Infinix Note 5 Review: Better than Any Infinix Phone Before It
Infinix Note 5 was launched in Dubai after much awareness by the company.
The smartphone has been rated the best Infinix phone compared to its predecessors. It’s an overhaul of the Note 4 that was launched a year ago.
Note 5 packs some amazing features like the Android One and FHD+ infinity display. These and other awesome features will make you fall in love with the device already.
Stay glued to your screen and read this review to the end as I reveal to you the full potential of this beast in the Note series.
Design
Infinix Note 5 is a well-crafted phone that has been designed to look pleasing to the eyes and comfortable in the palm of your hands.
The physical home button, sported in the immediate past Note series, has been completely removed to make room for the FHD+ infinity display. The only visible features on the top of the display are the 16MP camera, flash LED, earpiece speaker and notification LED — all horizontally arranged.
It’s interesting to see that the back panel is extremely shiny and glossy, similar to the appearance of Nokia 8 Sirocco. Surprisingly, it’s made of plastic and not glass as you may first assume.
I love that the device is way lighter than its predecessor and has been carefully crafted to make fingerprint smudges unnoticeable on it. This way, your phone will be easy to carry in your pocket and always look neat.
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Related: Infinix Note 4 Review, Specs & Price in Nigeria
Display
Note 5 sports a large 6-inch FHD+ display, which is better than the HD+ display found on Hot 6 pro and Hot S3. The device features a 2.5D glass with an excellent screen to body ratio and rounded corners.
The 18:9 aspect ratio boasts of 480PPI density. This offers a pleasing view when watching movies or playing games. Unfortunately, it’s not protected by a Corning Gorilla glass. A screen guard has, however, been included in the box. Makes some sense, right?
Software
This device runs on Android 8.1 Oreo right out of the box. But unlike the previous Infinix phones, Note 5 is based on Android One not XOS (more on that later). It is powered by an octa-core Helio P23 chipset clocked at 2.0GHz. This makes processing of information on the device pretty fast.
Related: Infinix Note 4 Pro (with Xpen) Review, Specs & Price in Nigeria
Battery and Storage
It packs a large capacity battery of 4500mAh, which Infinix Mobility says can last up to 3 days. Of course, this claim greatly depends on how you use it. I doubt it will last for complete 24 hours with heavy usage over the 4G network.
On the storage, the smartphone comes in two variants; a variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM and another variant with 4GB and 64GB ROM. Your budget and activities you carry out on your phone play a major role in the decision of which variant to go for.
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Camera
As expected, the camera is a key selling feature of the device. It sports a 12MP back camera with 1.25µm for excellent images in lowlight conditions without flash.
It’s also accompanied by a dual LED flash for brighter images when the need arises. The usual settings like professional mode and portrait selfie mode are included on the primary shooter only.
Selfie lovers aren’t left out. If you’re a selfie lover, you’re even more considered because the selfie camera is greater at 16MP and also empowered with an LED flash.
Related: Infinix Hot S3: The First Infinix Phone with a Snapdragon Processor
Android One
Infinix Note 5 comes with Android Oreo OS based on Android One.
Whether you call it a stock Android or pure Android, Google says Android One only comes with essential apps. This means that it has no bloatware (unessential apps that are often found on new phones).
With the Android One pre-installed on this phone, you’re definitely going to say goodbye to the usual XOS UI found on Infinix phones. Also, you’ll have to download most apps from Playstore yourself.
One other noticeable thing is that the (virtual) back navigation button is situated on the left, not on the right as with other Infinix phones.
What does the Android One offer?
- Better battery optimization when the phone is in your pocket or purse. This helps to increase battery life
- Unlimited photo storage from Google photos
- Better security with regular Google certified updates
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The AI is embedded into Google assistant to offer features like Google lens, which tells you what you’re looking at. It tells you things like texts, barcodes, products, books, notable buildings, and so on. This is a similar feature to the one found on Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8 Plus. Google lens is also embedded in the camera.
What’s in the Box?
On opening the box, you’re greeted with the pretty phone, a welcome note from Google, user manual, warranty card, SIM ejector tool, screen film protector, silicone jelly case, quick charger, and micro USB cable.
Get it here: Infinix Note 5
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Infinix Note 5 Specifications
General Features |
|
|---|---|
| Launched | June 2018 |
| Operating System | Android 8.1 Oreo (Android One) |
| SIM | Dual (Nano) SIM |
Display |
|
| Type | IPS LCD Capacitive Touchscreen, FHD+ Infinity Display (16Million Colors) |
| Size | 6.0 inches (18:9) |
| Resolution | 2160 x 1080 pixels |
Body |
|
| Dimension | 158 x 75 x 8.4mm |
| Colour | Blue, Black, Gray |
| Weight | 173g |
Connectivity |
|
| Network | GPRS, EDGE, 3G, 4G |
| WLAN | WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, HOTDPOT |
| GPS | A-GPS |
| USB | Micro 5-pin USB, OTG |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
Storage |
|
| ROM | 32GB or 64GB |
| RAM | 3GB or 4GB |
| Processor | Octa-core 2.0GHz MediaTek Helio P23 Chipset, ARM Mali-G71 MP2 700MHz GPU |
| Card Slot | MicroSD |
Camera |
|
| Back | 12MP with Dual LED Flash |
| Front | 16MP with LED Flash |
Battery |
|
| Capacity | 4500mAh (Non-Removable) |
Others |
|
| Sensors | G-sensor, Proximity, E-compass, Gyroscope, Light Fingerprint (Back) |
Similar Devices
- Infinix Note 5 Pro
- Infinix Note 4
- Infinix Note 4 Pro
- Infinix Hot S3
- Infinix Hot 6 & Hot 6 Pro
- Infinix Hot 5 & Hot 5 Lite
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Infinix is tempting me with this mobile phone, just take a look at the back and the photos it took. Infinix rocks. This Note 5 is awesome and unique.
Infinix mobility has really done well with the note 5. I wish the pen isn’t that expensive.
Hi, well, my name is Mayowa, and i’m from Nigeria. The Infinix note 5 is a gaming mobile, in short, for people who care about crisp graphics and smooth game-play with no glitches or lags, the infinix note 5 is a sure bet, i have played asphalt 8 airborne on it and it was so good, i mean really good. Well, what is the trade-off? Mid-range camera resolution, 12MP on the rear and 15MP in front, not bad, still good for people that love selfies, if you’re aiming for selfie phones, but the best thing about note 5 is its Ultra HD resolution which delivers a super-high end video and gaming experience, and high-end processors for heavy games and heavy tasks, backed by a long-lasting battery. I mean, this phone opens desktop sites and even runs the ads on these sites like it’s a piece of cake. Infinix note 5 is the best gaming mobile i have ever used so far.