Review Verdict: Infinix has set the new standard for budget phones in the Philippines with the Hot 11S. With its competitive pricing, Infinix managed to pack a Full HD+ 90hz display on the Hot 11S, along with a very capable processor and an all-new 50-megapixel rear camera.

Pros

• Full HD+ 90hz display for under Php 8k
• Capable main camera

Cons

• Other cameras that are just spec stuffers

Infinix Hot 11S specs

• MediaTek Helio G88 processor
• 4GB LPDDR4X RAM
• 64GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
• 6.78-inch Full HD+ LCD LTPS display, 90hz refresh rate, 180hz touch response rate
• 50-megapixel f/1.6 main camera, 2-megapixel depth sensor, AI Lens, LED flash
• 8-megapixel selfie camera
• LTE, 4G
• WiFi, Bluetooth, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
• Stereo speakers, DTS Audio
• 5000mAh battery
• 18w charging
• Android 11, XOS 7.6

After a strong showing with the Zero X Pro, Infinix is again making its mark on the budget market with its newest phone, the Hot 11S. Their newest budget contender addresses many of the issues we had with the Hot 10S, making it a compelling buy for anyone looking for a budget device that doesn’t cost a lot.

Design

While the design of the phone is generally the same as last year’s model, the Hot 11S features a wavy pattern that makes it more visually pleasing than the geometric lines used on the Hot 10S. However, you still get that glossy finish that attracts fingerprints like crazy, so you’re better off using the included silicone case.

Since the Hot 11S uses a new 50-megapixel main camera with a physically bigger sensor, the camera module is significantly bigger than the one on its predecessor to accommodate it. It does protrude from the body a few millimeters, but you’ll most likely use the included silicone case so that should be the least of your worries.

The button and port layout are the same as its predecessor, but the Hot 11S thankfully switches to USB-C from microUSB. If there’s something Infinix can improve on, they should move the fingerprint scanner to the side so that users don’t accidentally tap the fingerprint scanner while playing games or using the phone in landscape mode.

Display

The Hot series settled for an HD+ display for the longest time, and the Hot 11S bucks that trend with a Full HD+ upgrade. The bump in resolution translates to sharper images, a higher pixel density, and a vastly better viewing experience for videos. Like its predecessor, it retains the 90hz refresh rate and 180hz touch response rate–both being important for the Hot 11S’ selling point as a budget gaming phone.

Aside from the bump in display resolution, Infinix made the Hot 11S a better all-around entertainment device by giving it stereo speakers while still keeping the much-loved headphone jack.

Cameras

Ignoring the two filler cameras, the 50-megapixel main rear camera uses a sensor that is bigger than the one used on the Hot 10S’ 48-megapixel snapper, along with a bright f/1.6 aperture.

Throughout our time with the Hot 11S, we noticed that photos taken with it have a generous amount of detail for a budget phone, along with good colors. The Hot 11S has a better-than-usual performance in low-light situations as a budget phone, though we noticed some inconsistencies with exposure calibration.

There’s not much to say about the Hot 11S’ selfie snapper, as its overall performance is typical of what you expect on a budget phone.

Performance and Battery Life

While the Hot 11S is offered in 4GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB variants, it uses an Helio G88 processor instead. Compared to the Helio G85 used on its predecessor, the differences are minimal at best, with the Helio G88 beating the Helio G85 in Geekbench Single Core and 3DMark Slingshot Extreme.

The Helio G88 trails behind the Helio G85 in Geekbench Multi-Core and Compute, and loses to it in PCMark Work.

When it comes to games, the Hot 11S performed well in popular games like Genshin Impact. While we could not run Gamebench due to software issues, the Hot 11S handled the popular open-world RPG well at low to medium settings.

Demanding MOBA games like Wild Rift is a breeze for the Hot 11S, as setting the game to Performance settings at 60FPS delivered a smooth gaming experience. The same pretty much applies to Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt 9, where setting the graphics to performance mode delivered a smooth experience. It is possible to go for high graphics settings for both games, with little to no difference in terms of overall performance.

Despite having a smaller 5000mAh battery, the Hot 11S managed to last for 15.5 hours on our video loop test. That’s a fairly good figure considering that we had to run the test at 90hz refresh rate. The Hot 11S now has 18w wired charging, and topping up the battery to 100% took us under 3 hours.

Wrap up and Conclusions

Infinix is tearing up local sales charts and our review of the Hot 11S shows that they’re not about to stop soon in the Philippines. Building on everything that made the Hot 10S good, the Hot 11S’ biggest upgrade is the Full HD+ display, 18w wired charging, and stereo speakers. These three key upgrades effectively made the Hot 11S the new standard for budget gaming phones.

Infinix Hot 11S Philippines Price

The Hot 11s is priced at Php 6,990 for the 4GB/64GB model and Php 7,990 for the 6GB/128GB model in the Philippines and is available at Infinix’s official Lazada store.