Review Verdict: one of the best mid-range killers in the Philippines for 2022 comes from an unexpected brand with the Infinix Zero 5G. At its Php 12k SRP, the Zero 5G has undoubtedly the best price-to-performance ratio we’ve seen in recent memory since the Pocophone F1 from 2018.

Pros

• Incredible performance for its price
• Decent telephoto camera performance
• One of the best designs from Infinix

Cons

• Inconsistent main camera performance
• Display not particularly color accurate

Infinix Zero 5G Review Philippines specs

• Dimensity 900 processor
• 8GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 128GB UFS 3.1 internal storage, expandable via MicroSD
• 6.78-inch Full HD+ IPS display, 120hz refresh rate
• 48-megapixel f/1.8 main camera, 13-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, 2-megapixel depth-sensor, LED flash
• 16-megapixel f/2.0 front camera
• 4G, 5G
• WiFi, Bluetooth, side-mounted fingerprint scanner
• 33w charging
• 5000mAh battery
• Android 11, XOS 10

Infinix isn’t messing around with their new 5G-capable Zero 5G smartphone. The brand is looking to crush the competition with a phone that has a powerful 5G processor, usable telephoto camera, and more importantly, an almost unbelievable price. Infinix’s new phone might just be the mid-range killer of 2022 that we’ve all been waiting for.

Design

Props to Infinix for giving the Zero 5G a look that’s vastly different from the same slab-sided, humungous camera module-packing designs on its competitors. The unibody polycarbonate back panel looks very sleek, thanks to that slope on the camera module that give the phone a premium look and feel.

The only thing we’d change on the phone’s design is the finish, as the gloss back attracts fingerprints like there’s no tomorrow. You’ll be forced to use the included case that has its fancy 5G branding to keep it clean and free from smudges. Aside from that though, the phone feels solid and premium – looking and feeling more expensive than it actually is.

Display

Aside from giving the Zero 5G an insane processor (more on that later), Infinix also stuffed their first 5G phone with a large 6.78-inch IPS display with a Full HD+ resolution and 120hz refresh rate. While we like the features the display has to offer, it does have its quirks.

Being an IPS panel, colors are not as vibrant and accurate as AMOLED panels used by its rivals in the same price segment. There are times that colors appeared washed out–and it’s more evident when you max out the brightness slider.

Aside from that, the Zero 5G only comes with Widevine L3, so you are limited to watching Netflix videos in SD. The quirks in the Zero 5G’s display are tolerable if you choose to use the phone more for gaming.

Cameras

The Zero 5G’s cameras may look promising on paper, but our experience with them was a mixed bag. The 48-megapixel main camera was inconsistent when it came to handling exposure even in daylight shots. There were instances that highlights were blown out even if lighting conditions are favorable. It gets worse with low-light: unless you are using night mode, the low-light photos from the main camera are smudgy and lack detail.

It’s strange, however, that the Zero 5G’s telephoto camera actually does a better job overall than the main camera despite having a lower resolution. I shot comparison photos to verify this, and the 12-megapixel telephoto camera does perform better than the 48-megapixel main camera even in low light.

The main camera does perform decently when you use it to shoot video, and the same can be said with the 16-megapixel selfie snapper. I think that this is more of a software issue–something Infinix can easily address with a software update.

 

Performance and battery life

Infinix made sure that its first 5G phone had the best chipset possible at its price segment, namely a Dimensity 900 SoC, paired with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage–the latter being expandable via MicroSD. That configuration is something you’d find on phones priced upwards of Php 20k, and it’s an incredible feat how Infinix gave a Php 12k SRP to the Zero 5G.

Comparing similarly-priced (and even more expensive) 5G smartphones, there’s absolutely no question at the price-to-performance ratio of the Zero 5G. The Dimensity 900 is a 6nm processor that has two Cortex-A78 cores, so you are assured of an excellent performance especially if you intend to play games with the Zero 5G.

The Dimensity 900 processor is a proven processor for gaming, and our Gamebench results confirm that: we managed to get a solid 40FPS (with 100%) stability in Apex Legends Mobile with graphics set to Ultra HD, and the same can be said with Asphalt 9 at high-quality graphics settings. The Zero 5G handled Genshin Impact very well: while it defaults to low graphics, I was able to play the mobile RPG at high graphics, hitting close to 30FPS 97% of the time, and with minimal heating from the phone.

Battery life on the Zero 5G is fairly good: with its 5000mAh cell, we were able to log in 14 hours and 20 minutes in PCMark’s battery benchmark with the phone’s display set at 120hz adaptive refresh rate. The 33w wired charging solution can top up its battery in roughly 1.5 hours from flat to 100%.

Wrap up and conclusions

Our review of the Zero 5G shows that Infinix pulled off a fantastic feat of offering one of the best value-for-money 5G phones in the Philippines. While the cameras and display are not the best for its class, Infinix makes up for it by equipping the Zero 5G with a powerful Dimensity 900 processor that’s normally found on more expensive phones.

Infinix Zero 5G Review Price Philippines

The Zero 5G is available exclusively at Infinix’s official Shopee store with an SRP of Php 11,990. It has a promo price of Php 10,999 as of press time, and will have an even lower promo price of Php 9,999 on March 28.