2024 is finally the year of more affordable foldable smartphones. Thanks to the clamshell shape, prices are melting like snow in the sun, and the idea of ​​foldable smartphones becoming more and more popular is no longer utopian. We experienced this for several months at Journal du Geek, p Energizer Ultimate U660S and recently with our test of Nubia Flip 5G.
Today we’re back with a new affordable folding model: the Blackview Hero 10. Priced under €500, it’s one of the cheapest foldable smartphones right now and claims the title “the world’s most affordable foldable smartphone”. The term is likely to appear regularly as the battle rages between manufacturers. Little known in France, Blackview is a Chinese brand specializing in smartphones and other connected devices. In particular, it has a range of rugged phones and is now venturing into the foldable segment.
Blackview Hero 10 spec sheet
| Blackview Hero 10 | |
|---|---|
| screen | – Foldable screen – OLED from 6.9 packs – Definition of 1080 x 2560 pixels) – Density 403ppi – 60Hz – Punch in the center – Peak brightness: 1300 nits- 1.19 inch external OLED display – 390 x 390 pixel definition |
| Design | – Vegan leather cover |
| SoCs and GPUs | – Mediatek Helio G99 – Mali-G57 MC2 |
| memory | – 12 Go to RAM – 256 GB internal memory |
| Colors | – Noir – Violetov |
| Camera | – 108 Mpx main sensor (f/1.9) – 8 Mpx ultra wide angle (f/2.2)- 32 Mpx front sensor |
| audio | – Stereo speaker – No jack |
| Battery | – 4000 mAh – 45W wired fast charging |
| Connectivity | – USB-C – Ultrasonic fingerprint reader on the side – Bluetooth 5.2 – NFC – GPS, GLONASS, A-GPS – Wi-Fi 5 – 1x nano-SIM – 1x eSIM – 4G – Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pedometer |
| Software | – Android 13 – DokeOS 4 |
| Height and weight | – Dimensions open: 169 x 75.5 x 8.1 mm – Dimensions closed: 87 x 75.5 x 16.3 mm – Weight: 198g |
| price | – 500 euros in 256 Go version |
| availability date | – May 2024 |
Design
The Blackview Hero 10 feels good out of the box, with a flattering design. The clamshell format is very classic, includes a large folding screen and an additional screen (see below). The latter is round and accompanies the smartphone’s dual camera.
There is no imposing external screen on this model, the back is largely covered by the outer shell of the phone. It consists of a visually appealing and pleasant to the touch vegan leather shell. The appearance remains classic and does not approach high class. The smartphone measures 87 x 75.5 x 16.3 mm when folded and 169 x 75.5 x 8.1 mm when unfolded and weighs 198 grams. The grip is effective and the device does not slip once in the hands.
As for the hinge, it is in the shape of a water drop and this means that there is no space between the two parts of the screen. The foldable smartphone confirms its progress in the field and this limits the thickness of the Blackview Hero 10. The hinge has not given us a problem since we have been using the device, and it has proven to be effective, although we do not feel that it is of every use.
It will take a very long test to be sure, but we have somewhat the same impression as with the Nubia Flip 5G. The hinge seems slightly floating and a slight rubbing noise is heard when quickly using the hinge a few times. This in no way interferes with the daily experience and is only an impression. For now, Blackview assures us that its smartphone uses ultra-thin glass (UTG) in addition to the teardrop hinge, enough to guarantee more than 250,000 opening and closing cycles.
screen(s)
The screen is definitely one of the curiosities of the foldable smartphone. Blackview Hero 10 comes to us with a 6.9-inch AMOLED panel with 2.5K definition (2560 x 1080 pixels). The manufacturer promises a peak brightness of 1300 nits, but does not emphasize the refresh rate of the panel. The reason is simple, this smartphone only uses a 60 Hz panel and that will be surprising in 2024.
If the visual experience doesn’t suffer from major flaws, the lack of a faster refresh rate creates the feeling of a lack of fluidity. Even if its spec sheet isn’t the most impressive on the market, we attribute this shortcoming mainly to the screen at 60 Hz rather than the overall performance of the smartphone. Beyond that lack of smoothness, the experience is pretty decent thanks to the size of the main screen. The brightness is sufficient for most situations while the bezels are there, but not obtrusive compared to smartphones twice the price (like Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5). The colors seem to lean towards blue and look quite cold, but it is possible to adjust the temperature in the settings.
