If you’re looking for a cheap phone, buying the Samsung M10 is a good move. It’s cheap, performs well and is readily available, so what’s holding you back?
Well, you might want to learn as much about the device first, right? You’ve come to the right place. Everything you need to know about the M10 and more will be discussed below. So, let’s get to it.
Quick Navigation
If you didn’t know, the warranty and onboard memory you get effects its final price tag.
Its whole body is made from polycarbonate, which is expected as the phone is so cheap. This isn’t a bad thing as the plastic is soft, so it feels great in your hands.
The fact that the phone’s edges are so curved makes it nicer to hold. Although this may not seem like a big deal, having your palms stabbed by a phone isn’t fun.
The plastic instantly gives away the phone’s price tag, but it has a glossy finish. This elevates its looks considerably.
You can only get the device in two colours. Its either blue or black, which are boring.
Other than the camera and logo, you’ll notice that the phone’s back is naked. It doesn’t come with a fingerprint sensor plastered on. And no, it’s not on the home button instead, the M10 doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor, in general.
As a result, there’s an empty space on the top half of the phone. This makes the phone look better as its back is very minimalistic.
Its buttons are stationed on the right side of the phone, and are easy to reach. They’re pretty responsive which is a nice touch.
The M10 has its headphone jack on the bottom. I’m a fan of this placement as headphones are easier to maneuver.
Yes, the charging port is micro-USB. For a phone this cheap, expecting USB-C would be nice, but we’re not crazy.
The M10 is a pretty big phone. Its screen stretches 6.2 inches across and rocks an LCD HD+ panel. Remember that the phone is very, very cheap, so this isn’t too bad of a deal.
What’s more, the M10 has a pretty great screen to body ratio. Its ratio is 82.1%, which means its almost entirely screen. This makes the front look pretty premium.
Like most phones, it has a notch on its display. If you’re not a fan of notches, know that you can’t disable it through the phone’s settings. This doesn’t help the fact that it’s pretty in-your-face.
In general, its screen is pretty vibrant. Colours pop, so you have nothing to worry about. Although true, something you might want to worry about is its viewing angles. At specific angles, colours can shift.
If you love customizing your screen, you won’t love the m10. It doesn’t come with settings to adjust things like temperature and saturation.
In the harsh Sri Lankan sun, how well do you think the phone would fair? If you guessed horribly, you’re right. Cranking your brightness up would help with glare, but not by much.
I’m not going to beat around the bush, gaming on the M10 is horrible. It runs the Mali 830 GPU which causes a lot of stuttering and drops in frame rate. This is true for all kinds of games, not just the extensive ones.
The phone runs Android Pie. You should have no issue with this, but you might have an issue with the phone not getting Android 10. At the end of the day, the phone’s petty cheap, so this was expected.
On a more positive note, the phone comes with the Exynos 7870. If you’re not aware, the 7870 can out beat the Snapdragon 625 which is seen in more expensive phones.
In terms of RAM:
The device comes with 2 gigs, and a 3 GB variant.
The phone doesn’t come with the best storage capacity either. It comes in 16 and 32 GB versions, so you’ll quickly run out of space. This might not matter to you as microSD cards are a thing.
Honestly, its battery is pretty good. The phone has a 3400 mAh one that’s kind of big for its price. With heavy use, expect the phone to last about a day.
Know that you don’t get fast charging. Although an issue, your phone will last the whole day, so you won’t be running to the charger every 5 minutes.
If you must know, the M10 goes from 0-30% in an hour. If you do the math, this adds up to well over 3 hours to get fully charged.
Before we wrap up our review, we just have to talk about the M10’s camera. We’re not mad at it. It comes with a 13 MP sensor, as well as a 5 MP ultra wide one on its rear. The primary sensor takes alright shots in lit environments, but its ultra wide one performs the best.
Its selfie camera is less than great when compared to its rear ones. That being said, the camera’s focus really captures your face, and highlights it. There’s a Smart Beauty effect, and it smooths your skin out. At times, it can be a bit unnatural though.
With that out of the way, you know everything you need to about the M10. Before you head to the store, running through some great alternatives would be a good move. So, what’re you waiting for?
The 8A feels way more premium. It doesn’t come with a plastic body, but one made from glass. It isn’t just any glass as Gorilla Glass 5 is on its front and back. Bordering the device is a plastic frame, in case you were wondering.
As a result, the 8A is heavier at a 188 g. This gives it a heft that we’re fans of.
It has a screen that’s also 6.2 inches. The 8A has a worse screen to body ratio, but barely. It’s 81.8% while the M10 has one that’s 82.1%.
By leaps and bounds, the 8A has a more powerful battery. It is 5000 mAh and can last much longer.
The 8A comes with the Snapdragon 439 chip. Although great, it’s no match for the M10’S Exynos 7870.
Although it rocks a plastic unibody, it’s extremely shiny. This makes the phone look chic.
It has a screen that’s the same size as the M10’s. The screen is also LCD and HD+. For a phone at this price, this is reasonable.
What’s impressive about the C1 is its screen to body ratio. The phone’s ratio is 88.8% which is seen in more expensive phones. What’s more, the phone has some great viewing angles, which is perfect for Sri Lanka.
The phone also comes with 16 GB and 2 GB of RAM. However, microSD cards can be used. You can expand the C1’s storage up to 128 GB.
It rocks the Snapdragon 430. Considering the 7870 chip can beat the Snapdragon 625, comparing the 430 to the 7870 would be overkill.
The M10 is a great entry device. It comes with a killer chipset that can outperform some of the best mid rangers out there. Of course, its screen is good too, but its viewing angles aren’t the best for island life.
Don’t forget its battery. It has one of the best batteries when compared to its competitors, making it well worth your money. In terms of its camera, it’s adequate.
The M10 was recently discontinued in India. Most likely due to the overabundance of low to mid-range budget phones. It's still available here. For the time being at least.
