Infinix Zero 5G Review – Best Budget Gaming Phone For Indians

Infinix Zero 5G is priced at Rs. 19,999 in India. In comparison to other budget options on the market, the device appears to be one-of-a-kind in terms of design and appearance. Infinix Zero 5G is no doubt a gaming phone, so yes, it’s worth buying one for gamers alone. If you’re looking for a more balanced smartphone, check out the Motorola G51 5G (review). In short, it is a gaming beast, and I don’t believe you’ll find a better gaming phone under Rs. 20,000. Since this is a gaming phone, the cameras aren’t great, but they’re still usable.

In terms of performance and design, the phone truly strikes above its class. However, there are a few undeniable flaws which we will talk about later in this review. So, is it worth your consideration? Let’s find out.

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The Infinix Zero 5G is priced at Rs. 19,999 for the variant having 8GB of RAM with 128Gb of onboard storage. Starting February 18, the phone will be available for purchase on Flipkart in Cosmic Black and Skylight Orange colour options.

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The Infinix Zero 5G comes with the following items inside the box:

• Adaptor
• USB Type-C Cable
• TPU Case
• Protective Screen Guard
• Sim Ejector Pin
• Quick Start Guide
• Warranty Card

Before we talk in detail about the Infinix Zero 5G, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

• Display: 6.78 inches IPS LCD
• Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 900
• RAM & ROM: 8GB 128GB
• Software: Android v11
• Rear camera: 48MP + 13MP + 2MP
• Selfie camera: 16 MP
• Battery: 5000 mAh
• Weight: 199 grams
• Dimensions: 168.7 x 76.5 x 8.7 mm

This time, Infinix ZERO 5G has delivered a fantastic job with the design. It has a design that the company calls UniCurve. The smartphone comes in two colour options: Cosmic Black and Skylight Orange. Skylight Orange boasts a vegan leather finish with a leathered feel that is more grippy than black. The Cosmic Black variant we have for review has a shiny and smooth plastic finish, with the black colour adding to its beautiful look.

Despite the presence of a raised camera setup, it does not appear odd, and the body and the raised camera unit are seamlessly merged. Despite the lack of a glass back, it appears just as stunning. The Infinix Zero 5G has a Unicurve design, which means there are no hard edges.

It is, however, not as slippery as other smartphones with a smooth texture that I have previously reviewed. Moreover, the Infinix smartphone gleams as light falls on it and attracts the attention of people. The disadvantage of this design is that it collects fingerprint smudges and requires the use of a back case. The Infinix Zero 5G seems to have a tall frame, but it has a very sleek body that weighs slightly under 200 grams, making it ideal for one-handed use. It has a comfortable in-hand feel, though reaching the top of the phone will most likely require the use of a second hand.

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In terms of button placement, the Infinix smartphone has a USB Type-C port, speaker grill, and 3.5 mm audio jack at the bottom, as found on many other smartphones. The power button, which is combined with a fingerprint reader and has a unique design, is located on the right edge. The volume rockers are also on the right side. A SIM card tray and a microSD card slot are located on the left side of the phone. Overall, the Infinix Zero 5G has excellent craftsmanship, which is enhanced by its rounded and sleek look.

The Infinix Zero 5G features a 6.78-inch 120Hz LTPS display with a maximum brightness of 500 nits with a 240Hz touch sampling rate, as well as a 240Hz touch sampling rate. At this pricing point, the lack of an AMOLED display is a bummer. However, LTPS is terrific for higher resolutions and picture quality, which might help you forget about the AMOLED’s high contrast. Furthermore, the viewing angles remain quite good.

The display is good and delivers accurate colours when used for things other than streaming videos. It is bright enough to be used outdoors. A visible punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera is seen at the top of the screen. Another noticeable element is the thick chin bezel when compared to competitors in this price range.

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Despite the fact that this is an FHD+ display, it lacks Widevine L1 support, which means you won’t be able to stream FHD+ content on OTT services such as Netflix, Prime Video, or Disney+hotstar. Infinix can potentially add Widevine L1 support via an OTA update, although there is no confirmation from Infinix as of yet.

The screen is very snappy, thanks to the 120 Hz refresh rate as well as the 240 Hz touch sampling rate. This is most obvious when playing multiplayer games. Overall, the screen quality is good, but Infinix should add Widevine L1 support; else, you’ll have to settle for watching movies at 480p.

