It’s pretty brave to launch a new brand in the Philippine smartphone industry. Even braver to bring in a new player in the competitive entry-level market. With a lot of contenders already taking the spotlight, it’s a tall order to even be noticed.

But that doesn’t stop the French smartphone brand WIKO as they introduce the WIKO 10 in the country. So the question remains – would this phone’s features be enough to get the attention of the market? 

I guess that’s what we’ll find out in this review. 

Classic never goes out of style 

Smartphone designs these days are mostly shiny and eye-catching, but you can never go wrong with a classic look. The WIKO 10 variant we have is Black with a matte finish. To me. it looks premium and sophisticated especially when you don’t put the clear jelly case on. 

Its body is made of plastic but it doesn’t feel cheap. There are no body flexes as its construction is pretty solid. 

It has round corners and edges seem like it’s going against the typical boxy design. Something we usually see in newer smartphones today. Thankfully, this means it is easier to grip. This, despite it being a quarter of an inch shy of being a seven-inch device weighing 199 grams.

Having used it for days, this phone actually reminds me of the Infinix Note 11s. It is similar when it comes to its weight, size and round edge design. 

My partner Andre also tried using the WIKO 10. He shared that it has a similar feel with the ROG Phone 5s he previously reviewed in terms of its size. That might be a big plus for gamers since even with this budget phone, they get to have a similar feel of using such an expensive gaming smartphone. Size-wise, that is. 

As for the camera design, I liked that the cameras are not as big and embossed compared to new smartphones these days. It gives us that subtle look which actually looks pleasant. 

Big display for media consumption 

The WIKO 10 comes with a 6.74-inch 720p IPS LCD Display. Surprisingly for a budget phone with an IPS panel, the WIKO 10’s display doesn’t lack on vibrance and details. 

Though, with its large display size, some images do get stretched. Even the icons have noticeably rough edges and images have the tendency to be pixelated. But despite that observation, I still enjoyed watching Netflix series on it having a bigger screen.

I also have this habit of browsing the internet before sleeping while the lights are already off (which is not advisable lol). So, I appreciate that the WIKO 10 has a Night Light under its Display settings. It gives the screen a warmer tone so I don’t strain my eyes.

As for the sound quality, this has a single bottom firing speaker that actually produces decent sounding audio and works just fine when playing games and watching videos. 

With soundtripping, I think it would still be better to use your earbuds or your wired earphones since this has an audio jack anyway. 

Performance and Software

Under the hood, the WIKO 10 sports MediaTek Helio G37 chipset. It also has 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage which is plenty for a budget phone. So we don’t have to worry about downloading a lot of apps or games since this phone definitely can handle it.

With this chipset and amount of storage, apps run pretty smoothly with just occasional lags on its interface. 

And speaking of games, I assume these also benefited from the large available RAM. This phone is already good for casual gamers as you can play popular games at decent speeds. But don’t expect too much since you have to run most games at low settings. 

Even as someone who isn’t much of a mobile gamer, I enjoyed playing Pokemon Cafe Remix that ran very smoothly and Call of Duty: Mobile while putting it at low settings. 

As for its software, this runs on Android 12 with very minimal preinstalled apps. This is probably to keep the phone from slowing down. But as someone who’s pretty old school, a preinstalled one that I actually liked was an FM radio app that lets me listen to my favorite radio stations even while I’m on the road.

Competent cameras  

At its rear, the WIKO 10 comes with a triple camera setup. A 50MP main camera, 2MP depth camera, 2MP macro lens. While in front, it has an 8MP selfie camera.

I actually missed doing photo walks so I brought this phone out for a couple of days around the neighborhood. I didn’t expect much but using the main camera, photos taken during daytime actually look pretty good.

Comparing this to older budget phones, I can surely see an improvement in terms of the clarity and processing.

I did have a bit of a struggle since I sometimes miss taking some good photos due to the camera’s slow shutter response. I also noticed that photos have a tendency to sometimes be over-saturated.

As for night photography, I was pleased that even without a designated night mode, the camera was still able to take acceptable shots of static subjects with some exposure adjustment. 

On the other hand, selfies taken with the 8MP front camera looked okay with good lighting conditions. But in low light scenarios, photos from this did show its weakness and probably aren’t for the gram anymore.

I also did try the camera’s Beauty mode and I didn’t find it flattering. 

And upon checking the photo gallery, I also noticed that photos are in low resolution which is probably an effort to make it easier to scroll through and review the photos. 

Massive battery 

As for its battery, the WIKO 10 packs a 5000mAh battery which is common on budget smartphones. But what gives it a bit of an advantage over its competitors is its 22.5w USB-C charging. 

