Infinix Zero 5G Review: Mindful Design With Some Misses

Infinix Zero 5G Has Attractive Design

The latest offering from Infinix comes with what's termed UniCurve design by the company. We have the Cosmic Black variant in for the review and it features a glossy and smooth plastic finish with the black variant adding to its attractive looks. Though there is a raised camera bay, it doesn't look weird and there is a seamless merging of the body with the raised camera module.

Besides the satin-like finish, there are curved corners that make it comfortable to hold the device. However, it is not as slippery as the other phones with a smooth finish I have reviewed in the past. What's more the Infinix smartphone catches the attention of others as it gleams when light falls on it. The downside with this design is that it attracts fingerprint smudges and makes it mandatory to snap on a case at its back. On the whole, the Infinix Zero 5G boasts great craftsmanship that is complemented by the rounded and sleek looks and a silky and smooth feel when held.

Talking about the button layout, the Infinix smartphone features a USB Type-C port, speaker grill and headphone jack at the bottom, which is something we have seen on many smartphones. At the right edge, we have the power button that is embedded with a fingerprint sensor and it has a unique look. Also, the volume rockers are on the right edge. At the left, there is a SIM card tray along with a microSD card slot to expand the storage space.

Infinix Zero 5G Misses The Punch

In terms of display, the Infinix Zero 5G flaunts a 6.78-inch TFT LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a FHD+ resolution. These are not the best-in-class specs that we see in mid-range smartphones except for the high refresh rate. Also, there is support for HDR10 content but it misses out on the WideVine L1 certification, which will take a toll on the OTT experience Though videos are rich in color, the quality will be capped at 480p.

When used for other purposes than streaming videos, the screen is good and produces accurate colors. However, the panel is not as vibrant as AMOLED panels. It has ample brightness to be used outdoors. There is a noticeable punch-hole cutout at the top of the screen for the selfie camera. The other notable aspect is the thick bottom bezel as compared to rivals in this price segment.

Infinix Zero 5G Delivers Acceptable Performance

Under its hood, the Infinix Zero 5G is powered by the Dimensity 900 SoC. This is a great addition to the smartphone as the processor is one of the capable chipsets for devices in its class. I ran the benchmark tests and the Infinix phone managed to score 704 points and 2182 points in the single-core and multi-core tests respectively on Geekbench 5. Likewise, it scored 479513 in the AnTuTu benchmark platform.

During my review, I didn't find any issues using the Infinix Zero 5G. The smartphone did deliver an acceptable performance without any lag or clutter. It was smooth and seamless to switch between apps and play games such as BGMI. Notably, the processor from MediaTek is teamed up with 8GB of RAM that can be upgraded by another 3GB by borrowing from the internet storage space.

While the hardware performance is acceptable, the software on the Infinix Zero 5G needs a lot of improvement. The device was launched with Android 11 topped with XOS 10 skin. The interface resembles Realme UI with the large drop-down quick settings and organized notifications. It did deliver good connectivity with Jio 4G and the fingerprint sensor is snappy. However, the inbuilt speaker delivers distorted output at high volume levels.

Infinix Zero 5G Camera Needs Improvement

In terms of photography, the Infinix Zero 5G bestows a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 48MP primary sensor, a 13MP secondary telephoto lens with 2X optical zoom and a 2MP tertiary depth sensor. In terms of performance, the primary camera captures good photos with crisp details in the bright light conditions. The auto HDR feature comes into the picture and delivers a good performance. But the shutter speed is not too fast and there could be some shake if you do not have extremely steady hands.

I tried the portrait mode but the images do not have a great background separation. When i tried the telephoto lens, I could get good results in bright light conditions but the phone does not keep up in the night or low light conditions. Moving on to the 16MP selfie camera, it does not fare well and overprocesses the photos but the skin tones are not too processed, which is a good thing.

On the whole, the camera performance could have been improved to make it suitable for its pricing.

Infinix Zero 5G Battery Life

Fuelling the Infinix Zero 5G is a 5000mAh battery that delivers a decent performance lasting a day even after heavy use. Adding to this, I like the inclusion of the 33W fast charging support that can refuel the battery in 90 minutes. Though there are better fast-charging techniques, it is acceptable given the price of the smartphone.

Verdict

The Infinix Zero 5G does impressive me and some of my friends with it glossy and rounded design but it is doesn't impress me with other aspects such as poor software, mediocre camera and average display. While its acceptable for a mid-range smartphone, its pricing lets it down. To put in simple words, the device could have had better features and improved specs for its pricing. In comparison, the recently launched Moto G71 delivers almost the same performance with a better UI and camera performance.