The Infinix Hot 40 Pro is probably one of the best budget phones right now. It comes with a 108MP primary camera, 8GB RAM, a 120Hz refresh rate display, and 33 watts fast charging among other exciting features. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 processor and coupled with sufficient RAM and fast charging it is the perfect budget gaming phone.
In this review, we are going to dive deep and find out more about the Hot 40 Pro. Although other phones are competing around the same price point, some awesome features of the Infinix phone set the details far apart on a high standard when compared to its counterparts. Let’s go ahead and share everything you need to know about the phone starting with the unboxing experience.
Infinix Hot 40 Pro Unboxing
- The Hot 40 Pro
- Silicone TPU Case
- 33 Watts fast Charger
- USB C Cable
- Sim Ejector Tool
Infinix Hot 40 Pro Review – All Aspect Review
Let’s see all about the Infinix Hot 40 Pro in its full glory as we dive into all the inner city of the device, lol.
Infinix Hot 40 Pro Design Aspect
Well, you know how everyone says it’s kinda like an iPhone? Yeah, maybe there’s a bit of truth to that, but the thing is, regular folks seem to be really into it. The back of the phone has this cool trick – the color changes with the light, which is pretty nifty. Plus, it’s got this textured surface with these shiny crystal layers that give it this fancy, shiny finish.
There are four color options but I have the palm blue colorway which is the best color in my opinion.
It is made of plastic at the back but from afar you will think it’s glass. The phone has three cameras at the back with a primary 108MP camera. I snapped some exciting images with the camera and I will share them in a bit. The phone is boxy and it has a flat design.
It charges via a USB C cable, and you can also use a headphone because there is a port at the bottom. The frame is glossy and it can be prone to fingerprint stains, however, if you will be using a case that won’t be a problem.
There is a fingerprint scanner that also doubles as the unlock key on the right side of the frame. We also have the SIM card tray on the left side. The phone supports dual 4G SIM cards with an SD card for memory expansion.
The stereo speakers on the phone are impressive and I think this is the first time we are seeing it on an Infinix Hot Series device. You can’t help but notice the impressive sound quality. Overall the design and build quality is top notch. The Hot 40 Pro feels a lot more premium than other devices in the series.
Infinix has this cool thing called the “Magic ring,” which is kind of like what you see on iPhones, you know, that island feature. It’s pretty neat! When coming up with this Infinix Hot 40 Pro the Magic ring is one of the features that’s funny to me and also cool to me.
Display Aspect Infinix Hot 40 Pro Review
The phone’s got this awesome 6.78-inch IPS LCD screen, and let me tell you, it’s rocking a solid 1080p resolution with a super smooth 120Hz refresh rate. You even have the option to switch it up, like you can choose between 120Hz or 90Hz, or just let it do its thing with auto-refresh, switching between those rates.
I’m personally sticking with the 120Hz, ’cause it’s buttery smooth, you know? The screen can go up to 500 nits of brightness, so even when it’s sunny out, you’re good to go. Of course, there are those super sunny days where you might want to crank up the brightness using the slider or just let it ride on auto brightness. It’s pretty handy!
The touch response on this phone is impressive, and what’s really cool is the magic ring feature Infinix added around the punch hole for the selfie camera. It lights up with neat animations when you unlock the phone using your face, during charging, or when you receive a voice call. It’s kinda like the dynamic island thing on the iPhone.
I think it’s a step in the right direction, and I hope Infinix adds more functions to it, like music control and app shortcuts. The bezels around the display are noticeable, but that’s expected on a budget phone.
But, honestly, it doesn’t impact how easy it is to use. I had a blast playing games like Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG, and Freefire on this phone because of its size. Watching YouTube and Netflix was great too. The only phone with a better display in this price range is the Redmi Note 12, and it boasts an AMOLED screen, but you’ll have to shell out a lot more for it.
Software and Performance
The phone is running on Android 13 and XOS 13.5 is the user interface since it’s a gaming phone it comes with the XBOOST game engine. It has allowed me to enjoy an optimized and more stable gaming experience on the phone.
