All the style, half the price

I’ve waited for great foldables to be more affordable for a while now. I was beginning to think it wouldn’t happen, as each year, Samsung released its slate of Flips and Folds with the same (or increased) pricing. And it’s not like help was coming from overseas, as Vivo, Oppo, and others introduced relatively premium products. But, recently, we’ve seen a crop of midrange foldables promising all the fun and style of your Galaxy Flip 5 at nearly half the punishment for your wallet.

Blackview’s Hero 10 is one such device. It offers a gorgeous OLED display, stylish design, and decent performance for under $500. But with a cheaper price comes compromises, and Blackview has made a few to reduce the cost of the Hero 10. It’s nothing I couldn’t live with, but foldables aren’t like other smartphones; there aren’t too many corners you can cut with build quality before it becomes a problem. I tested the Hero 10 for over three weeks — here’s what I learned.

Price, availability, and connectivity

Unfortunately, like many overseas units I reviewed, the Blackview Hero 10 has a sizable price disparity depending on where you purchase it. It costs $530 on Blackview’s site but only $400 on AliExpress. On Amazon, the price goes up to $600. Each price point changes the conversation, with any figure over $500 becoming a tougher sell. Even still, double-check each site’s return policy before you make a decision.

The Hero 10 comes in one configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Blackview offers two color choices: Eclipse Black and Sakura Purple. As expected, connectivity is a mixed bag with the Hero 10 in the US. T-Mobile works great; any MVNOs running on its network should do just fine. Activated Verizon SIMs have a shot, but don’t count on it. As for AT&T, you have a better chance of LG making another phone than the Hero 10 working on the AT&T network.

What do I like about the Blackview Hero 10?

Gorgeous display and a stylish design

I want to start with the Hero 10’s display. It’s a fantastic 6.9-inch AMOLED panel with deep colors and excellent contrast. DokeOS, which we’ll talk about in a minute, is quite colorful, and the Hero 10’s display does a great job showing it off. It’s also a bright panel, with 1,300 nits peak brightness — I never had trouble viewing it outdoors. Games and movies pop off the screen. It’s a highlight of the device, and you’ll be pleased by it each time you unfold the phone.

Similarly, the outer display is quite pleasant. It’s small at around 1.2 inches, but it’s a crisp, vibrant OLED panel that displays notifications, shows the weather, and controls your music. The panel is snappy, responsive, and does everything I’d expect at this price point. I also like how it fits into the Hero 10’s design — everything flows seamlessly together.

Over the last 18 months, I’ve used the Helio G99 chipset on at least a dozen devices. I’ve spent so much time with the G99 that I’m pretty sure I would be invited to its wedding. That’s not a bad thing, as it’s capable of decent performance, but that’s it. It’s adequate. Don’t ask for too much, and you won’t be disappointed.

Light to medium gaming is fine, and social media scrolls are smooth. I don’t worry about the G99 today as much as I’m concerned about its performance two years from now, but I hope the Hero 10’s 12GB of RAM delays the inevitable decline. You’re also limited to 4G on the Helio chipset, and while that may not be the biggest concern now, it could be a bigger consideration in the coming years.

I was first introduced to DokeOS two years ago and found it charming. It’s quirky and reminds me of MIUI from years ago — colorful and fun but with a learning curve. The Hero 10 runs Android 13 with DokeOS 4.0 out of the box. All told, it works well, and I never found the OS hindering my experience. However, as much as I enjoy DokeOS, that’s not why I’ve included it as a positive.

Unlike many overseas competitors in this price range, Blackview is committing to three years of Android upgrades, meaning the Hero 10 will be supported through Android 16. It’s not the seven years that Google offers on the Pixel 8a, but I appreciate that Blackview is trying to support its phones after release.

The Hero 10’s battery life is decent. I consistently saw 5.5 hours of screen-on time from its 4,000mAh cell, with 45W wired charging available — not bad for a clamshell foldable.

What don’t I like about the Blackview Hero 10?

It’s hard to trust durability

I want to separate design from build quality, as the Hero 10’s design is appealing. The Sakura Purple colorway is pleasant, and I love how the eco-leather feels — it all comes together beautifully with the color-matched matte aluminum alloy frame. But looks aren’t everything, and I mentioned at the top of the review how a less expensive build on a foldable phone is dangerous.

A company fitting a smartphone with a plastic frame or back panel to reduce cost isn’t mission-critical, but foldables are a different story. If the Hero 10’s aluminum hinge fails, it renders the entire device unusable. If the folding screen cracks or separates, it’s a showstopper. And, unfortunately, the hinge on the Hero 10 isn’t confidence-inspiring.

The folding action sometimes feels loose, and closing the device produces a hollow sound. In addition, I would occasionally hear a noise similar to a squeaky shopping cart wheel on closing the Hero 10, almost like it needed lubrication. Moreover, the fingerprint sensor along the frame feels flimsy, and I questioned whether I pushed it or not at times.

Even still, I’ve learned that foldable hinges don’t need tight tolerances to hold up over time, as I thought the Moto Razr+ was loose when I first got it, but that phone has lasted an entire year without issue. And, yes, the Samsung foldables have tighter hinges, but sometimes, that means smaller amounts of dust and debris can gum up the works. My gut tells me the Hero 10’s hinge will have trouble over time, but I’ve been wrong plenty before.

The Hero 10 features two camera sensors: a 108MP main shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. Photos from the main camera are crisp and clear in good lighting, with decent color reproduction and acceptable contrast. In low lighting, images become soft, with detail and color lost. The main sensor also tends to blow out photos if there is a strong light source.

Quite predictably, the 8MP ultrawide struggles to produce a decent image, with photos coming out soft with a noticeable drop-off in color from the main sensor. It’s not an unacceptable performance for a foldable at this price, but it’s not a highlight of the Hero 10.

Should you buy it?

I like the Hero 10, and I’m rooting for Blackview to keep making affordable folding phones. However, it’s hard to recommend for purchase when devices like the Moto Razr are around the same price and offer better performance with a more confidence-inspiring hinge.

If you can find a Blackview Hero 10 on AliExpress for $400 and feel particularly saucy, it’s worth picking one up. You’ll absolutely have fun with it and enjoy its excellent design and gorgeous display. But, if you’re a more conservative buyer looking to dip your toe into the foldable waters — it’s best to keep searching.