In recent months, Infinix has been making waves in the smartphone market. This success is exemplified by its parent company, Transsion, claiming the top spot for smartphone shipments in Q2 of 2023. The Infinix Note 30 VIP and Infinix GT10 Pro were both hits, and now, the Infinix ZERO 30 5G aims to deliver an affordable yet feature-packed smartphone experience.
Design and Build
Our unit boasts the stunning “Golden Hour” colorway, characterized by a back panel that changes color when exposed to light at various angles—a visual treat reminiscent of the vibrant hues seen in the sky during the golden hour (3 to 5 PM).
The device impresses with its robust build, featuring an all-metal chassis and glass on both the front and back. Remarkably thin at 7.9mm and weighing a mere 185 grams, it strikes a balance between elegance and comfort.
Attention to detail is evident, from the conveniently placed volume rocker and power button on the right side to the dual speaker grills at the bottom, which accompany the USB Type-C port, SIM card slot, and primary microphone. Up top, a secondary noise-canceling microphone complements the second stereo speaker, complete with a finely laser-etched “Powered by Infinix” label along the side.
The front houses an under-display fingerprint sensor within the 3D curved display, while the top middle corner accommodates the punch-hole camera, a formidable 50MP vlogging camera capable of 4K video recording at 60fps.
On the rear, the frosted glass back panel feels smooth to the touch, offering resistance to smudges and fingerprints—a thoughtful touch. Below the protective glass, a textured coating reflects light differently based on the angle, adding subtle sophistication akin to what’s seen in vivo’s V27 and V29 series.
Display, Biometrics, and Multimedia
The Infinix ZERO 30 flaunts a 6.78-inch display with all the desired features: a curved glass display shielded by Gorilla Glass 5, a vibrant AMOLED panel with a high 144Hz refresh rate, and an above-average screen resolution of 1080×2400 pixels.
The dynamic refresh rate can adapt automatically or be manually set to 60Hz, 120Hz, or 144Hz, offering flexibility tailored to the content.
For biometrics, the device offers an in-display fingerprint sensor as the primary security method, complemented by facial recognition. Traditional options like PINs, patterns, or passwords are also available.
Dual speakers—a primary down-firing speaker and a secondary one at the top—enhance audio quality. While the placement may not be optimal for gaming or movie playback in landscape mode, the sound quality is impressive, with ample volume.
Camera
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G boasts a triple-camera system, accentuated by a bright quad-LED ring flash.
The primary camera employs a Samsung ISOCELL HM6, a 108MP sensor first introduced in March 2022 and originally featured in the realme 9 4G. The camera module on the rear houses three cameras and the LED ring flash. The star of the show is the 108MP sensor with an f/1.75 aperture, phase-detection autofocus, and optical image stabilization.
The device also boasts a remarkable 50MP front camera capable of shooting 4K video at 60fps—an uncommon feature in smartphones.
OS, UI, and Apps
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G runs on XOS 13.1, based on Android 13. The user interface is clean, straightforward, and predominantly gesture-based, although users have the option to revert to the classic 3-button menu controls.
Pre-installed native apps include XClub, Smart Scanner, My Health, Carlcare, Visha Player, WOW FM, and Hi Browser. Third-party apps like WPS Office and Tiktok come pre-loaded as well.
Additional features include AHA Games and Palm Store, offering recommended games and apps beyond the Google Play Store. Infinix XArena serves as the native Game Assistant Panel for optimizing gaming performance, while Folax replaces Google Assistant as the default Voice Assistant.
Performance and Benchmarks
Under the hood, the Infinix ZERO 30 5G houses the Mediatek Dimensity 8020 chipset, a formidable combination of a quad-core high-performance ARM Cortex A78 clocked at 2.6GHz and a quad-core power-efficient ARM Cortex A55 running at 2.0GHz. Complementing this is a 9-core ARM Mali-G77 MC9 GPU, 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM (with an optional 9GB Extended RAM), and a spacious 256GB UFS 3.1 internal storage.
Benchmarks reflect the device’s prowess:
- Antutu Benchmark v10: 695,526
- Antutu Storage Test: Read: 1,884 MB/s, Write: 1,606 MB/s, Random Read: 281 MB/s, Random Write: 324 MB/s
- 3D Mark: 4,315
- Geekbench 6: 990 (Single), 3255 (Multi), Geekbench 6 GPU: 1,219 (Vulkan), 4190 (OpenCL)
- PC Work 3.0 Performance: 13,952
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G demonstrates exceptional performance, particularly in gaming. Titles like Asphalt 9, Mobile Legends, and Genshin Impact run smoothly with high-quality display settings, delivering frame rates consistently above 60fps.
Connectivity and Battery Life
Connectivity options are extensive, with dual 5G support, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC.
In battery tests, the device holds its own. In the PCMark battery test, it scored 11 hours and 45 minutes, while in a video loop test, it lasted 17 hours and 40 minutes at 50% brightness, zero volume, and airplane mode. The high refresh rate (144Hz) during video playback does impact battery life.
The device ships with a 68W Super Charge, capable of charging the phone from zero to 100% in under an hour.
Conclusion
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G has exceeded expectations, offering a comprehensive package that rivals premium mid-range devices in the 20k to 25k price range while maintaining an incredibly affordable price point of only Php14,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB ROM variant. It’s a true “bang-for-your-buck” device that’s difficult to match in its price category.
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G is available in Rome Green, Golden Hour, and Fantasy Purple colorways, making it an enticing choice for budget-conscious yet tech-savvy consumers.
Infinix ZERO 30 5G (X6731) Specs:
- 6.78-inch FHD+ 144Hz 3D Curved AMOLED Display @ 1080×2400 pixels
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Mediatek Dimensity 8020 chipset
- 12GB RAM (+9GB Extended RAM)
- 256GB internal storage
- Dual nano SIM 5G
- 108MP f/1.75 PDAF OIS main camera
- 13MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera
- 2MP f/2.4 macro camera
- 50MP front camera, 4K @ 60fps
- WiFi-6
- Bluetooth 5.3
- GPS with aGPS support
- XOS 10 (based on Android 13)
- 5,000mAh Li-Ion battery with 68W Super Charge, PD 3.0, QC 4.0
- Dimensions: 164.5 x 75 x 7.9 mm
- Weight: 185 grams