Infinix Note 4 review: Among many positives, the big screen stands out
4 min read . Updated: 31 Oct 2017, 05:18 PM IST
PremiumInfinix Note 4, despite its few limitations, it is a smartphone we just can't ignore
Following the success of Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Huawei in the last few months, more and more Chinese companies are making a beeline for the Indian smartphone market. The likes of Comio, Elephone and Infinix are some of these new players trying to take on the more established Chinese rivals and Indian companies with a bevy of good-looking smartphones.
Hong Kong-based Infinix is counting on its latest smartphone the Infinix Note 4 for it. It is priced at ₹ 8,999 and available on Flipkart.com.
Design: Big without feeling unmanageable
The Infinix Note 4 is a good-looking smartphone with a shiny back. It is made of plastic, yet doesn’t feel poorly built. The glossy finish on the back is prone to smudges and scratches, but doesn’t affect grip quality much due to the chamfered edges. The smartphone weighs 198g but doesn’t feel hefty due to even weight distribution.
We also liked the placement of the volume and power button. They are more towards the middle which makes them easily accessible. They are also soft and respond to slightest of pushes, which can be said for very few budget smartphones. The finger print sensor is integrated with the oval shaped home button. It’s quick, accurate and easily accessible than finger prints on back. The navigation keys around the home button don’t light up.
Display: Big and bright enough for the price
The 5.7-inch display offers slightly more space for typing and gaming than the more common 5.5-inch screen. It has a resolution of 1,920x1,080p, which is rare at this price point. This makes text in web pages and ebooks sharp. Colour reproduction is also impressive by the standards of a sub Rs10,000 smartphone. This makes it ideal for watching HD videos and playing games. Visibility from wide angles is good too.
Software: Unique custom interface
The smartphone runs Android 7.0 with a refreshing custom UI called the Chameleon OS. It comes with beautifully designed icons, allow users to customise it with themes and offers unique features. One of them is the interconnected folders on home screen. For instance, if you are on a folder which has all your social media apps and want to go to a video streaming app in the videos folder, you don’t have to close the social media folder; just swipe left or right to go the video folder from there on.
Also, it offers a dual interface, like plain Android. So you can add your favourite apps on the home screen, while the rest of the apps pile up in the app drawer. You can access them by swiping up anywhere on the screen.
Performance: Smooth with everyday tasks
The Infinix Note 4 runs on MediaTek’s MT6753 octa-core processor with 3 GB of RAM. It is not snappy like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor used in Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Rs 10,999), but was able to handle video playback, web browsing and multi-tasking with ease. It is not cut out for heavy games and struggled with them.
The smartphone offers 32GB storage and can take in microSD cards up to 128GB, which is a lot for movie buffs. The smartphone’s big attraction is the massive 4,300mAh battery. It is not a waste, though. It was able to deliver over 32 hours of backup on modest to heavy use.
Camera: Struggles even in daytime
The 13-megapixel primary camera is not up to the mark when it comes to detail reproduction. Landscape shots look blurry even in day light. Close up shots look satisfactory. In low light shots we could see some amount of blur but the colours looked good. Infinix has added a bevy of camera modes to get better shots out of it. The Level mode tells when an image is straight. Gesture shot captures shot with gestures. Beauty mode irons out facial imperfections and Night mode lights up darker areas in low light. You can shoot at 16:9 aspect ratio in 13-megapixels. Very few budget smartphones allow that.
The 8-megapixel front camera comes with a front facing flash. It can capture wide looking selfies and works well even in indoor conditions.
Verdict
Infinix has managed to get most things right with the Note 4. It has a big screen that also looks good, a big battery, a custom UI which is smart and stylish and can handle most tasks with grace. This is where Micromax’s Canvas Infinity (Rs 9,999) comes into the picture, which has a refreshing new thin bezel design. It offers a 5.7-inch screen yet weighs just 149g and is smaller (142.5mm) in size. The display is not as bright as the Infinix Note 4 but offers a more immersive aspect ratio of 18:9. It is powered by a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 quad-core processor, offers 32GB internal storage and runs Android 7.0 with a custom UI.
If you want a first hand experience of the new design without spending a lot, the Canvas Infinity is a better bet. But, if you are looking for a better screen, more battery and performance, the Infinix Note 4 is better placed.
