Hands-on review Verdict: Looking for an affordable smartphone with impressive features? Look no further than the INFINIX NOTE 30 5G. Priced under PHP 10K, this device offers a reliable processor, 5G connectivity, a vibrant display, and fast charging capabilities. In this hands-on review, we’ll delve into the pros and cons of the INFINIX NOTE 30 to help you make an informed decision.

Pros:

• Comes with a 45W charger in the box
• Sharp resolution, punchy colors, and high refresh rate on the screen for the price
• Capable processor that can handle heavy loads and supports 5G connectivity

Cons:

• Bloatware pre-installed
• Mediocre camera performance

Unboxing and Packaging Contents

When unboxing the INFINIX NOTE 30, you’ll find the phone, a SIM ejection tool, and a tempered glass screen protector, which is a thoughtful inclusion. Additionally, the package includes helpful guides for a hassle-free installation. The limited-edition MPL case with an orange pattern adds a touch of uniqueness.

Notably, the inclusion of a 45W fast charging brick and a USB Type A to C cable is commendable, especially since many higher-end devices no longer provide these accessories.

Design

The INFINIX NOTE 30 handed to us for this hands-on review features a frosted matte material on the back, giving it an iridescent sky to baby blue appearance. The “Infinix 5G” logo is positioned at the lower left.

The massive camera module on the upper left corner houses four circles split into two pairs, with text indicating “108MP ULTRA CLEAR CAMERA” and “ALL-AROUND FAST CHARGE.”

The front design is conventional, with a punch-hole in the middle, eliminating the need for a dated waterdrop notch. However, the top bezel is slightly thicker due to the front-firing speaker, while the chin is chunkier than desired.

Display And Sound

Equipped with a 6.7-inch LCD display, the INFINIX NOTE 30 offers bright, punchy, and vibrant colors, surpassing expectations for an LCD panel. The Full HD+ resolution enhances content consumption on the screen, providing an immersive experience. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth navigation through the user interface, automatically adjusting to 60, 90, or 120Hz as needed. Additionally, the JBL-tuned dual-speaker Hi-Res system delivers clear audio, with well-defined high frequencies and midrange, though the lower end lacks some depth.

Cameras

If you looked through the First Impressions Verdict, then you may be expecting some sort of disaster here. But honestly, it’s not. It’s even a bit better than average for the money, but it pales in comparison to the value you get from this phone’s other components. For all intents and purposes, we’ll mostly be using the automated “AI Mode” with the main Samsung 108-megapixel ISOCELL HM6 sensor for now then going in-depth on its full camera suite in the Full Review.

As you can see in these sample photos, there is sufficient detail even in these nighttime conditions. Since the light source is white, it saps out some of the natural color from the items in the photos and wraps it in a certain bland hue. However, these are still very usable photos for social media purposes and we wouldn’t be averse to using these casually.

Another feature we found is “Super Nightmode” working much like any other iteration of the camera mode out there. It takes as much light as possible into the shot to light up the overall scape. Here’s the result.

As you can see in this photo, it makes this playground set look brand new again. It definitely adds some vibrancy to the poppier colors in the shot, while more subtle additions of warmth are made to the other portions. There’s quite a stark difference between the two shots but we can’t really say which one is objectively better. It’s up to you whether you’d rather opt for realism or digital enhancements.

Curious about how the 16-megapixel selfie shooter performs in the same conditions? Well, here you go. It’s not flagship-grade, but it definitely does better than some smartphones even more expensive than itself. There are no blown-out colors and our Unbox personality Ruth’s facial features aren’t blurred.  We’d rate front camera capability as slightly above average.

Internals

Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6080 chipset, a rebranded Dimensity 810, the INFINIX NOTE 30 delivers buttery-smooth scrolling and supports a Full HD+ 120Hz display.

Multitasking is seamless with 8GB of RAM, which can be extended to 16GB through memory allocation. Storage options include 128GB or 256GB.

Running on Android 13 with the XOS UI, the device offers a reliable and crash-free experience, although some bloatware is present, which can be easily uninstalled.

Wrap-Up And First Impressions

The Infinix Note 30 5G is, by itself, a solid-performing smartphone as we found in this hands-on review. We don’t sense any dealbreakers here and there are even some aspects wherein this beats out the industry standard. We’re just not too sure how this slots in with the brand’s other offerings, considering it’s known for value bangers. Either way, you won’t regret buying this device and using it in your day-to-day life, especially if you have a limited budget.

Infinix Note 30 5G Price Philippines

At the moment, we don’t have any news from the brand regarding the price. All we have to base on right now are some Facebook Marketplace listings which peg the phone at PHP 9499 for the 8/128GB model and PHP 9999 for the 8/256GB variant. Whether these prices are close to the official SRP is yet to be confirmed.

We’ll update you all once the brand has released the final prices for the phone.