I have been keeping an eye on budget smartphones for years. While the tech industry as a whole has advanced rapidly, I feel like the budget phone segment has been going downhill. If you are looking for a smartphone in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment, it’s pretty hard to find a phone that delivers on all fronts. However, the Inifnix Note 12i breaks the code and is without a doubt the best budget phone you can buy right now. It also happens to be one of the few phones in the price segment to come with an AMOLED screen.
Infinix Note 12i specs: 6.7-inch AMOLED | MediaTek Helio G85 | 4GB RAM + 64GB storage | 50MP + 2MP + QVGA + 8MP front camera | 5000mAh + 10W charging | XOS V12 based on Android 12
Design and display
Similar to other budget phones, the Infinix Note 12i comes with a plastic back that has a matte finish and a camera island that shines under direct sunlight. While the plastic back has a good grip, the reflective part of the back panel is a fingerprint magnet. However, the overall design of the phone is pretty solid and not once during my usage did I feel like I would drop the phone. The only gripe I have with the design is that the teardrop notch on the front is pretty huge and feels outdated on a phone launched in 2023.
The right side of the phone houses the power button, which also doubles up as a fingerprint scanner. It is accurate most of the time, unlike other budget phones which often fail to register your fingerprint.
On the front, you get a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen which happens to be really impressive given the price of the phone. The colour accuracy is really good, and white looks more like white than yellowish, a thing I noticed when I switched from LCD to AMOLED and was really annoyed at. I watched some movies and the blacks are on par with what you would expect from an AMOLED display. When viewed under direct sunlight, the screen is visible even when you are using dark mode. The only downside is that the display has a refresh rate of 60Hz, which is, to be honest, acceptable at this price point, but if you are coming from a phone with a higher refresh rate this might be a turnoff.
Performance and UI
In the last few years, budget phones are becoming less powerful compared to devices launched before the pandemic. Initially, I was sceptical about how the phone would perform, but the MediaTek Helio G85 chipset performed really well. From checking WhatsApp messages to listening to music on YouTube in the background to browsing on Chrome to playing light games like Clash of Clans, I did not encounter any problems or hiccups during my usage. I think that the Infinix Note 12i is one of the few budget phones which manages to accomplish this feat.
I tried running Call of Duty Mobile at low graphics and the phone did not let me down. The game constantly ran at 60fps and had zero stutters during my hour-long gaming session. It looks like Infinix has managed to strike a good balance between thermals and performance. If you can temper your expectations and don’t mind playing games at low graphics, the Infinix Note 12i is a good choice.
The Infinix Note 12i comes with XOS V12 based on Android 12 out of the box and has a lot of bloatware. While the majority of apps can be easily uninstalled with a single click, some apps like AHA Games, Xclone and Smart Scanner can only be disabled. On the flip side, Infinix’s XOS 12 looks and feels refined and offers several features like a theme engine, game mode, video assistant, kids mode, multi-window, smart panel and more.
As far as the battery life is concerned, the Infinix Note 12i packs a 5,000mAh battery which lasted almost a day or two depending on your usage. It comes bundled with a 33W PD charger and since Infinix is not using any proprietary technology, you can use a third-party charger to charge the phone. In case you are wondering, it takes almost 90 minutes to fully charge the phone from 0 to 100 per cent.
Camera and Audio
Let’s talk about the audio first. Once again, Infinix has surpassed my expectation with the stereo speaker setup and support for DTS Sound, which is unheard of at this price point. The dual speakers are really good whether you are listening to music, watching movies or playing games, with DTS further enhancing the audio quality. Navigate to the Sound section in the Settings app and you will find the option to choose between four DTS modes. I tried every one of them and to my surprise, they do make a huge difference in the audio quality.
The Infinix Note 12i comes with a 50MP primary rear camera, backed by a 2MP macro sensor and QVGA depth sensor. The photos come out detailed and the colour accuracy is on point. I even tried taking photos in scenarios where many mid-range smartphones often failed to impress, but the Note 12i managed to capture decent shots no matter how the lighting was. Night shots often miss out on detail, but the noise level is manageable and the pictures are good to on social media. Given the price of the phone, the 50MP primary sensor is by far one of the best cameras I have ever used in the price segment. However, there is nothing much to say about the macro and depth camera and I feel like they only exist to fill up the spec sheet.
For those who love to take selfies, the phone comes with an 8MP sensor with dual front flash. The selfie camera is another major highlight of the phone. In dimly light conditions, you can take some really good selfies thanks to the unique dual front flash, which provides natural light instead of overexposing the images. Another thing that blew my mind is that the phone can record videos in 2K resolution at 30fps, which is something even phones that cost double the price miss out on. Even the front 8MP selfie camera can shoot videos in 2K.
Infinix Note 12i: Should you buy it?
If you are on a tight budget and are looking for a smartphone that delivers on almost all fronts, the Infinix Note 12i is the way to go. From camera to display to performance, the phone managed to impress me and is easily one of the best phones under Rs 10,000 if you don’t mind the bloatware which can either be uninstalled or disabled. However, there are some other options like the Motorola G31, which packs the same hardware while offering a near-stock Android experience and a punch-hole design.
