Infinix Note 30 5G Overview : Is It Good or Bad 5G Smartphone That’s Priced Right.

 Infinix Note 30 5G Overview : Is It Good or Bad 5G Smartphone That’s Price is Right

The Infinix Note 30 5G has been released at a time when 5G connectivity is widely available in major cities in India. Infinix has made a wise decision by including 5G support in this device, as not having it would place it in the same category as some other smartphones like the Realme C55. Alongside 5G capabilities, the Note 30 5G offers various other features that are not commonly found at this price range, such as a new MediaTek SoC.

Nevertheless, software has always been a major concern for the company. Has this changed with the introduction of the new Note 30 5G? Let's delve into the details and find out.

Infinix Note 30 Price In India 

The Infinix Note 30 5G is offered in India with two different configurations. The first variant comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, priced at Rs. 14,999. The second variant, priced at Rs. 15,999, offers 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Opting for the higher-end model by paying an additional Rs. 1,000 seems like a more logical choice since it provides double the RAM and storage capacity for just a slightly higher price.

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Infinix Note 30 5G - Full phone specifications

Desigen Infinix 30

The Infinix Note 30 5G is a continuation of Infinix's Note series and does not serve as a successor or replacement for any previously released smartphone within the lineup. In terms of design, Infinix has made a commendable choice by opting for a practical matte finish on the rear panel, coupled with a reflective finish for the frame. This design approach ensures that the back of the device remains free from smudges, while the frame may gather some fingerprints. However, this trade-off is necessary to provide the necessary grip for comfortable handling of this large-sized device.

The Infinix Note 30 5G features a sizable form factor, which might pose a challenge for individuals with medium or small hands when it comes to holding the device comfortably. To provide a fair comparison, its overall size is similar to Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra, although it weighs less at 204g. Infinix has made an intelligent choice by utilizing polycarbonate material for both the frame and rear panel of the phone. This decision was likely influenced by the inclusion of a large 5,000mAh battery, which adds to the overall weight and contributes to the phone's slightly bulky appearance.

To my surprise, the Infinix Note 30 5G boasts an official IP53 rating for dust and water resistance. While it may not be the highest standard in terms of IP ratings, it is still a welcome feature that provides users with some peace of mind.

The phone's design leans towards a slightly boxy aesthetic, which results in the bezels around the display appearing somewhat thick. Of all the bezels, the one at the bottom edge stands out as noticeably thicker. The display incorporates a hole-punch cutout to accommodate the phone's selfie camera and is reportedly equipped with NEG glass for scratch protection. During my review period, I found that the display did not attract smudges or dust excessively. In addition, Infinix includes a tempered glass screen protector in the box for users who desire added protection.

 Features And Software

The Infinix Note 30 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6080 SoC, a budget chipset that offers 5G connectivity with support for 14 5G bands. It also supports other communication standards such as Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth, NFC, and various satellite systems.

Notable hardware features of the phone include stereo speakers tuned by JBL, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a SIM card tray with three dedicated slots for two nano-SIM cards and a microSD card (up to 2TB). The device is equipped with a large 5,000mAh battery that can be charged using the included 45W charger. The packaging also includes a TPU case and a Type-A to Type-C cable.

While the hardware specifications are impressive, the software experience of the Infinix Note 30 5G leaves much to be desired. It runs on XOS version 13, based on Android 13, but the user interface looks and feels different from the typical Android smartphone. The heavily themed interface, although providing a homescreen and an app drawer, may appear unfamiliar to those accustomed to leaner skins or near-stock Android.

Swiping to the right reveals the Zero Screen instead of the Google Discover feed, displaying details like workout data and phone usage. To access the Discover feed, users need to tap on the 'G' logo in the Google Search widget, which launches the Google app. The Settings app features an unusual name for the Battery section, referred to as Marathon Power.

The camera app interface is described as overwhelming, with a loaded carousel of options. The standard camera mode is called AI Cam, complemented by an AI button for scene recognition. Separate modes for Beauty, Portrait, and Video are available, along with additional modes accessible by swiping up from the carousel.

Infinix has its own AI-enabled assistant called Folax, which handles simple commands and weather-related queries but relies on Google searches for more complex inquiries. The anticipated ChatGPT-style conversation mode was not available on the reviewed unit.

The Infinix Note 30 5G comes preloaded with various bloatware apps that cannot be uninstalled, such as XClub, WeZone, XShare Mini, Visha Player, Carlcare, and Aha Games. Additionally, third-party apps like Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, WPS Office, Spotify, Snapchat, JioCinema, and Nojoto are included, but can be uninstalled if not needed. Despite the number of apps, spammy notifications were not observed during the review period.

There are some favorable aspects to XOS, including the ability to reply to notifications within floating windows, a notification sound for when the battery is fully charged, bypass charging while gaming, and a game anti-addiction mode. Users can also adjust swipe and motion speeds when interacting with the software interface.

Performance Overview 

The Infinix Note 30 5G features a 6.78-inch 120Hz full-HD+ IPS LCD display that delivers vibrant colors at default settings but exhibits a bluish tone when the Original color style is enabled. While the brightness indoors is sufficient, it falls short outdoors, appearing dim under direct sunlight and making it challenging to use for photography or content viewing. Indoors, the phone provides a good viewing experience with Widevine L1 certification, enabling full-HD+ quality playback for streaming videos.

