of the entire “Hot” lineup. This specific device is an upgrade to the vanilla Hot 10 and the budget gaming smartphone, the Hot 10 Play G25. The Hot 10 Play G35 will now offer a larger and brighter screen, more battery capacity paired with faster charging, as well as improved connectivity to reduce gaming lag.
The online-focused smartphone brand is marketing this device as a decent gaming powerhouse supported by an optimized battery consumption algorithm. On paper, these specifications hint at an efficient gaming phone despite its underwhelming features in every aspect, but this will be tested when it runs modern gaming titles that are a staple in almost every gaming smartphone today.
The Infinix Hot 10 Play sports an all-plastic frame and back panel surrounding an IPS LCD front glass. The rear fingerprint sensor sits at the center of what’s otherwise a plain back surface, just below a rectangular camera tray. Although it is far from a beautiful phone, since the design cues are dull and look generic, the device is held snug on the hand and the heft adds to the stable and compact holding experience.
The power button is placed below the volume rockers on the right, while the SIM tray is placed on the left side. The micro-USB port and the 3.5mm headphone jack are located at the bottom. The buttons are clicky enough but feels flimsy, especially the power button. The SIM tray, on the other hand, provides a good connectivity experience since it can run two SIM cards and has a dedicated microSDXC slot for memory expansion.
In front, the 8MP front-facing camera with LED flash is placed on a teardrop-shaped notch. Although the side bezels are pleasingly thin, the chin is a little more pronounced and takes a huge chunk of the smartphone’s screen real estate.
The cameras on the Hot 10 Play are not its defining feature with its two cameras severely underpowered and the results are underwhelming. It’s a basic shooter with almost non-existent post-processing algorithms or enhancing software.
In spite of its uninspired hardware, the Hot 10 Play does come with a beefy 6000mAh battery that lasts almost a day’s worth of gaming, streaming, and browsing. It can handle any light game thrown at it with ease, but struggles getting decent frame rates with modern titles like “Call of Duty: Mobile” and “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” on maxed settings.
Conclusion
For what’s supposed to be a device built for gaming marathons, the Infinix Hot 10 Play meets the same limitations faced by budget devices that are considered good enough to run the most played games today. It does excel in being a reliable casual phone since it offers good connectivity options and a battery that keeps up with day-to-day tasks like light browsing and making calls. This device is a good pick for feature phone users transitioning to the smartphone experience, as well as buyers with a tight budget.
