Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G Review

The Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G has been one of our go-to drivers for months now. So, it’s just about time to release our long-term review for it. You might wonder why it deserves your attention against many affordable 5G handsets launching in the local market. Still, we could say that there’s something about the phone that we know you’d love, especially if you are looking for a capable device that meets your tight budget.

So, if you want a device that can withstand day-long usage for today’s online requirements at work or school, read this review and see if it can be your new companion.

But before anything else, here are the key specs of the phone:

Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G Specs:

• 6.78-inch FHD+ (2460 x 1080) display
• Android 11
• 5G, 4G LTE
• MediaTek Dimensity 700, Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
• 4GB RAM
• 128GN internal storage, microSD card support
• Main Cameras: 48MP + 5MP wide + 2MP depth + 2MP macro
• Front camera: 16MP selfie lens
• Dual SIM
• WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth 5.1
• GPS, A-GPS
• USB-C
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
• Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 18W fast charging

Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G: Design

If you like your phone chunky and tall, you will have no issues holding this device that measures 9.2mm and weighs 209 grams. However, one-hand usage is uncomfortable for us because it’s too big to navigate. We’re also afraid the phone might drop if we won’t hold on to it tightly using two hands. Good thing, its lock/power button and volume rockers are located in the middle of its frame, making it easier to reach. However, placing your thumb in the on-screen navigation keys (while holding the phone tightly) would be a challenge if you’re using the device with just one hand due to its long physique. So, we won’t advise using it with just one hand.

Cherry mounted a hole punch in its screen to house its 16MP selfie camera. Above it is the earpiece, located in the bezel. It has volume buttons and a card tray on the left side, which can accommodate dual nano-sized cards. Users can choose between having dual nano-sized SIM cards or using one slot for a microSD card.

On the right, you’d see its power/lock button that also works as the fingerprint scanner. All physical buttons function well and are clicky and solid.

Moving on, the top accommodates the secondary microphone, while the 3.5mm audio jack, primary microphone, USB-C port, and speakers are located at the bottom.

Meanwhile, you’d see its quad cameras, flash, and Cherry branding on its back.

There’s nothing flashy about the phone, but it doesn’t mean boring. For us, it’s classy as it matches different styles. Dressed in a glass-like plastic panel, it’s a fingerprint magnet, so the use of its clear case is highly advisable, even if it makes the phone thicker.

Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G: Display

The device flashes a 6.78-inch FHD+ screen. There’s nothing special with its display, as it is not an AMOLED panel nor has a high refresh rate to accommodate heavy graphics. However, we like its brightness level ranges. Putting it at its lowest level won’t hurt your eyes when using it at night, while its highest brightness level suffices your outdoor usage.

Also, it has good sharpness and color accuracy, allowing us to have an enjoyable viewing experience when watching YouTube videos or streaming on Netflix. By the way, due to its large screen paired with good speakers, binge-watching using the phone is excellent.

There is also enough space to display in-game controls.

Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G: Software and performance

It’s been a long time since we used a Cherry Mobile phone as our daily driver. With this, we’re impressed with the improvements we’ve seen. It features a near-stock Android 11 interface, but unlike other Cherry Mobile phones we’d played around with, the Aqua S10 Pro 5G features the cleanest and most user-friendly interface. For sure, those who want a direct experience will love using it. Hence, we’re confident it’s one of the best smartphones for seniors or kids who need a beginner phone for their daily routine or tasks.

Cherry also equipped it with pre-installed Google apps, including Google Photos, Google Chrome, Google Contacts, and Google Assistant.

The Aqua S10 Pro 5G will be one of the most affordable 5G handsets available on the market. As our daily driver, we enjoyed using its 5G connection when using our mobile data. However, to manage your expectation, your 5G experience with any phone depends on your network provider. So we’re just delighted it can capture a 5G signal in our area.

Moving on to its performance, we didn’t expect much about its capability when playing games as it only comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. To give you an overview, here are its benchmark scores:

The Aqua S10 Pro 5G carries a MediaTek Dimensity 700, one of the first chipsets that bring 5G connectivity to budget phones. Another exciting feature is its liquid cooling technology that enables us to enjoy long usage periods, ensuring that our unit can handle our daily mobile tasks, including gaming, without bothering to heat up too much.

Yes, we’re able to play games like Call of Duty: Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Pokemon Unite using the phone. Its performance when running games was okay, but its flaws are evident, primarily if you’re used to devices with a higher RAM. Its lags while playing games were tolerable, though. But if you want to make its lags unnoticeable and have a smoother gaming experience, put its graphics quality on its default level.

Meanwhile, switching from one app to another was smooth. If you’re a student or someone who needs productivity tools like Google Docs, Google Meet, Zoom, and more, the phone can deliver smooth performance to you. We didn’t encounter freezing when we opened multiple social media apps and other productivity tools in the background at once.

Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G: Cameras

Looks good on paper, Cherry geared the Aqua S10 Pro 5G with a total of five cameras. But can it meet expectations?

If you’re looking for a budget phone that can produce decent photos for your social media feed, you can consider getting the Aqua S10 Pro 5G. It has a quad-setup on its rear, consisting of a 48MP main camera, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro lens, and 2MP depth sensor. The image quality produced from these lenses is okay, but definitely not the best one we’ve seen from other devices at its price point.

Photos taken with good lighting are considered “passable,” but we could easily spot the shortcomings of its wide lens and depth sensor. Indoor shots and night photos aren’t that great, too.

It sports a 16MP snapper for selfies that is enough for video calls. It can also enhance your facial features, but some images become too soft.

Here are some of the sample photos taken using the Aqua S10 Pro 5G:

Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G: Battery Life

One of the best offerings of this phone is its battery life. Packed with 5,000mAh juice and has an 18W fast charging solution, we never had a problem using it all day.

Here’s its PCMark Battery Life test:

In reality, as our daily driver, its battery life can last until the next day if we’re using Wi-Fi. But we have to note that our basic mobile tasks only include social media browsing and essential communications, such as Messenger and SMS. However, it can only last up to 14 hours with the same mobile activities when using data connection.

Meanwhile, when we heavily used it on weekends, we could vouch that it could run up to 11 hours and 12 minutes. Mobile activities include social media browsing, streaming on Netflix, and casual gaming.

Charging the phone to 100% using its 18W wired charger took 2 hours and almost 10 minutes. This is relatively longer than expected.

Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G: Verdict

The Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G has enough offerings to satisfy your needs. It is a budget phone that brings impressive features without breaking the bank. If you’re after a 5G phone with a large display, decent performance, and long battery life, consider getting this one. However, if you want to have an affordable camera phone, then give it a pass.

Overall, Cherry did an outstanding job fighting other handsets at its price point. Really, it deserves attention and your consideration.

The Cherry Mobile Aqua S10 Pro 5G is available for Php7,999 here.

What can you say? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section!