Infinix HOT 10T Review

Infinix HOT 10T Review: The HOT series is one of Infinix’s most popular smartphone lineups in Kenya. This series has its major focus on the camera, and the pricing has been competitive to lure more people into buying. Infinix HOT 10T is yet another variant in the HOT 10 series. Other models under the series include Infinix HOT 10 Play (review) and HOT 10 Lite.

Infinix HOT 10T doesn’t have a big price difference with the HOT 10 Play yet offers some additional perks that sweetens the whole deal. Starting at KES 15,499, Infinix HOT 10T features a 90Hz display, the first of the entire lineup.

But how does the Infinix HOT 10T perform in general? Is it really worth it? And how does it compare with the competition? We find out in our Infinix HOT 10 review.

Design and Display

Smartphones have changed in a big way for the last half of the last decade. From the design to the internals. Infinix has not been left behind as far as smartphone design is concerned. The HOT 10T has a strikingly familiar design to most other smartphones.

Infinix HOT 10T gives a false impression of having a textured plastic back from a distance, but I was disappointed to touch and feel a glossy back – one that’s nothing short of a fingerprint magnet.

The Infinix logo is, however, textured. You get a fingerprint sensor on the back, a quad-camera array with an LED flashlight. The volume rockers and power button are located on the right, but the SIM tray, which includes a dedicated microSD card slot, lies on the left side.

The headphone jack, mic, speaker, and micro USB port are all located on the bottom frame.

Infinix HOT 10T’s body is crafted with polycarbonate, which, unfortunately, doesn’t feel as sturdy as I’d hoped. You can feel some funny sounds just rolling the phone in your hand without applying any pressure.

But the phone is quite light and hence easy to carry out. You can choose between Morandi Green, Black, Heart of Ocean, and Purple colors. Our review unit was dressed in Hear of Ocean.

Infinix HOT 10T features a 6.82-inch HD+ 90Hz display, with the latter being the phone’s major selling point. The other proposition is the processor, but we’ll get into that below.

Hardware and Performance

Infinix HOT 10T runs on a MediaTek Helio G series processor. The G70 is paired with 4GB of memory and up to 128GB of internal storage. You can expand the internal storage further via a dedicated microSD card slot.

The review unit sent by Infinix includes 128GB of internal storage, but there’s a cheaper 64GB variant on the market.

Talking about performance, Infinix HOT 10T holds very well in day-to-day tasks. During my entire stay with the device, I didn’t notice hiccups whatsoever.

Well, the phone has a 90Hz refresh rate, and I was so interested in noting the difference when scrolling through my social media timelines. It definitely feels smoother relative to the standard 60Hz display refresh rate.

On matters of gaming, Infinix HOT 10T performs quite well. It does hold very well while playing graphic-intensive games like PUBG Mobile, COD Mobile, and Asphalt 9 Legends. It was quite impressive, which hints at the massive performance improvements today’s budget chips offer.

But given its price, it starts getting warm after about 20-25 minutes of gaming. But overall, for light gaming, you won’t be disappointed.

Camera

Being one of the most important factors to consider while buying a smartphone, Infinix HOT 10T includes a triple camera setup. The array is lead by a 48MP main camera, 2MP depth camera, and an AI lens. For selfies, there’s an 8MP camera housed in a waterdrop notch.

As you can see from the images above, camera performance isn’t astounding. But the images are passable considering the device’s price tag. For better performance, ensure lighting conditions are optimal. I tried using the camera in harsh conditions, and you can see the results below.

The images lack detail, and even though AI optimization and HDR are in play, you still get so-so images.

Infinix also touts the camera’s night photography performance which is attributed to Super NightScape mode. I gave it a try, and here’s what I got.

The phone tries to optimize the images making them a little bit brighter than the reality even when AI is turned off. This might work for or against you in certain conditions leading to unreliable performance.

Furthermore, zooming closer, you’ll notice a great lack of detail and clarity, which is also an issue in most cases with daylight pictures. For a phone of its price, however, night performance is not so bad.

Battery Life

Infinix HOT 10T packs a 5000mAh battery. For a battery of its capacity, you’re assured of extended screen time. For basic usage, I got over a day of juice without the need for a recharge.

But the main issue with the Infinix HOT 10T is the charging experience. The lack of fast charging is a bummer and will be a major compromise for those who’d love to get the device just for its 90Hz display refresh rate.

Conclusion – Deal or No Deal?

Infinix HOT 10T has one exciting feature, the 90Hz display refresh rate. As it stands, Infinix HOT 10T is the cheapest 90Hz phone you can get in Kenya. The Helio G70 processor is also a plus and does perform well even while playing intensive games like PUBG.

But the phone falls short in other places, for instance, the camera, the HD+ resolution display, and lack of fast charging. The software experience is (and has always been) a nightmare(the review unit runs Android 11 with XOS 7.6 UI atop).

Buy the Infinix HOT 10T if your main interest is in the 90Hz display refresh rate and with a shoestring budget. Otherwise, there are quite competitively specced smartphones in Kenya with better specs overall.

You can watch our quick unboxing video of the HOT 10T below.

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