The display's refresh rate is adaptive, switching between 120Hz and 60Hz when set to auto. However, setting it to 120Hz offers a visually smoother appearance, as many apps exhibit broken or stuttered scrolling at lower refresh rates. This stuttering is primarily noticeable in third-party apps.

In benchmark tests, the Infinix Note 30 5G achieved a score of 401,814 points in AnTuTu (v10), along with 767 and 2,061 in Geekbench's single and multi-score tests, respectively. In terms of graphics performance, the phone scored 12fps, 22fps, and 55fps in GFXBench's Car Chase, Manhattan 3.1, and T-Rex test suites. These scores are slightly lower than the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, which is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC and is more expensive than the Note 30 5G.

In terms of gaming, the Infinix Note 30 5G performs well and does not experience significant heating even during extended gaming sessions. Games like Asphalt 9: Legends run smoothly at the High Quality graphics setting (without a 60fps mode), while Call of Duty: Mobile is playable but limited to Medium graphics and High framerate settings. The 240Hz touch sampling rate during gaming, particularly in Call of Duty: Mobile, felt inadequate and struggled to keep up with quick swipes. However, the audio quality through the JBL-tuned speakers is surprisingly good, delivering loud and clear sound.

With its 5,000mAh battery, the Infinix Note 30 5G typically lasted a little over a day with casual use, even with the display set to 120Hz. In a standard battery life test, it achieved an average runtime of about 13 hours and 5 minutes. The battery life results were not as impressive as expected for the Note 30 5G.

On the charging front, the phone performed well for a budget device. With the included charger, it reached 68% charge in 30 minutes and completed a full charge in just 53 minutes, which is commendable. The phone also offers a bypass charging feature that directly powers the device without charging the battery, resulting in minimal heat production and keeping the phone cooler, which is beneficial during gaming sessions.

Camera Quality Overview.

The Infinix Note 30 5G features a triple rear camera setup, but only one of the cameras is accessible to the user. The primary camera has a resolution of 108 megapixels, accompanied by a 2-megapixel depth sensor and an AI camera. For selfies, there's a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.

In daylight conditions, the primary camera captures sharp photos with good details. The dynamic range is decent but not exceptional, as some highlights may get clipped in brighter areas. Colors tend to be slightly saturated, so it's preferable to disable the AI scene recognition feature. Despite the absence of a dedicated macro mode, close-up shots display good detail and vibrant colors.

In low-light situations, the primary camera produces average-quality photos with moderate dynamic range and similar color saturation as in daylight shots. Details tend to be on the lower side, and there may be instances of clipped highlights in bright areas and dark patches in shadows.

Enabling the Night mode improves image quality, enhancing dynamic range, details, and sharpness. However, this improvement is primarily noticeable in well-lit scenes, as using Night mode in dimly lit areas may result in flat textures that appear painterly when zoomed in.

Selfies taken in daylight exhibit decent quality with limited details and dynamic range. The Portrait mode's edge detection for selfies is not very accurate, leading to less impressive results. In low-light conditions, selfies lack detail and appear soft. While Night mode can be used for selfies, it tends to oversharpen the images without adding significant extra detail.

Video recording at 1080p 30fps shows average details but can be shaky. Enabling the Ultra-video stabilization mode improves the quality significantly. However, it's worth noting that the camera's maximum resolution for video recording is an unusual 2K, and electronic stabilization is limited to 1080p 30fps (despite the phone's capability to shoot at 1080p 60fps). Therefore, 1080p 30fps is the best quality available. In low-light conditions, videos recorded at 1080p 30fps may appear shaky and average in terms of quality.

Verdict

Infinix has managed to strike a good balance between hardware specifications, performance, and affordability with the Note 30 5G. However, there are certain areas where it falls short of expectations. The display's limited visibility outdoors may not be a deal-breaker for everyone, but the messy software experience could be a drawback.

Despite these shortcomings, the phone offers excellent value in terms of its features and price. It combines sought-after features like 5G connectivity, stereo speakers, an IP53 rating for water and dust resistance, and fast charging support of up to 45W. It's quite rare to find such a comprehensive set of features in a smartphone within this price segment.

If you're willing to invest some time in familiarizing yourself with the slightly complex software layout and can tolerate the pre-installed bloatware, then the Infinix Note 30 5G could be a suitable 5G option in this price range. However, if you prefer a slimmer device with an OLED display or a cleaner software experience, the Moto G73 5G could be a better choice, especially considering its recent price drop.

Review 

Aspect	Pros	Cons
Design	Matte-finish rear panel, reflective frame	Too large for regular-sized hands
Display	Punchy colors, 120Hz refresh rate, Widevine L1 certification	Weak sunlight legibility, slightly thick bezels
Software	Homescreen, app drawer, plenty of widgets	Overwhelming interface, excessive bloatware and third-party apps
Performance	MediaTek Dimensity 6080 SoC, 5G connectivity	Slightly lower benchmark scores, stuttering in third-party apps
Battery Life	5,000mAh battery, 45W wired charging, bypass charging	Average battery life, expected better performance
Camera	Decent main camera, good low-light performance	Lack of macro mode, average selfie quality
Value for Money	IP53 rating, stereo speakers, headphone jack	Convolution in software, presence of bloatware and third-party apps