Recently, we had the opportunity to review an Infinix Hot 30 and compare it with its competition in the market. We thought we’ll never hear from them again, but a couple of weeks ago we were offered to review their new phone from their ZERO series. Scanning through the details of the phone, we thought the Infinix ZERO 30 5G would definitely be a winner, but let’s evaluate each area of this new phone before we give out our verdict.
Table of Contents
Infinix ZERO 30 5G Specifications:
| OS: | XOS 13, Android 13 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | MediaTek Dimensity 8020 |
| Display: | 6.78-inches 144Hz AMOLED |
| Wireless Connections: | 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, GPS |
| Memory: | 12GB+256GB |
| Connectors: | USB Type-C, OTG |
| Cameras: | Rear Camera: Main - 108MP, f/1.7 Ultrawide - 13MP, f/2.2 Depth - 2MP, f/2.4 Front Camera: 50MP, f/2.5 |
| SIM Card Slots: | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM) |
| Battery: | 5,000mAh 68W Wired Charging |
| Price: | 12GB+256GB: Php 14,999 |
The Unboxing
The packaging of the Infinix ZERO 30 5G is a bit unique compared to its competition. They usually have their brand’s name and model number. For the ZERO 30 5G, it emphasizes its 4K 60FPS Front Camera feature.
Inside the box are the Infinix ZERO 30 5G Review unit, jelly case, Type-C USB Cable, USB Charger Head, SIM Card Ejector PIN and User Manual.
The Looks and Feel
I was immediately impressed by the looks of the Infinix ZERO 30 5G. The curved-edged screen and slightly thin bezels gives it a high-end appeal.
Located on the right side of the ZERO 30 5G are the volume controls and power button.
At the bottom, are the SIM Card tray that accommodates two Nano SIM Cards, microphone, Type-C USB port and bottom speakers. Meanwhile, the top also has another set of speakers.
I initially thought the back panel is made of plastic. Michael, our Editorial Assistant checked and insisted that it was indeed made of such material. After checking and double-checking information found in other technology sites, my hunch was correct after all. The ZERO 30 5G’s back panel is also made of glass! In fact, it is also covered by Gorilla Glass 5 aside from its display.
The cameras are housed in a large module occupying the upper portion of the back panel. Consisting of two big lenses on the left, a macro lens and LED flash on the right, it doesn’t look cramped at all.
To be honest, I am not a fan of the Gold colored-phones. I still find this color scheme dated as if I was transported back to 2015 where everybody has a gold colored-smartphone. However, my perception changed as I used the ZERO 30 5G a lot more on a daily basis. The Golden Hour color has grown on me and the way it was coated doesn’t make it look cheap. It is also worth mentioning that the back panel isn’t a fingerprint magnet.
If you don’t dig the Golden Hour colorway, then you may opt for a Rome Green or Fantasy Purple instead.
Thanks to its curved-edged screen and back panel, the Infinix ZERO 30 5G is comfortable and enjoyable to hold. While the unit feels solid, I didn’t find it too heavy for me to pull down my shorts when inserted in my pocket.
The Display
Screen size of the Infinix ZERO 30 5G is at 6.78″ with a Full HD resolution of 1080×2040 and an aspect ratio of 16:9. The display also has a built-in fingerprint scanner for added security. Another feature I was surprised to find out is its AMOLED Display. It is not secret this is my favorite type of display technology, and as expected, the ZERO 30 5G produced deep blacks and crisp pictures. It’s display refresh rate can be selected manually or automatically. Options in the refresh settings are 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz and Auto-Switch.
I mentioned earlier that the ZERO 30 5G has a pair of stereo speakers. It’s really loud but at the same time produces clear audio. I was able to clearly hear it ring even I was in a noisy environment. Sadly, the 3.5mm headphone jack is not present in the ZERO 30 5G, but you can connect your wireless headphones through bluetooth connectivity.