There is also a gyroscope inside the phone to improve hand tracking while gaming. Interestingly XOS seems to be getting a lot better and throughout my testing, there weren’t any unwanted notifications. It comes with some bloatware but not as many as we saw on Infinix devices in the past. Most of them can also be uninstalled. One thing that would have made this device easy to recommend was the availability of Android 14 out of the box since it is readily available.
Infinix stuck with Android 13 and it seems we won’t even be getting the Android 14 upgrade later. There are a couple of Google applications on the phone and if you are like me then they are very important. I constantly use Google Docs and Sheets for my workflow the calendar is also essential in keeping up with appointments. There is a free fire theme on the phone by default but you can change it to the XOS launcher in the settings. You can customize the phone in the settings, especially by visiting the Special Functions tab.
Performance Aspect
The Infinix Hot 40 Pro rocks this cool 6-nanometer chipset under the hood, known as the MediaTek Helio G99. And you won’t believe it, but in some ways, it outshines the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 that’s inside the Redmi Note 12. They’ve hooked it up with 8 gigs of RAM, and you’ve got a whopping 256GB of storage to play with. Plus, if you’re feeling fancy, you can even boost that RAM to a massive 16GB by giving up a bit of storage space on your phone.
As far as I am concerned I didn’t experience any lag or stutter while using the phone. Gaming is very efficient and consistent, and you can play graphics-demanding games at medium graphics quality. While playing Call of Duty mobile the 120Hz refresh rate enhanced the overall gaming experience. Background app retention was also superb and its because of the sufficient RAM and storage. Overall performance on the phone is superb just as expected from a device of that caliber.
One of the standout features for game lovers is the in-house XBoost system Infinix installed on the Hot 40 Pro. The feature makes it possible for you to change your performance mode and make it more smooth especially when playing high-demanding memory or graphics games.
Infinix Hot 40 Pro Camera Review
Now, let me tell you the exciting part – the camera on this device has gotten a serious upgrade! We’ve got a whopping 108MP main camera, a 2MP macro lens, and a clever AI-powered third lens. And guess what? There’s a fantastic 32MP selfie camera too! It’s all about those stunning shots and selfies now!
Images from the main camera are impressive with great color, you can decide to use the main 108MP mode in the camera app for more details. The detail of the pictures using the main camera is great even when you zoom in. HDR processing is good and you get some nice background blur even when you don’t use the portrait mode.
There is a super night mode in the camera app and it should be your default mode when snapping images in low-light situations. The 32MP selfie lens upfront is also great. Images are sharp with plenty of details in well-lit conditions.
There are times when you might not get good images just know that you need to position yourself well against the light. It can shoot 2K videos at 30 frames per second but there isn’t any form of video stabilization. You can however use 1080p and set it to ultra-steady. The camera is impressive even though it’s not one of the strengths of the phone.
We took some pictures on the Hot 40 Pro, check them out and see how great the phone camera system works:
Battery Test & Charging Speed
The phone’s got this massive 5000mAh battery, and let me tell you, it’s a real champ. I mean, it can easily go the distance for a whole day on a single charge, which is pretty darn impressive, right? Plus, they threw in a 33-watt charger in the box, and it’s crazy fast – like, it’ll juice up your phone in less than an hour. And get this, even with just 5% battery left, you can chat away on calls for a solid two hours.
It’s like magic! In just 35 minutes, it goes from zero to 65%, thanks to that Enduring Fast charge technology that keeps an eye on your phone’s temperature to make sure it’s safe and sound during charging. So, with that killer charging speed and the awesome battery life, you’re looking at some seriously impressive battery performance. If you’re not glued to your phone 24/7, you might even squeeze out two whole days on a single charge. How cool is that?
Rounding Up
The Infinix Hot 40 Pro has all the right ingredients required for a phone around its price category. Infinix kept it balanced in all aspects from design down to camera, battery, and performance. It is an easy-to-recommend phone especially because of the price and if you are in Nigeria with the current inflation you have to appreciate that. The phone cost less than $200 approximately $170 if you consider that then you know it is an impressive one.
This smartphone is an awesome smartphone that you can get under a good budget and still gives you top-notch value and experience more than what you paid for. If you love how exciting this device is, feel free to share this review!
