Infinix flagship device is packed to its gills with features. But will it succeed? Here are our first impressions.
The success enjoyed by the likes of Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo is encouraging more Chinese companies to make their debut in India. Among the latest entrants is Hong Kong-based Infinix. The company last night launched its flagship Zero 5 smartphone at an event in Dubai. The Zero 5 and the Zero 5 Pro will be going on sale in India soon, with prices starting from Rs 17,999. Having spent some time with the new smartphone, here are my first impressions of the Infinix Zero 5.
Infinix has launched two variants – Zero 5 priced at Rs 17,999 and Zero 5 Pro priced at Rs 19,999. Both devices share the same set of specifications and features with the only difference being storage space. The Zero 5 comes with 64GB storage, while the Zero 5 Pro comes with 128GB storage. If that isn’t enough there is an option to use a microSD card to further expand the internal storage up to 256GB.
The Zero 5 is a well built device, something that you would expect from a device in this price range. There are not many standout features as far as design is concerned, but what will help the device standout is its color options. While buyers will be able to choose from the standard gold and black colors, there is also an option that Infinix calls Bordeaux Red. The red back panel looks quite contemporary, and in my opinion, it is high time companies start experimenting a bit more with colors.
The front is dominated by a 5.98-inch 1080p display protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass. The screen is bright enough in most conditions, though I have yet to test it under direct sunlight. Viewing angles are good, and text look sharp too. Under the hood is a MediaTek Helio P25 octa-core SoC paired with 6GB of RAM. Needless to say, performance shouldn’t be a huge concern. In the short time I have spent with the device, I didn’t really come across lags or stutters.
The Zero 5 runs on Android Nougat, with Infinix promising one OS upgrade. So one can soon expect Android Oreo to run on the smartphone. The Android OS here is wrapped under Infinix’s XOS Hummingbird UI. If I have to be honest, the UI does feel a tad heavy, and I think after prolonged use it could weigh heavily on the phone’s resources. That said, I would reserve my judgments till I have used the Zero 5 for more time.
Let’s get to the talking point of the Zero 5, which is its set of cameras. On the back is a dual-camera setup, which boasts a combination of 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, and 13-megapixel telephoto lens. The overall functionality is similar to what you see on smartphones like the OnePlus 5 and the Apple iPhone 8 Plus.
The cameras not only let you shoot photos with DSLR-like bokeh mode, but the telephoto lens allows for 2x lossless optical zoom. In my time with the device, the camera seems quite capable when the lighting conditions are ideal. While the bokeh mode struggles sometimes, you do end up getting a good portrait shot after a few tries. The camera allows for refocusing, after a photo has been shot. In low light, a bit of noise or graininess creeps into the photos. But there is a manual mode too, which lets you tweak the camera’s settings to get the ideal shot.
Up front, there is a 16-megapixel snapper with the standard beauty mode. What’s pleasantly surprising though is the presence of a portrait mode. As the name suggests, this mode lets you click selfies with bokeh mode. The photo below was clicked using the front portrait mode.
The rest of the Zero 5 features include a 4,350mAh battery with fast charging support, a fingerprint sensor at the back, and connectivity options like dual-SIM support (separate slots), 4G with VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5mm audio jack, and USB Type-C port.
It is too soon to pass a judgement on the Infinix Zero 5. What works in its favor is the sheer range of specifications and features it boasts, and the noteworthy dual-camera setup. In this price range, the smartphone will face competition from the recently launched Moto X4, the Honor 9i, and even the slightly cheaper Xiaomi Mi A1. The Zero 5 will go on sale from November 22, exclusively via Flipkart.
We will soon be reviewing the new Infinix Zero 5 smartphone. Until then, stay tuned to BGR India.