The Performance
Running under the hood of the Infinix ZERO 30 5G is a 2.6GHz MediaTek Dimensity 8020 Octa-Core processor paired with a GPU of Mali-G77 MC9. We’ve reviewed quite a number of Dimensity-powered devices, but it seems we’ve never had an encounter with the 8020. We checked the benchmark scores of the Infinix ZERO 30 5G and here are the results:
I made the ZERO 30 5G as my primary device for the past two weeks and I felt right at home. Performance was top-notch and I didn’t encounter any lags or software glitches. Its 5G connectivity is fast and I’m able to use my data for streaming videos and playing mobile games without any hassles. There is only one storage configuration for this model: 256GB/12GB.
Of course, we also tried playing mobile games on the Infinix ZERO 30 5G by installing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Farlight84 and Genshin Impact. Mobile Legends can be played at High Frame Resolution with Ulgra Graphics. Under medium graphic settings, Genshin Impact produced 60fps of smooth playthrough with minor stuttering during fights.
For the newest game Farlight84, we set the Graphics Quality to HD, Frame Rate to Very High and Resolution to Medium. So far, we found the gameplay to be smooth with no issues encountered. We also tried using Maximum settings – Graphics: Ultra, Frame Rate: Extreme (cap to 60fps only), Resolution: High and the game was still smooth to play. What we noticed in all the games we played is that it gets warm after 3 to 5 mins of gaming.
XOS 13, which was based on Android 13 is the mobile Operating System of the Infinix ZERO 30 5G. I found it quite similar to other smartphones’ skins, but with some differences. One of my favorites is the Lightning Multi-Window where I can have a couple of apps floating open on the home screen. As a multi-tasker, this is pretty useful that lets me switch from one app to another quickly.
I also used the XArena app a lot while playing games. By swiping left or right during a game, the XArena app lets me have access to the most common apps and shows my current fps and memory usages. What surprised me is it also has a performance mode normally seen in high-end gaming phones.
While its cute to see my notifications scroll on top of my screen during while playing, it also annoys me at the same time. Thanks to XArena, I’m able to disable or hide certain notifications, as well as any accidental mistouches on the navigation gestures.
I haven’t explored all the features of XOS 13, but if there’s one thing I dislike it is the pre-installed bloatware. Thank goodness these unnecessary apps can be uninstalled.
The Cameras
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G features three camera lenses consisting of a 108 Megapixel main camera, 13 Megapixels ultra-wide lens and a 2 Megapixel macro lens. As expected, the 108 Megapixel main camera defaults to 12 Megapixels which captures accurate colors with accurate details. To enable 108 Megapixels, you’ll need to tap the 108M icon on the left (or top side of the camera app) to take higher resolution images. The ultra-wide camera also does a good job for landscape photos. Night photos especially with Super Night mode turned on helps bring out the best images in low-light conditions.
The front camera, like the main camera, also defaults to 12 Megapixels. Selfies looked natural in this mode, so I don’t think switching to 50 Megapixels will add any value.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, Infinix is marketing the ZERO 30 5G as a 4K 60fps Vlogger phone. Will update this review shortly once we have uploaded a sample VLOG video using the front camera.
Here are some sample photos taken with the Infinix ZERO 30 5G
The Battery Life
Battery capacity of the Infinix ZERO 30 5G is rated at 5,000 mAh. Even with 5G turned on for the whole day, the ZERO 30 5G was able to last more than 12 hours on a single charge with at least less than 20% of juice left. Daily activities include the usual phone calls, emails, video streaming and gaming for a total of 2 hours. The package includes a 68W charger which can charge the phone up to 80% in 30 mins.
DR’S CONCLUSION
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G has set the bar for producing a premium phone for a price under P15,000.00. This is the reason why I loved using the phone for the past few weeks and didn’t want to move back to my P100,000+ main flagship smartphone. The features and unbeatable price of the ZERO 30 5G will absolutely help Infinix shine on its Golden Hour!
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G will be on sale starting on September 27 for an SRP of P14,999. Since Infinix wants us to give you a very special deal, the official launch price starts at P13,999! You can visit the Official Infinix shops at Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok and grab one of the first ZERO 30 5G units!