The Dimensity 900 SoC powers the Infinix Zero 5G under the hood. The Dimensity 900 processor is one of the most capable chipsets for smartphones in its class, so it’s a terrific boost to the smartphone. Performance is where the Infinix Zero 5G shines, with the Dimensity 900 processor and an 8GB RAM that can be expanded by another 3GB via virtual RAM. Furthermore, UFS3.1 flash memory offers ZERO 5G faster memory speed than competing devices, reducing the time taken for loading, installing and downloading the apps.

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I had no problems with the Infinix Zero 5G during my review. The smartphone performed well, with no lag or unnecessary clutter. Switching between apps and playing games was seamless and smooth. I spent a bit of time playing several demanding games in HDR ultra mode, such as Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and was able to maintain 60 FPS for a good amount of time. I also played Call of Duty: Mobile on high settings and Genshin Impact, a very high-resolution game, without experiencing any frame drops or overheating.

Now, if you’re a gamer, don’t think twice; this is the best gaming smartphone available in India for under Rs 20,000.

While the hardware performance is excellent, the software on the Infinix Zero 5G could be much better. The device came pre-installed with Android 11 and the XOS 10 skin. The big drop-down quick settings and grouped notifications remind me of the Realme UI. The software comes with pre-installed apps that can’t be uninstalled and sends out a number of notifications during the day, which I found annoying.

The smartphone includes some party tricks such as Game Mode, which optimises your gaming experience, Social Turbo, which adds features to social media apps such as voice changer, voice recorder (which I found very useful), sticker maker, and Peek mode, which allows you to read messages without sending receipts.

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If I had to summarise the experience, I would say Infinix Zero 5G is smooth and nice in terms of performance, but rather chaotic. XOS still has a lot of bloatware and has to be organised.

The camera configuration on the back of the Infinix Zero 5G is a little odd. With a 48MP primary camera, a 13MP portrait lens, and a 2MP depth sensor, it sports a triple back camera setup. These days, a dedicated 2x telephoto lens on a budget handset is uncommon. Infinix chose this option over an ultrawide lens, which is the considerably more popular option. I’m not sure why, but most mobile phone brands in India are skipping an ultra-wide lens under Rs 20,000, which is not a good thing.

In terms of quality, the primary camera takes excellent photos in bright light. Although there is a lot of detail in the images, some textures may still appear soft. The auto HDR feature enters the area and delivers a good result. However, the shutter speed is not very fast, and if you do not have particularly steady hands, there may be some wobble.

The Infinix Zero 5G includes an auto night mode that activates in low light environments and appears to do some HDR boosting, restoring shadows and capturing light sources. The detail is nicely retained, and there isn’t a lot of extra noise. A specific Super Night mode is also available on the Zero 5G. It significantly enhances images taken with the main camera, restoring both shadows as well as highlights far more effectively than the usual AI mode.

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It comes with a 2X telephoto zoom, which is why the portrait mode is so good. The images are sharp, and the colours are reasonably consistent. The shots appear to be more natural and detailed in general. However, I thought the images were a little too soft. This effect is particularly more noticeable at night when even the details of the picture are lost. The Zero 5G is capable of digital zooming up to 30x. All of this is done digitally, and the outcomes are far from perfect. Infinix has also included a 2MP macro sensor, which is, to be honest, not good for anything.

On the front, Infinix Zero 5G boasts a 16MP selfie camera that isn’t particularly good. You don’t need to use any filters because the photographs come out to be white and boosted. Do note that the selfie does not have autofocus.

The back camera can record videos in 4k@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, while the front camera can only record in 1080p@30fps. It does not support OIS, but it does support EIS, which works as expected. Overall, this device has a decent set of cameras, so let’s leave it there.

The Infinix Zero 5G has a hefty 5,000 mAh battery despite its slim design. The battery life on the Dimensity 900 is excellent, and even after moderate to heavy use, which includes playing games, streaming movies, having voice and video calls, and more, the device easily lasted 1.5 days on average.

In addition, I appreciate the presence of the 33W fast charging feature, which can charge the battery from 0 to 100 per cent in about 90 minutes. Despite the fact that there are better fast-charging options available, the 33W fast charging is acceptable considering the price of the smartphone.

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The Infinix Zero 5G lacks stereo speakers; nonetheless, the single bottom speaker does the job, but it is only a single speaker. While the single speaker is loud, it is also rather flat, resulting in an average audio experience.

The Zero 5G supports dual SIMs, True Dual 5G SIM standby, and VoNR. It includes 13 5G bands: n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n40, n41, n77, n78, and n79. The phone has Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2 for local connectivity. An FM radio receiver is also included, as well as OTG support. However, there is no NFC.

Infinix Zero 5G has a fingerprint reader integrated with the power button that is located on the right side. The fingerprint scanner is quick and accurate. There are no complaints here.