Infinix Note 50 Pro+ review

Competition

Infinix may not be near the top of your shortlist, but with offerings like the Note 50 Pro+ it just might be headed there. With well-balanced performance and some standout features, the handset is hard to rival, even if there's no shortage of competitors.

You could be on a quest for Samsung and within the Infinx budget you'd be looking at an A36, or possibly an A56 with a bit of a stretch. Neither will come close to the Note 50 Pro+'s camera prowess, or be a match for its performance.

There's a Redmi Note 14 Pro of some sort to compete against the Infinix, though we may not be able to pinpoint the exact one for your region. The Note 50 Pro+ will probably beat it in a camera shootout anyway.

The Realme 14 Pro+ could have a thing or two to say in a camera comparison against the Infinix, and it's not obvious who'd win it overall. The Infinix is better for closeups, that much is clear.

One of the Note 50 Pro+'s unique features - the rear LED light - has sort of a match in the Nothing Phone (3a)'s Glyph interface. The (3a) also has a decently close-focusing zoom camera, but it's not quite as good as the Infinix at that, plus its chipset isn't as potent.

Samsung Galaxy A36 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G (Global) • Realme 14 Pro+ • Nothing Phone (3a)

Verdict

The Infinix Note 50 Pro+ does a lot of things right and its failings aren't really major dealbreakers. Frequent travelers may avoid it because of its lack of eSIM support, and if you do a lot voice calls, maybe its subpar endurance in that discipline should be a red flag. The software support isn't exactly long-term either.

But the Note 50 Pro+ offers a compelling camera system with a nicely capable main shooter, an ultrawide that's hard to find for the money, and a telephoto that can put to shame some models at twice the price.

Battery life may be so-so, but charging speed is towards the top of the charts, and the wireless charging capability is unheard of in the class. Standout features that could be useful to the right crowd include the heart rate monitor and the LED light on the back.

All things considered, the Note 50 Pro+ makes a very convincing case for itself and should be particularly enticing for camera enthusiasts on a budget.

Pros

• Glass-metal body, IP64 rating.
• Heart rate sensor and LED illuminator on the back.
• Very fast charging; wireless also an option, complete with a MagSafe-like solution.
• XOS packs a ton of features, plenty of AI stuff too.
• Very good camera system - great zoom action, nice closeups, AF on the ultrawide, solid primary camera.

Cons

• Display's HDR implementation is lacking.
• Average battery life overall, pretty bad at voice calls.
• Just 2 major OS updates.
• No eSIM support.
• Laid-back detail/noise processing in photos may irk some.
• Kinda iffy stabilization when walking.