Hisense has been teasing its new A10 E INK phone for several months, and it is finally available for purchase in China. There are now two models: the A10 and the A10 Ultra. They range in price from $476 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, to $576 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The main difference between the regular model and Ultra is that the Ultra comes with the detachable color screen in the box.
Both phones feature a 6.13-inch Carta 1300 e-ink display with a resolution of 1648 x 824 pixels and a pixel density of 300 PPI. The phone only has a black-and-white e-paper screen. The screen supports 256 levels of grayscale and 36 levels of warm and cool lighting via the front-lit display.
One of the standout aspects of the Hisense A10 is the optional magnetic color screen. The 4.96-inch LCD panel attaches to the back of the phone using a magnetic ring and metal contacts. It can be attached or removed whenever needed. With the color screen attached, the A10 can be used more like a regular smartphone. Users can browse color comics, view charts and images, watch short videos, and use social media apps. You can simply detach it when you do not need it.
The A10 series is powered by Qualcomm’s QCM6690 octa-core processor, built on a 4nm process. The chip supports 5G connectivity and has been optimized for e-ink devices. Hisense says the phone can automatically reduce the processor’s frequency and power consumption during static reading. For demanding tasks, it can increase performance to keep the interface responsive. It has Bluetooth 5.1, WIFI, USB-C, and a 48MP main rear camera and an 8MP front camera. It is powered by a 4,000mAh battery.
Finally, the A10 series comes with Google Android 16, but does not have the Google Play Store. There are a handful of preinstalled apps such as WeChat Reading. However, users can sideload in their own APK files, so you can use Amazon Kindle or Overdrive Libby.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
