10.or E – The new sub 10k sensation (Review)

10.or is a new Chinese mobile company that has entered India with some cool mobile models. 10.or has partnered with Amazon to sell these mobiles in India. To kick-start their sales in India, they have 2 models: 10.or E and 10.or G. These models have been competitively priced and they offer a good price to spec value.

I have been using the 10.or E mobile for a few weeks and here is my review. The 2+16 GB variant of 10.or E is priced at Rs 7999 and the 3+ 32 GB is priced at Rs 8999.

In the box

• 10.or E mobile
• 10W charger
• Micro USB Cable
• Sim Ejector Pin
• User manuals

Design

10.or E may not have a unique design identity, but it has a sensible design. The material used is high-quality plastic that looks like metal. It is a sturdily built mobile. It has micro USB port and a mono speaker with a mic at the bottom. The audio jack is on the top and the fingerprint sensor is at the back below the camera. The chin below the display is awkwardly big. It has a dedicated slot for SD card along with two separate slots for SIM modules. The placement of the power button is above the volume rockers which is a bit unconventional. Though it is a 5.5-inch mobile, it is easy to hold and handle. It is a mobile priced below 10k and at no point, it feels cheap.

Display

I think that the 10.or E is the first mobile under Rs 10k to have a full HD display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. The display is 5.5 inches diagonally and it supports FHD resolution. The colors are bright and the viewing angles are good. It has good brightness but the contrast is a bit off the mark. This IPS LCD display does not have blue light filter option for easy reading. Considering the price segment, I would confidently say that the display on the 10.or.E is too good.

Camera

On the camera dimension, it has a basic 13 MP sensor at the back and a 5 MP sensor on the front. The max video resolution is 720p, which is a disappointment. But the quality of photos is above average. The colors are accurate both in low light and daylight. The images are sharp in daylight but on low light, it has noticeable noise. The dynamic range is not wide and HDR mode is not helping here.  Focusing is fast and accurate. The UI is basic and useable. It is fast and smooth to use. Overall, considering the price point, I must say that I am surprisingly satisfied with the camera on the 10.or E.

Check out the camera samples below

Hardware and Performance

It is powered by a Snapdragon 430 processor with 2/3 GB RAM and 16/32 GB memory variant. It has all the usual sensors for your VR and Map navigation. But it does not support NFC and FM Radio. I had the 3+32 GB variant.  I installed about 40 apps on it and found out that it can manage almost any of your day to apps without any issues. Gameplay was smooth but the graphics rendering quality was not pleasing. The mobile does not have over-heating issues. On continuous gaming for 30 minutes, the temperature increased by 8 degrees. Overall the performance is smooth and snappy for an entry-mid range mobile.

Software

10.or E runs on Android 7.1.1 out of the box and it is upgradable to Android Oreo. It does not have any skin and offers stock android experience. It has a few of the Amazon apps and widgets installed out of the box. Apart from that, there isn’t any bloatware. Because of its stock nature, it does not have any extra features. The UI was snappy and breezy to use.

Battery

The 4000 mAh battery on the 10.or E is a long-lasting battery. On my moderate usage, it lasts for over 2 days. On intensive usage, I get a screen on-time of 6-7 hours. I loaded all 2 seasons of Suits episode and watched it all the way from Bangalore to Delhi on flight and binge watched it. On return, I watched more episodes and at the end of the day, I was still left with about 30% of battery. It also takes about 2:30 hours to charge fully with the provided 2A charger. Battery performance is pretty impressive on the 10.or E.

Verdict

I would not consider the 2 GB variant and it definitely makes sense to buy the 3 GB RAM variant. It competes directly with Redmi 4 3/32GB variant. Performance and battery of both these mobiles are same. 10.or E has some advantages like Corning Glass 3 protection and FHD display and stock android. If you are not a fan of Skinned UI and Stock is what you want, you need to choose the 10.or E over Redmi 4. If you are looking for a decent workhorse for under Rs 1000o or looking for a dependable backup mobile, you can definitely buy the 10.or E. It is available exclusively on Amazon website and service is handled by B2X in India.

For more details – 10.or

To buy it on Amazon – 10.or E