Infinix Zero 5 Review: Big On Everything Except The Price Tag

After making its Indian debut around three months back with a couple of entry-level smartphones, Transsion Holdings’ sub-brand Infinix is now looking to the target the elite as well as the most competitive mid-budget segment with Infinix Zero 5.

Those who have kept a close eye on recent smartphone launches might know that the year 2017 has been all about a well-packaged handset that doesn’t compromise on either the performance credentials or multimedia consumption.

And Infinix Zero 5 Is No Exception

Hell, it seems like the best VFM smartphone we have seen in the last couple of years. Launched in the sub-Rs 20,000 categories, Infinix Zero 5 will take on the likes of Moto G5S Plus, Xiaomi Mi A1, and Honor 9i, which have the best selling smartphones in this segment.

That said, all of the above-mentioned handsets have set new benchmarks and are known for their well-rounded appeal, and Infinix Zero 5 being the newest to join this cut-throat competition, it isn’t going to be easy for the device to attract huge sales numbers.

But the Zero 5 is one device that shouldn’t be taken lightly and here we take a look at how this new entrant to the mid-budget segment stacks up against its competition.

Infinix Zero 5 Specifications

• 5.98-inch (1920 x 1080) Full HD 2.5D curved display with 85% NTSC Color Gamut, 500 nits brightness, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, offering 368 PPI.

• Octa-core MediaTek Helio P25 16nm SoC clocked at 2.6GHz coupled with Mali-T880 GPU

• 6GB RAM and 64GB (Zero 5)/128GB (Zero 5 Pro) internal storage, expandable up to 128GB via microSD

• Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box with XOS 3.0 on top.

• 12MP primary camera at the rear with Sony IMX386 sensor, wide-angle lens, dual LED Flash, f/2.0 aperture, 1.25 μm pixel size and a secondary 13MP camera with Samsung S5K3M3 sensor, telephoto lens, 1.0μm pixel size, f/2.6 aperture and 2x optical zoom.

• 16MP front camera with Samsung S5K3P8 sensor, f/2.0 aperture and LED flash

• 4350mAh battery with xCharge 18W fast charging support

• Fingerprint sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, Active noise cancellation and FM Radio

• Dimensions: 166.38 x 82.38 x 7.95mm and Weight: 197g

• 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz), GPS/GLONASS and USB Type-C support.

Infinix Zero 5 Price And Availability

Priced at Rs. 17,999, Infinix Zero 5 will go on sale starting from November 22 at 12 am IST exclusively on Flipkart. It will be available in Sandstone Black, Champagne Gold, and Bordeaux Red color option. However, there is also an Infinix Zero 5 Pro which comes with 128GB of internal storage while rest of the specifications being the same and is priced at Rs. 19,999.

Infinix Zero 5 Review

What we like about Infinix Zero 5

• While there are prominent bezels at the top and bottom of the device, we couldn’t have expected more from the device. On the other hand, a metal unibody design, curved edges and sleek built makes Infinix Zero 5 an easy to operate device with one hand, despite its huge size.

• While the 5.98-inch isn’t the best we have seen in this segment, we do love the fact that it offers great viewing angles and vibrant as well as sharp color production. Media consumption is its forte, at least under indoor conditions.

• While the device doesn’t offer stock Android experience, the XOS 3.0 UI comes very close to the pure Android blood as there is no excessive bloatware and almost every pre-installed app apart from the beautification applications, can be uninstalled.

• The 6GB RAM completely compliments the performance package comes with Mali-T880 GPU for graphics and Helio P25 chipset. Playing heavy games and multitasking with hefty apps can be done without the worries of frame drops or lags.

• Coming to its biggest USP, the 12+13MP rear camera is a thing of beauty as it offers sharp images, real-time color production, and a great shutter speed. While the wide angle lens covers up a lot of landscape, 2x optical zoom prevents broken pixels in a close-up.

• The 16MP front camera makes it one of the most prominent selfie-smartphones under the Rs 20,000 segment as it comes with a host of beatification modes and an LED flash.

• The 4350mAh battery offers enough juice for a full day of heavy usage and although the fast charger tends to heat up the device, but not upto dangerous levels.

What we didn’t like about Infinix Zero 5

• There is no word on an Android Oreo Update

• Dual Optical Image Stabilisation could have been a stand out feature

• The MediaTek Helio P25 processor, despite being a powerful chipset can’t match its Snapdragon counterparts.

• The 5.98-inch struggles under direct sunlight.

Verdict

Infinix Zero 5, despite some serious competition, has managed to leave us impressed with a powerful chipset, ample of RAM and a formidable camera setup. At Rs. 17,999, it might find it hard to compete with the recently launched Moto X4 and Oppo F5, but as far as other dual-camera smartphones are concerned, Infinix Zero 5 is a clear winner, if we keep its newcomer-tag aside.