Micromax Canvas Infinity review: Will it be the Micromax's game-changer?

Design: Extremely appealing

Micromax Canvas Infinity has a glossy front panel with a micro speaker placed on top accompanied by a single LED flash and front camera on the either sides. A notification LED rests on top as well. The rear panel has a close to the matte finish and although it looks like it has a unibody design the rear panel comes off. It is worth mentioning here that the device has a metallic rear panel.

The rear camera, LED flash and fingerprint sensor are aligned in a single line. The speakers are behind the grills on the bottom of the rear panel. The speaker grills are unlike any other device in the price range and have circular cavities.

Power toggle and volume rockers are positioned on the right side edge. A 3.5 mm audio jack is on top while a micro USB 2.0 port rests at the lower edge.

The smartphone's front panel has an attractive design. The screen corners, similar to the corners of the smartphone, are rounded. The device derives 'Infinity' in its name from the display that tries to outdo the bezel and succeeds to a fair level. Although, the overall front look is not as minimalistic as you might have noticed in pictures shared by Micromax.

The device has a large screen but the width is trimmed down enough to make it easy for one-hand use. It feels great in hands and is also considerably slim. I really loved the design and none the less it attracted the attention of several of my friends and acquaintances.

Camera: Decent specifications with commendable performance

Micromax Canvas Infinity has a 13MP rear camera with single LED flash. The camera offers aperture value of f/2.0 which makes it capable enough to click decently lit pictures indoors. Its front camera is a 16MP snapper that offers myriads of features that include 'Beauty' mode and a more appealing 'Portrait' mode.

The camera app offers several filters that are now available on almost every other device in the price range. It proffers a 'Super Pixel' mode which we have already seen on YU Yureka Black, a Micromax undertaking. However, what's different on Canvas Infinity is the fact that the feature is a lot quicker.

The 'Portrait' mode on the device is something not noticed very frequently on competing devices. It allows users to click pictures with a considerable amount of bokeh. The camera has a feebly effective HDR mode, although the image quality is not too distorted. Talking of image quality, the pictures developed are sharp enough and retain quality.

All said and done, the camera is amply intriguing and the camera app is not too clustered with modes and filters. Folks who are not too obsessed with photography using smartphone will find it good for everyday use.

Performance: Good for day to day use but not a gamer's delight

Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 Soc enjoys a reputation of its own. Canvas Infinity has coupled it with 3GB of RAM which gives it a better performance as compared to smartphones in the same price segment from Gionee, Oppo, and Vivo.

Canvas Infinity tries to match up to Xiaomi Redmi 4 and if it was not for octa-core Snapdragon 435 on the latter, Infinity would have certainly been at par with the best performing device in the segment. However, Redmi Note 4 offers 2GB RAM for the base model priced close to Rs. 10,000 while Canvas Infinity has 3GB of RAM.

As far as the performance of the device is concerned, there was a minimal lag in opening even heavy apps. Switching between apps was also quite convenient. The device certainly isn't capable of running mid-high end games. I tried running Mortal Combat 5 on the device and the graphical performance was not close to satisfying. The Adreno 308 GPU's performance is questionable.

It handles low-mid graphical content all too well without a glitch. So the device is not what a serious gamer is looking for.

Software and UI: Promises Oreo update

Micromax Canvas Infinity runs Android Nougat 7.1.1. This is nothing extraordinary for a smartphone priced in 10K segment. However, Micromax has promised that the device will receive Oreo update once the OS is widely available.

The user interface of the device is quite a catch. It offers several features to users that include gesture and motion control. Micromax has given the UI a very similar look and feel of iOS which makes it handy to use.

Display: Beautifully designed and responsive

The device has a 5.7-inch display with 279 ppi pixel density. It has a resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels and the display is HD. The rounded corners of the display itself impart a really appealing look to the device. The screen is amply lit and the contrast ratio is impressive for a 10k device. The sharpness and clarity are also commendable. Video playback on the device is more than just subtle with a well saturated and distinctive performance. Daylight performance of the display is not too appreciable in harsh sunlight however in shady conditions the display is more than visible.

Movie buffs and YouTube enthusiasts will love the device for its display.

Battery and fingerprint sensor: Insufficient power backup

The battery on the device is a 2,900mAh powerhouse. The capacity is not too much and we have seen smartphones with batteries above 4,000mAh capacity. However, the device lasts throughout the day easily if used humbly.

Gaming and video playback certainly drains it out quickly which reduces the battery backup to 6-8 hours. Charging time of the battery, on the other hand, is not satisfactory. It takes close to 3 hours to pack up.

Fingerprint sensor of the device is quick and responsive. It is amply accurate and easy for fingers to locate.

Conclusion: A stunner with some room for improvement

The Micromax Canvas Infinity is a great looking device. When it comes to look and design, it has offered something fresh in the price segment and is quite ahead of its rivals for that matter. If you are looking for a smartphone with a great design and look canvas Infinity certainly rests your search.

While the device is not what serious gamers would be interested in, its performance is pretty impressive. It will never give up on you while you use several apps simultaneously on it. The battery also lasts sufficiently enough. But users who need a hard core battery performance should look for a better device.

Micromax is certainly reviving its product line up with competitive devices and Canvas Infinity is certainly a competitor. There you have a good looking, well performing device with an impressive UI that lasts sufficiently long.