I tested out its battery over the weekend and it lasted me a day web browsing, using it for taking photos catching up on Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and even used it for a while to charge my phone while I was out as the WIKO 10 has wireless reverse charging. 

As for juicing it up, it was able to go from 0% to 16% in just 10 minutes and was able to fully charge it in one hour and 44 minutes which is a little bit faster compared to similarly priced phones. 

Is the WIKO 10 your GadgetMatch? 

The WIKO 10 might not still have all the features you usually desire especially on its performance and camera capabilities. But at its price range, it still has some advantages that make it a competitive choice.

It has a large vibrant display which is enough to enjoy watching videos and playing games, a capable battery that can last you for a day and even charge up other devices, plus it can be easily juiced up with its 22.5w fast charging.

It also has a big storage for dumping a bunch of apps and photos if you find yourself needing it.

All in all, I think the WIKO 10 is a decent fit for people on a budget but I think this also goes very well for people planning to get a secondary phone.

The WIKO 10 is available in 3 colors – Klein Blue, Silver and Black and retails for PhP 8,990 on Lazada, Shopee and authorized WIKO stores and kiosks. 

Square Enix announced that the release date for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is on December 13. It’ll be available on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

It will be available in Hero (physical), Digital Deluxe, and Standard editions, with the Steam version for PC dropping the day after.

The much-anticipated remaster of the prequel to Final Fantasy VII first released in 2007 for PlayStation Portable will feature a complete HD graphics overhaul, remastered soundtrack, a reimagined UI, and an updated combat system.

More upcoming titles and newly-released games were also announced at Nintendo Direct. Here’s a quick rundown:

Octopath Traveler II to launch in February 2023

The second installment in the action RPG series Octopath Traveler has been confirmed for a February 24, 2023 release date on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and PC via Steam.

There will be a brand-new story alongside new characters – each with their own narratives – as players will now start an adventure in the new land of Solistiaand and encounter eight new travelers: Hikari (Warrior), Agnea (Dancer), Partitio (Merchant), Osvald (Scholar), Throné (Thief), Temenos (Cleric), Ochette (Hunter), and Castti (Apothecary).

New and returning gameplay features and elements will include:

• Break and Boost Battle system: Players should exploit enemy weaknesses to “break” them, inflict more damage, and “boost” travelers’ abilities
• Path Actions: Players can interact with NPCs throughout the world
• Day and Night cycle: Townscapes and Path Actions for each character will depend on the time of the day
• Latent Power: A new battle element wherein characters can unleash a powerful ability once the gauge fills up
• Crossed Paths: Additional stories will unfold between protagonists as their journey progresses

Theatrhythm returns with Final Bar Line

After a six-year wait, the fan-favorite rhythm action series is back with Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line launching on February 16, 2023 on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 – both in digital and physical versions.

There will be 385 carefully selected music tracks from across the whole Final Fantasy series, and the game will also feature songs from more recent Square Enix titles.

Harvestella demo now available for download

Meanwhile, a free downloadable demo for the upcoming simulation RPG Harvestella is now available on Nintendo Switch.

This will allow players to begin their adventure before carrying over their saved progress to the full game. It releases on November 4 this year.

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered coming this December

The fourth entry in the SaGa series, Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered is coming to PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and iOS and Android devices on December 1, 2022.

The latest iteration of the adventure RPG will get an HD graphical remaster. This is on top of additional new features and QOL updates. Pre-order will be announced at a later date.

Various Daylife to be available in more consoles

Lastly, single player RPG Various Daylife has finally been made available for the first time on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and PlayStation 4.

Released in 2019, the game revolves around the story of a protagonist travelling with a group in a new land. The protagonist joins an exploration team in the process.

The hunt for the inexpensive gaming smartphone continues.

And vivo is known for consistently releasing great phones that deliver. This year with the release of the newest member of their Y series, the vivo Y21T, they satisfy our craving for pleasurable gaming without slashing our pockets.

Now let’s dive into what this new player has in store for us. 

Smooth looker 

Right off the bat, it’s impressive how vivo seemed like they still prioritized the design despite the Y21T being a budget smartphone. This 8mm-slim phone weighing 182g actually looks premium and reminds me of the flagship vivo x70 with its flat design. 

I also find its glossy back with light crystal coating charming as it changes its hue when hit with light. The variant we have is Pearl White and its color varies from pink to blue. However, it is made of plastic which might make it prone to scratches. Luckily, vivo already included a soft jelly case to prevent that. 

