Infinix is not exactly the brand people consider when in the market to buy a new smartphone. I too am guilty of this prejudice however after using the Inifix Zero 30 5G as my daily driver for the past month, my opinions have drastically changed about the brand and its devices. Sure, Infinix delivers some of the best value devices in the Indian market at the budget segment but its latest Zero 30 5G has proven the company’s ability to compete in the mid-premium segment too. It’s not a perfect phone (none of them are) and there are some hiccups here and there but that does not take away from the fact that it delivers a value-for-money experience. Here’s my full review of the Infinix Zero 30 5G –
Design
This is easily the best part of this device as it looks at par or even better than many premium devices. It is available in two colour options – Golden Hour and Rome Green. I used the Golden Hour variant which has an aesthetic appeal to it. The device is sure to grab some eyeballs as you walk around with it. The Rome Green variant comes with a vegan leather back which adds more value to your money. The phone stands slim at only 7.9mm and weighs light at 182 grams. The volume rocker and lock buttons placed on the right of the device also have a good click to them and feel tactile. You get an in-display fingerprint sensor which is quick and snappy. It has an IP53 rating protecting the device from dust and splashes of water. The camera cutout is HUGE on this device and looks good on the Golden Hour variant as the cutout is golden colour too. However, the cutout is golden even for the green variant which is a bold decision from Infinix. The main attraction of the device is the curved AMOLED display but the overall aesthetic design language supporting it makes up for a great-looking and feeling device. Infinix hits the ball out of the park with the Zero 30 5G design in the sub-25K price category.
Display
The Infinix Zero 30 5G sports a premium-looking curved 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display. The bezel situation is pretty neat as they are slim on the sides and slightly thicker on top and bottom. It has a 144Hz refresh rate which can be switched between 60, 120, 144, and Auto options. The 144Hz refresh rate is addressed as ‘extreme’ in the phone settings and that’s exactly how I’d describe using the display, it’s extremely pleasing. The display produces some vibrant colours and it comes with Widevine L1 support so watching OTT in HD resolution will not be an issue. It has a peak brightness of 950 nits which means users will not have an issue in using the device under direct sunlight.
Performance
Infinix Zero 30 5G sports a Dimensity 8020 SoC coupled with 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM which can be extended up to an additional 9GB of RAM (21GB total) using the virtual RAM option. I did not add up any virtual RAM during my testing of the device as 12GB is more than enough for SoC it houses. The device comes with 256GB of UFS3.1 storage which is standard across the 8GB and 12GB variants of the device. Having 256GB as the standard storage option across the lineup is applaudable, but having an expandable storage option would seal the deal entirely. We could talk about GeekBench and AnTuTu scorecards where the device definitely scores higher than the majority of the devices in the price category but I’d let readers know how the device performs on a daily basis.
I’ve been using the device as my daily work phone for the past month which means attending constant calls, virtual meetings, approving video content, working on Google apps and much more. I was taken aback by how flawlessly the device took over all the tasks without any hiccups. I’ve been using the OnePlus Nord CE3 5G along with the Zero 30 5G which are comparable devices in many arenas, the latter always emerged better in both performance and user experience. Playing games like BGMI for extended periods of time was not an issue but the device did heat up considerably during my testing.
The UI experience is certainly improved from the previous Infinix devices I’ve used in the past. The experience is much more refined and visually pleasing. Yes, there are some bloatware and third-party applications here but not as annoying as some phones in this price category. What could be a deal breaker for many is that the company only provides one major Android update and 2 years of security patches.
It features a big 5,000 mAh battery with 68W fast charging support. You can get a day out of this battery easily and charge it up in nearly 50 minutes which is not bad by any standards.
Camera
Inifnix Zero 30 5G boasts a decent camera setup. You get a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM6 primary camera with IOS, a 13Mp ultrawide lens and a 2MP macro lens which I thoroughly believe brands should omit. There is a Samsung 50MP ISOCELL JN1 sensor which is capable of shooting crisp selfies. It is an AI-enhanced camera setup which is capable of shooting 4K at 60FPS on both the front and rear. The front camera is accompanied by a flash which is a surprising addition. It works well only if you can manage to not get blindsided by the front flash! Overall, it is a decent camera setup which is reliable under well-lit conditions and loses its ground under darker settings.
Verdict
The Infinix Zero 30 5G is a competitive mid-range smartphone that is definitely worth the money. The standout design coupled with a curved AMOLED display makes up for a good package itself. However, the cherry on the top is it being a well-performing and dependable device. Low light camera performance can be improved but besides that, it is a solid device!