When it comes to budget smartphones, especially 4G phones under the Rs 15,000 price bracket, I have two main expectations going into any review period. Firstly, the phone should get the basics right—have decent to good battery life, a sharp enough screen, bloat-free software, and the like. Secondly, I want a phone to feel good in hand despite being made out of cheaper materials like plastic (remember the Nexus 5?).
As you would have guessed from the headline, the Infinix Hot 40i does many of those things while costing under Rs 10,000. Here, in this review, let’s understand how the Infinix Hot 40i stacks up, what goes against it, and in the end, if it deserves your hard-earned money.
Display and Design: A Mix of Old and New
Starting with the display, you get a 6.56-inch IPS HD+ display with a refresh rate of 90Hz. Compared to the brand’s cheaper Smart 8 device, there is hardly a difference, but that doesn’t mean it is a bad panel. It is a good-looking display for the price and fits nicely into the sub Rs 10,000 price bracket. The bezels, for the price, are minimal, giving the phone a modern look. In fact, the punch hole cutout that houses the front-facing camera isn’t big at all, either. You also won’t have any complaints about the colour reproduction, but remember it isn’t an OLED panel, so keep your expectations in check.
When it comes to the design, Infinix has stuck to the “what ain’t broke, don’t fix it” formula. It features the same design language as its Smart 8 HD and Smart 8 counterparts. This means you get the same boxy, squared-off design with a matte plastic panel on the back. The back panel does a good job of avoiding finger oils and smudges, but the same can’t be said about the device’s sides, which are glossy instead of matte like the Smart 8. I feel Infinix should have stuck to the matte sides—for both aesthetic and functional reasons.
That said, I have the Palm Blue colourway with me, and it takes on unique looks when light reflects off its back. Here, the device does stand out and will likely appeal to a lot of people, especially with its large and glossy camera module.
Performance: Fair For the Price You Pay
When it comes to day-to-day usage—be it browsing the web on Chrome, scrolling through X and Instagram, playing light games such as Stardew Valley and Clash Royale—the performance isn’t a problem at all with the Infinix Hot 40i. It just gets the job done, but don’t expect to do heavy-duty gaming on the same, as after a while, you will encounter frame drops.
Another major advantage for power users is the presence of the 256GB in-built memory, which can be expanded to 2TB using a microSD card. This can be a major boon for people who tend to store a lot of data on their phones and also install a lot of apps. The RAM management has also been done decently, I feel. It does reload apps occasionally, but keeping Instagram, X, Gmail, and WhatsApp in rotation was a breeze.
As for heating and general fluidity, the Unisoc T606 octa-core chipset performs decently, but don’t expect butter-smooth performance every time. I was using the device while navigating to Pushkar on my weekend motorcycle trip, and here, I did face some stutters, but I’d say it was an isolated issue.
Camera: 50MP Sensor Can Be Competent In Good Hands
When it comes to optics, the Infinix Hot 40i gets a 50MP primary camera capable of capturing images in the 50MP mode. It also includes a secondary depth sensor and a Quad-LED flash. For selfies, a 32MP front camera is available, capable of recording 1080P 30FPS videos.
When it comes to resulting images, the device can blow out the highlights frequently, which is expected at this price range, but this can be mitigated with a minor drop in exposure. Also, you must expose for the highlights, as I noticed that you can bring details in the shadows in post. That said, for the average consumer, it would get the job done; you get decent images for the price.
However, one gripe I have with it is the fact that it is hard for you to engage the Portrait mode. Out of multiple tries, I could get it working only a couple of times. And, while I’m not a big selfie-taker, the device does output photos with adequate details, and I feel having a dedicated beauty mode will certainly entice certain buyers. Plus, you also have a front-facing flash to illuminate them in the dark. A rare sight, truly. However, I, for one, can live without it.
All in all, the camera experience isn’t bad at all. For Rs 9,499, you do get decent optics, but one feedback I have for all budget device makers is—please try and work your way around integrating the secondary AI/bokeh sensors. They hardly add value, and while I don’t understand how it adds to the BOM (Build of materials), I’m certain that money could be spent on including a better primary sensor.
Here some more camera samples:
Battery Life: A Two-Day Phone for Me
In my Infinix Smart 8 HD review, I said that it wasn’t a two-day phone despite having a modest set of intervals and a sizeable 5,000 mAh battery cell. Here, the Infinix Hot 40i is a different story. I could easily get two days of use with it, with around 6-7 hours of screen-on time. These are good numbers, and even if you have a heavy day, you can certainly make it to the end of the day without any charging anxiety, as such. However, do remember that it comes with an 18W charger, and considering the size of the battery, it easily takes around two hours to fully charge. If you are often in a hurry and want to quickly charge your device, you should look elsewhere.
Verdict: XOS 13 Will Make It or Break It for You
I left the software bit for the end for a reason. While you do get fairly capable hardware, the XOS 13 software experience with the Hot 40i may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Also, software support remains a gripe in Infinix’s offerings. Plus, there are also a slew of pre-installed apps and bloatware that could have been avoided.
That said, there are several features that come in handy with XOS, including the iPhone’s Dynamic Island-like ‘Magic Ring’ feature, which gets activated when you use Face unlock, and others including Xboost and Xclone.
In addition, there is also attention to little things that I appreciate. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner is quick, the overall fit and finish is also decent for what you shell out.
Overall, if your budget is limited to under Rs 10,000, and if you are okay with XOS 13, the Infinix Hot 40i can be a good option, especially with its decent set of internals and a balanced overall experience.
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