Highlight
- The design of the Infinix Hot 40 Pro looks more like the iPhone 15 Pro with a boba camera in a square panel framed in aluminum finish. The play of material textures on the cellphone gives a premium impression.
- Game performance is smooth without any lag. The temperature is also quite maintained. A refresh rate of 120Hz combined with a touch sampling rate of 1200Hz can increase accuracy when fighting enemies in the game. The XBOOST feature provides freedom for further game settings with easy access.
- The battery is very efficient, can last 1.5-2 days for daily use. 33W fast charging support is fairly standard, capable of fully charging the battery in around 1 hour from 5% battery.
- The camera quality is almost like the mid-range class, but there is no ultrawide shooting mode for the main camera. Video recording feels entry-level, with a variety of TikTok-like editing templates. There is quick access to Google Lens in the camera application which makes it easier to search for visual information.
- Magic Ring has a similar concept to ‘Dynamic Island’ on the iPhone. However, its functionality is very limited.
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The Infinix brand is increasingly popular among gadget lovers in Indonesia. Its popularity soared after recording fantastic sales figures amidst the sluggish HP market industry over the last few quarters.
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In Canalys’ latest report, Transsion (parent of Infinix, Tecno, iTel) again recorded significant growth of 147% in Q4 2023 year-on-year (YoY).
Its position in Indonesia is equivalent to Xiaomi and Samsung, which already had ‘big names’. When these cellphone manufacturers achieved a market share of 18% in Indonesia at the end of the 2023 quarter, according to Canalys data.
The Infinix brand is one of the factors driving Transsion’s business growth. One of the best-selling series on the market is ‘Infinix Hot’.
Last year, the Infinix Hot 30 series caused a stir and was nicknamed ‘unseen cellphone’. Many fans admit that they have difficulty getting goods because they are sold out at various offline and online outlets.
The attraction of the Infinix Hot 30 series lies in the line of flashy specifications offered at an affordable price, aka entry-level. These include large capacity batteries, jumbo screens, giant resolution cameras, and flagship cellphone-style designs.
So, what about the Infinix Hot 40 series which was released at the beginning of this year? CNBC Indonesia had the opportunity to try out the Infinix Hot 40 Pro variant first some time before the official release.
We tested battery life and gaming performance, camera quality, and comfort of use to support daily activities. Read more!
iPhone-Like Design, ‘Pro Gamer’ Interface
Photo: Infinix Hot 40 Series Free Fire Edition. (CNBC Indonesia/Tias Budiarto)
Infinix Hot 40 Series Free Fire Edition. (CNBC Indonesia/Tias Budiarto)
The design language of the Infinix Hot 40 Pro is increasingly similar to the iPhone 15 Pro. Not only because of the ‘boba’ camera that was adopted in the predecessor series, but also the square panel as a camera ‘container’ which is made to stand out.
A luxurious and elegant impression can be seen from the play of textures on the cellphone material. The camera panel has a glass finish with an aluminum frame. The three camera lenses are also equipped with shiny rings.
The back body looks more matte with a glitter motif and subtle curved lines. Then the side of the cellphone uses an aluminum finish which exudes a premium aura.
Moving to the front, the 6.78-inch jumbo screen has a thin bezel with a screen-to-body ratio of 90.7%. At the top there is a button, aka a punch hole, for placing the selfie camera.
If you only look at the design aspect, this cellphone is more comparable when compared to mid-range products in the IDR 4 million price range.
However, when the screen is turned on, the entry-level impression still lingers because the cellphone still uses an LCD type which is not as sharp and deep as AMOLED or OLED on mid-range and flagship cellphones.
The screen brightness level is also stuck at 500 nits, so it feels less than optimal when used outdoors with strong exposure to sunlight.
However, what should be appreciated is the adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The experience of scrolling and switching applications feels light and smooth. Playing games also has no interruptions, even though the depth of visual contrast is standard for a cellphone priced at IDR 2 million.
The cellphone interface is covered with the theme of the popular game Free Fire by default. For fans of the battle royale game, it is guaranteed that you will open your cellphone and immediately want to play games.
The Android-based XOS 13.5 operating system is quite easy to operate. Users are also given the freedom to personalize their appearance with various supporting features.
For parents, there is no need to worry about children forgetting time to play games because there is a ‘Digital Wellbeing & Parental Control’ feature to set time limits for trying out applications on your cellphone.
The security system is also complete. You can use a fingerprint scanner, face unlock, and more traditional passwords.
Based on tests by the CNBC Indonesia team, the fingerprint scanner and face unlock are very fast and accurate. For cheap cellphones, face unlock can recognize faces with or without glasses in various light conditions.
One of the premium features on the Infinix Hot 40 Pro is the ‘Magic Ring’. The concept is similar to ‘Dynamic Islands’ on the iPhone 15 Pro, although the features are more limited.
Magic Ring provides some information. For example, when the cellphone is opened using face unlock, it shows the battery status when the cellphone is charged, reminds you when the battery is fully charged or low battery, and notifies you when there is an incoming call.