Infinix Zero 5G review

Introduction

Infinix has rapidly been gaining traction lately thanks to its excellent mid-rangers such as the Infinix Note 11 Pro and Zero X Pro. Along with sister companies Tecno and Itel the Chinese Transsion Holding's maker has captured significant market share in Africa and South Asia and has been looking to expand its global reach.

Hot on the heels of the Zero X Pro, which we found to be an excellen deal, we now get to review the Zero 5G - the first Infinix 5G phone. Beyond the NR support, the Infinix Zero 5G brings a 120Hz 6.78-inch LCD, a big 5,000 mAh battery and an attractive "uni-curve" design.

Infinix Zero 5G specs at a glance:

• Body: 168.7x76.5x8.8mm, 200g; Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back.
• Display: 6.78" IPS LCD, 120Hz, 500 nits (peak), 1080x2460px resolution, 20.5:9 aspect ratio, 388ppi.
• Chipset: MediaTek MT6877 Dimensity 900 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68 MC4.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• OS/Software: Android 11, XOS 10.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF; Telephoto: 13 MP, f/2.5, 50mm, 1/3.1", 1.12µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom; Depth: 2 MP.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/2.76", 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; Fast Charging 33W.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); FM radio; 3.5mm jack.

Infinix's lineup is a bit of a confusing place lately, but the short version is this: rather counter-intuitively "Zero" is its flagship family. However, despite being the 5G handset by the company the Zero 5G ranks pretty low within that family. It's a bit better than the Zero X Neo, but beyond the chipset nowhere near as well-equipped as the vanilla Infinix Zero X and the Zero X Pro. In fact even the less premium in name Infinix Note 11 Pro has the Zero 5G outdone with stereo speakers, bigger display and higher-res main camera.

But performance and connectivity are arguably the two most important aspects of modern smartphones so the Infinix Zero 5G may well have a trick up its sleeve. The MediaTek Dimensity 900 is a pretty notable step up for the company which has previously stuck with MediaTek G chips. And Infinix went with speedy UFS 3.1 storage and LPDDR5X RAM to go with it, maximizing its potential .

Unboxing

Infinix is generous when it comes to accessories. Not a common sight on the smartphone market these days. The retail box for the Zero 5G is quite thick and sturdy with a two-piece design and a thick and secure cardboard cradle for the phone on the inside. The rest of the accessories are come in plastic packaging, which is far from the most ecological thing to do. A small gripe for sure, but these things can quickly scale, and we wish Infinix would reconsider and opt for more cardboard instead.

Inside the box, you get a 33W charger. It is rated for 5V@2A or 10W@3.3A and you get a fairly short but sturdy USB Type-A to Type-C cable too. You probably want to hold on to it as well or only replace it with other 5A-marked cables to accommodate the way Infinix has its 33W charging set up.

Beyond that, you also get a transparent TPU case of decent quality and with good grip. It even has a lip to protect the camera island. Last but not least, Infinix has thrown in a pair of wired earbuds with a built-in inline microphone. Nothing particularly flashy, but still great added value overall.