As for the secondary screen, we are getting used to this type of screen. Its circular format and its size (1.19 inches) limit this OLED panel (390 x 390 pixels) to basic functions, such as displaying weather, health or music widgets. It also allows you to display notifications or take photos.
Software and performance
Blackview’s Hero 10 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 chip. Engraved in 6 nm, this SoC features an octa-core CPU (2 x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 and 6 x 2 GHz Cortex-A55) and a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. It comes with 12GB of RAM, expandable up to 24GB for a total of 36GB of RAM. We really don’t know what could justify reaching such a level on this type of device, but Blackview finds the argument relevant to appear on the box of its smartphone. Finally, we immediately find 256 GB of memory.
The smartphone is not a benchmark in terms of performance, but it holds up in standard use. Whether surfing the Internet, consulting email networks, managing emails, sending messages or taking pictures. The feeling of lag, or rather the lack of smoothness, comes mainly from the screen being limited to 60 Hz. In gaming, you shouldn’t expect much from a smartphone like the Blackview Hero 10 and avoid titles that are too demanding. FYI, the chip of this foldable smartphone is the same as that of Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G.
| Blackview Hero 10/b> | Nubia Flip 5G | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoC | MediaTek Helio G99 | Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| AnTuTu | 418,928 | 695 527 | 1,379,526 |
| Geekbech 6 CPU (single core / multi core) | 731 / 2,040 | 1,067 / 3,113 | 2,032 / 5,252 |
| Geekbech 6 GPU | 1 310 | 2 467 | 7,627 |
| WildLife Extreme (score/average fps) | 347 / 2.08 | 832 / 4.99 | 3,443 / 20.60 |
Discovering DokeOS 4.0… and Android 13
On the software side, this smartphone with an interface unknown (or almost) in France: DokeOS 4.0. It is based on Android 13 and we can only regret that the manufacturer offers a smartphone with a generation or even almost two delays. The manufacturer announces that it guarantees major Android updates for three years. It remains to be seen if Blackview will play the game by offering them regularly, but the absence of Android 14 while Android 15 looms is not really reassuring. The fact of development with an overlay, unknown in France, does not break the habits and the basic functions of Android are available.
The parameters are sometimes a bit unclear and the brand takes some liberties with the translations. Rare elements are not translated, like in the part with the drums, which shows us a small part in Spanish. Finally, the smartphone doesn’t take advantage of its foldable format to offer relevant features like YouTube or the photo app. It’s not really possible to split the screen in two:
Autonomy
Equipped with a 4000mAh battery, the Blackview Hero 10 is compatible with 45W fast charging.
Battery life is rarely a strong point of flip smartphones. Without being a durability monster, the Hero 10 manages to get through a good day of use without breaking the bank. It seems a little more complicated to us to last two days with such a smartphone. In case of fatigue, fast charging takes over and allows you to restore 50% autonomy in about twenty minutes and a little more than an hour to reach 100%.
Photo and video
The Blackview Hero 10 is equipped with a dual photosensor on the back, including a main wide-angle module from 108 Mpx (f/1.9) and an ultra-wide-angle module from 8 Mpx (f/2.2). On paper, the smartphone should not be ashamed of the comparison with other clamshell folding models and adds a 32 Mpx sensor (f/2.5) on the front.
In use, the Hero 10 quickly shows that it is not the most comfortable to shoot and does not fit into the category of photophones. The main 108 Mpx module is rather poorly used and does not leave a lasting memory. However, it gets the job done when conditions are good for sharing images on social networks or via your favorite messaging service. If the device avoids oversaturating colors for a more natural rendering, the lack of sharpness blurs the rendering. The observation is also valid with the ultra-wide angle, while conditions are too difficult in low light to get a usable result.
Even more than imaging, the Blackview Hero 10 suffers – like several foldable flip smartphones – from being compared to a classic smartphone. Around 500 euros, the competition is strong with models like the Samsung Galaxy A55 (459 euros) or the Google Pixel 7 (usually under 500 euros) or the Pixel 8a (between 450 and 550 euros). You can even go down the screen and find devices that are at least as photography-friendly at €350 or €400.
Price and availability
The Blackview Hero 10 is listed on AliExpress for less than 500 euros, excluding the promotion. Almost unbeatable price for a foldable flip smartphone accompanied by full packaging (case, charger, etc.).