On top of the Y21T, you can find the SIM tray with a triple card slot which supports memory expansion of up to 1TB microSD for additional storage. 

And on the side is where you can find the volume rocker and power button which also works as the fingerprint scanner. It is also conveniently located in the middle portion which makes it easily accessible for unlocking your phone. 

Face unlock or Face Wake as they call it is also available as an alternative if that is what you prefer. 

Then at the bottom, you can find the 3.5mm headphone jack with the USB-C charging port and speaker grille. 

Just the right display  

Up front, the vivo Y21T has a 6.51-inch, 1600×720 HD+ IPS display. For a phone released in 2022, I find it weird that this still has a 720p resolution. There’s nothing extraordinary with it but binge-watching dramas or playing games is still an enjoyable experience as it delivers bright colors and vivid details. 

Its display also gives you a silky smooth and delightful visual experience despite its refresh rate being only 60Hz. 

Just a bit of a downside is its bottom bezel that’s noticeably thicker than the rest. This makes the screen look smaller than it actually is. I did also struggle looking at the screen when using it outdoors, especially on a sunny day. 

#TforTurbo 

Now we come to my favorite part of the vivo Y21T. As it is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset with Adreno 610 GPU, its performance made me forget that it was even a budget smartphone. a lot of games are optimized to run on this chipset. 

The Y21T didn’t seem bothered at all when I ran Asphalt 9 at maximum settings that I ended up playing for an hour. I also thoroughly enjoyed playing Pokemon Unite at the highest settings while hanging out at a cafe. 

Genshin Impact on a budget smartphone!

Genshin Impact, despite its highly intensive graphics, was also very playable at medium graphic settings. But what really impressed me was I was able to get my game on with Call of Duty: Mobile at very high settings on medium FPS. Though I doubt that this was consistently running 60FPS all throughout, it still felt very smooth.

It is nice to see that this is even possible with a smartphone on this price rang. Similarly priced phones running on MediaTek chipsets would only run this game at medium or high settings. 

What may also have contributed to my gaming experience was vivo’s version of their performance gaming mode — the vivo Multi-Turbo 5.0. It is said to enhance network connection, system processor speed and power-saving performance. 

Vivo also has their Ultra Game Mode which heightens the gaming experience through a more immersive sensory focused gameplay. With features such as 4D Game Vibration, mute and block of incoming calls and hiding of visual notifications. 

For multitasking and day-to-day use, the Y21T is loaded with 4GB + 1GB Extended RAM and 128GB internal storage which makes switching between apps even smoother.

Capable cameras  

We all know that vivo is very well established in the smartphone camera scene especially with its flagship phones. But even on the more affordable spectrum, the Y21T did not disappoint. 

A triple camera setup with 50MP main rear camera, 2MP macro sensor and 2MP depth sensor is loaded in the Y21T which is actually the same with last year’s vivo Y33S. 

The photos taken with decent lighting actually look great. Colors look natural and are not overly processed. Taking a look at these images, I can already upload these straight to my Instagram feed. 

The Y21T also has a Bokeh Camera that lets you be creative with portrait shots using different bokeh shapes. It may not look like it was shot with a mirrorless camera but photos look pretty decent. 

One camera factor that sets the Y21T apart from its almost twin, the Y33S, is that it takes great photos at night with its Super Night Mode. The details on these images are clear and displayed minimal noise. 

As for its 8MP Selfie Camera, it does a great job at night as it brightens your photos.

But ironically, you can really noticethe poor dynamic range when you take selfies during daytime. 

Battery that keeps on going 

The vivo Y21T packs a 5000mAh battery which has been a standard for budget smartphones nowadays but that doesn’t mean it disappoints. 

It was able to last me for a day and a half doing my day-to-day task. While taking breaks in between, I played two games and only two percent was deducted from my battery percentage.

During the long weekend, I got a bit hooked on Pokemon Unite that I managed  to play for a total of eight hours. 

As for juicing it up, using the 18W Fast Charger that came with the device, it went from four percent to 100 percent in two hours and nine minutes which is also pretty standard for its rated battery capacity. 

Is the vivo Y21T your GadgetMatch?

At its price range, the vivo Y21T is very capable for gaming. But it’s also a good all-around smartphone for work and entertainment. Other than gaming, its cameras and the design are also worth taking a look at.

This smartphone lets you enjoy all your favorite games. It also accompanies you with your daily tasks while not burning a hole in your pocket. Sounds like a fit for most people’s preferences.

The vivo Y21T is priced at PhP 10,999 and is available in Midnight Blue and Pearl White.