Infinix Zero 5G review: The challenger might need more firepower

When it comes to considering a phone in the Rs 20,000 price bracket, one does not automatically think of the Infinix brand. The company’s phones are more popular in the under Rs 15,000 category. However, with the Infinix Zero 5G, it is offering a slightly more expensive device starting at Rs 19,999.
The Infinix Zero 5G comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 900 processor with 5G support, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone also offers a triple camera at the back, but without ultra-wide or macro sensors. But are specifications enough to make this Infinix phone stand out in the market? Here’s our review.
Infinix Zero 5G specifications: 6.78-inches full HD+ display, 120 Hz refresh rate | Mediatek Dimensity 900 processor | 8GB RAM+128GB storage space (expandable storage support) | 48MP+13MP+2MP camera + 16MP front camera | XOS 10 with Android 11 on top | 5000 mAh battery with 33 W fast charging
Infinix Zero 5G price in India: Rs 19,999
Infinix Zero 5G review: What’s good?
Infinix Zero 5G comes in three colour options: Cosmic black, Horizon Blue and a Skylight Orange. I have the black coloured variant for review, which has a really glossy feel to it, and not something I prefer. The end result is fingerprint city. Yes, getting a cover for this is mandatory.
The rear camera on the Infinix Zero 5G. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
But what I liked about the design is that camera does not really jut out so much unlike what the competition offers. There’s a slight arc around the camera module, which does look very unique. The Zero 5G is a dual-SIM device with a microSD slot. Infinix says they are supporting 5G on both slots. It retains the headphone jack, and the fingerprint scanner is embedded as part of the power button. The scanner works accurately and quickly to open the device. But the Face Lock feature was not so accurate.
This is a big-screen phone at 6.78-inches with a 120 Hz maximum refresh rate and 240 Hz touch sampling. Infinix is letting users stick to an option of Auto Refresh, where the refresh rate is decided automatically. This is also better for battery life and it is good to see the brand offer this in the segment.
Infinix Zero 5G has a 6.78-inch full HD+ display. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
The display, a Low-Temperature PolySilicon (LTPS) panel, which is a more integrated style of LCD and supposed to offer better quality, is not bad. I found the screen to be more than adequate when used indoors for watching shows such as Rick and Morty on Netflix. At night though, I would prefer to reduce brightness. However, in bright sunlight, the display’s visibility is not so good, at least not what one expects at this price point.
The phone is powered the MediaTek Dimensity 900 processor coupled with 8GB RAM (can be extended another 3GB) and has 128GB onboard storage. The performance of the device is impressive and for regular usage it should be more than enough. There was no lag in switching between apps or browsing on social media. Games like Genshin Impact, Alto’s Adventure all worked without any issues or lag during my usage. The phone comes with a 5000 mAh battery, which will easily last a whole day. Infinix has added 33W fast charging on this.
Infinix Zero 5G comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
The Infinix Zero 5G has a 48MP+ 13MP (portrait) and 2MP bokeh camera and focuses on portraits. The front camera is 16MP. But the camera performance has its hits and misses. Portraits I took indoors of some reluctant colleagues did come out sharp and with excellent details. The edge-detection was not entirely accurate, but good enough. Even the skin tones did not look over-processed which tends to be the case very often.
The selfie portraits while sharp, are a little too processed for my taste. For images taken indoors with poor or uneven lighting, the camera does a fair job of ensuring enough details. While pictures of some pink flowers I took outside also came out looking rather nice, I cannot say the same for all photos.
Camera sample taken from the Infinix Zero 5G. (Image is resized for web) (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
Camera sample taken from Infinix Zero 5G. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
Camera sample taken from Infinix Zero 5G. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
Camera sample taken from Infinix Zero 5G.(Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
Camera sample taken from Infinix Zero 5G.(Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
Infinix Zero 5G review: What’s not good?
The camera does feel underwhelming if I were to compare it to the competition. First, some pictures of red-coloured flowers I took appeared completely burnt out. The camera could not handle the colour at all, and the bright outdoors just made it impossible to get a half-decent click. The selfies as I noted were too processed. Overall, I felt that colours lacked that punch on the Infinix Zero 5G’s camera.
Finally, the 48MP camera comes with up to 30X, but I did notice that the moment I switched to 2X or higher zoom, the camera switched to the telephoto lens. And the quality drop is noticeable when shooting in this mode. The camera app is also very confusing. It took me a while to figure out all the settings, which is usually not the case.
A camera sample taken from Infinix Zero 5G where the reds are entirely washed out. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
A second attempt for the same flowers delivered slightly better results (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
And this user interface confusion is present all over the XOS 10 which runs on the device. Yes, XOS did remind me a bit of iOS when I first used it, but the similarity was soon forgotten. I also found that for some notifications like the one about warranty, I could not turn them off from the notifications slider. Even in the settings app, it took me a while to understand aspects like managing and turning off notifications for some apps.
The photo gallery is also tucked away in the tools folder, which is not what anyone wants. As always there is bloatware and you cannot uninstall all of it.
Infinix Zero 5G review: Should you get it?
The Infinix Zero 5G is available at a starting price of Rs 19,999. The phone’s big advantage is the processor it is offering coupled with the faster and more RAM and higher storage space. The battery life is also more than adequate. I also liked the Portrait mode on the camera, but that’s where my praise for the camera stops. The camera and software are the weak points out here. Yes, the phone does have 5G, but India does not have 5G at moment, and it is unlikely to be the case at least for the next one or two years.
The problem for Infinix is that the Rs 20,000 space is getting very competitive nowadays. Brands know this is where consumers are shifting in terms of spending. For Infinix, the challenge will be to stand against options such as Redmi Note 11 Pro, Pro 11+, Realme 9 Pro, Samsung Galaxy F23, all of which are operating at a similar margin.