Tenor, actually written as '10.or,' had recently introduced two new smartphones in the Indian market — the Tenor E (check out the review) and the Tenor G. The smartphone grabbed attention by offering a dual camera setup at an affordable price. Starting from Rs 10,999, the smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 626 octa-core processor, which claims to offer smooth user experience and also supports 4G LTE connectivity. The smartphone sure does look good on paper, but let’s find out if the device is worth spending your money on.
Before moving ahead, let's first find out what ticks under its hood.
Specifications in brief:
- 5.5-inch full HD display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and 2.5D curved glass.
- Gorilla Glass 3 protection
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 octa core processor
- Adreno 506 GPU
- Android Nougat 7.1.2 operating system
- 3GB / 4GB RAM
- 32GB / 64GB storage
- 13MP + 13MP rear camera with auto focus and dual tone LED flash
- 16MP front camera with LED flash
- 4G, VoLTE (works on both SIM slots), Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth
- Accelerometer, Proximity, light, magnetic and gyro sensors
- 4000mAh Li-ion battery
Let’s begin with the design of the smartphone. It has a metal body that feels good while holding the phone and it's easy to use the device with one hand. The device weighs around 170 grams and the 2.5D curved glass gives it a comfortable grip and its not too heavy either considering a massive 4000mAh battery underneath.
The rear panel houses a fingerprint sensor, which is surprisingly fast and accurate. The handset produces stereo audio by using the bottom firing main speaker as one channel and the ear piece as the second channel.
The Tenor G sports a 5.5-inch FHD display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, 2.5D curved glass. The display is bright and the colour reproduction and viewing angles are also decent. No complaints here.
The display produces vibrant colours, has a good contrast level and offers an average sunlight legibility. The display is responsive and we didn’t notice any lags during our time with the device. Overall, the display qualifies as 'decent,' with satisfactory touch sensitivity for an overwhelming experience.
The dual-SIM 4G 10.or runs on near-stock Android Nougat 7.1.2 operating system — which means no-to-minimal bloatware for a better and smoother user experience. The UI is substantially smooth and the stock Android is a treat to work on. And as expected from stock Android, we do have quick switch and multi window feature here.
Optics wise, the smartphone boasts a dual (13MP + 13MP) auto focus camera with dual tone LED flash. The camera manages to impress by producing some good pictures, but could have performed better provided the camera software was further optimised. The camera interface is pretty basic and the shutter response is quick with some filters thrown in to spice up your photos. There’s also beauty mode featured for the rear camera so that your subjects are made to look good without the need for post processing software.
The camera allows you to shoot professional-style pictures after switching to the dual camera mode. Surprisingly, the overall output is striking, but fails to produce photos with the quality one expects from dual camera setups. As for selfies, the company has crammed in a 16MP front facing camera, which does a pretty good job. However, the pictures lack a few details and low-light areas tend to record grains.
The smartphone runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC, which offers a 10 per cent boost as compared to its predecessor, the SD625. With this chipset, the 10.or G performs pretty well and the device can easily handle high-end games with least signs of lag while switching between apps or navigating through the home screen.
Tucking in a Snapdragon 626 processor, stock Android, dual cameras and a huge 4000mAh battery makes the Tenor G a tempting smartphone to get your hands on. Although the dual camera might not be as good as the one seen on most flagship smartphones, it still does a better job than most smartphones in this segment. The 10.or G is priced at Rs 10,999 for the 3GB/32GB variant, while the 4GB/64GB variant is available for Rs 12,999. The device can be a good alternative if you are looking for a budget smartphone with a dual camera setup.
