Infinix HOT 30i : Infinix is one such brand in India that has established itself to cater to the budget smartphone market by providing good and reliable hardware at an ultra-competitive price.
One such value-oriented product is the Infinix HOT 30i: a smartphone aimed at first-time smartphone users and others in need of a wallet-friendly, yet fashionable smartphone experience.
It came with a bold announcement of design and performance for those of us who had a real practical use for it – the HOT 30i isn’t just another BD$$$ device. It’s a vessel of high-end aesthetics, abundant RAM and a big battery, and I don’t need to remind you that that’s hard to come by in this price range.
Design & Construct – Premium Feel for a Budget Price
Infinix HOT 30i greets you with a surprise as you unbox it. Although it doesn’t break the bank, the Galaxy A10 sports a glass-like back with a unique prism pattern that catches the light in a fancy manner.
The phone, offered in Glacier Blue, Mirror Black, and Diamond White, certainly isn’t ugly.
The HOT 30i is, also, a lightweight phone which is portable enough for use anywhere at only about 191g.
This price point also includes a side mounted fingerprint scanner embedded into the power button, which is a near-compelling solution and pretty accurate.
Display: Large and Functional
Up front, you have a 6.6-inch HD+ IPS LCD panel with a 90Hz refresh rate – a feature not common on smartphones priced below ₹10,000. The screen is reasonably bright too, with a peak of 500 nits, more than enough for indoors and outdoors use.
Colors are bright, text seems sharp enough for reading and social media. The refresh rate bump also leads to smoother scrolling than you’d expect from a phone at this price.
Performance: Priced to Surprise It works surprisingly well for the price
Under the hood, the HOT 30i comes running on a MediaTek Helio G37 processor, complemented by as much as 8GB RAM (including virtual RAM expansion) and 128GB of internal storage.
For everyday tasks — like browsing, WhatsApp, YouTube and light gaming — the phone does a fine job of handling itself.
You can also play games like Subway Surfers and Free Fire at medium settings with not too much stutter. The processor isn’t meant for heavy gaming, but it does OK with simple multitasking and casual apps.
The Software Experience: It’s Clean and It’s Functional
The phone is powered by XOS 12 based on Android 12. The interface does have some pre-loaded apps, but you can delete or disable them. In addition, XOS brings a few useful features such as social turbo, smart panel and game mode, making it a better experience for everyday use.
Animations are smooth, app transitions are snappy, particularly with the 90Hz display. There are some ads in notifications, but they are bearable and understandable in this category.
Camera Setup: Good In Proper Lighting
On the back, it has a 13MP dual AI camera which takes good photos in light. Colour is well balanced and details are alright for uploading on social media. Portrait mode does the trick, though is hit and miss.
The performance in low light takes a hit, but the quad LED flash does come into help and they still manage to take usable photos. The 8MP selfie camera is decent for selfies and video calls, but it does smoothen the skin texture more than users would like.
Battery Life:
You can be confident that you will get all-day battery life.
Battery The HOT 30i is powered by a 5000mAh battery, which can last all day long on moderate usage. Whether you’re watching video, texting or browsing, it has strong endurance. It has a 10W standard charger (which isn’t the quickest, but still does the job).
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Stylish and premium design with new adjustable back finish
Big screen with 90Hz refresh rate
Negatives 8GB RAM (and actually upgradable) at the budget price
Trust in consistent day-to-day performance
Big 5000mAh battery
Fingerprint sensor: Side-mounted
Cons:
HD+ resolution, not Full HD+
No fast charging support
Average low-light photography capabilities
Some bloatware and in-app ads
Helio G37 is not perfect for running heavy games
Infinix HOT 30i Final Verdict
The Infinix HOT 30i is a great value-for-money device designed primarily for young students and first-time users or people who require a trusted secondary device. It’s got an eye-catching design, a mooth display, and a solid set of specs for a mere fraction of the price.
If you’re on a shoestring but don’t want to sacrifice on an attractive phone that can handle day-to-day chores without making you want to pull your hair out, the HOT 30i should be on your shortlist.
