In today’s world, budget-friendly smartphones with good competitive features are hard to find, but several brands are working towards creating devices. To fight the competitive market, the Infinix Smart series has recently launched a new Smart 8HD smartphone in the market which aims to uphold this tradition by introducing innovative feature-rich smartphones.
We reviewed the device and here is our quick review based on the design, display, cameras, performance, software and battery life.
Design and display
The Infinix Smart 8HD is built up of high-quality plastic construction with enhanced aesthetic appeal- keeping the device free from smudges and fingerprints. The phone comes with a traditional camera module, which replaces the three individual rings out of which two are the cameras and one is for the LED ring.
Talking about the device's weight, it's a little heavy but still comfortable to hold the side-mounted fingerprint scanner does upscale and enhances the security, but it could have been a battery when it was on the display.
The device comes with a USB Type-C port, a speaker grille at the bottom edge and a 3.5mm headphone jack too- which is rare in the devices which are launching these days.
Talking about the display, the handset comes with a 6.6-inch display taught features HD+ resolution.
Cameras: Decent performer but could have been better
The Smart 8HD sports a 13MP primary camera with an AI lens at the rear panel. Talking about the performance, the camera could capture decent pictures in lighting conditions. But when it is low light, the device could be a little low on performance.
Talking about the selfie shooter, with an 8MP camera, the device performs well in daylight conditions, offering vibrant colours with acceptable details and dynamic range, but again, low lights are a little grainy.
Also, the indoor and low-light shots exhibit average performance, and despite Super Night mode and quad LED lights- the small sensor struggles to capture sufficient details in challenging lighting conditions.
Performance and software: Entry-level efficiency
The handset is powered by the Unisoc T606 SoC, and it comes with 6GB RAM (including 3GB virtual), and 64GB of storage. With features like this, the Smart 8HD is a slight delay when we talk about responsiveness, multitasking and graphic-intensive applications - which may not deliver optimal performance. But on the other side, the device proves to be reliable for everyday activities like messaging, communication and streaming.
The smartphone runs on the custom XOS skin with Android 13 Go, showcasing a clean interface with minimal pre-installed bloatware, contributing to a user-friendly experience.
Battery and charging speeds: Dependable backup with room for improvement
The handset comes with a 5,000mAh battery, which delivers decent backup for regular usage. The handset delivers around 5 hours of battery life. Also, the fast charging capability is missing in the device, with the 10W charging solution which takes more than 2 hours for a full charge from 0-100 per cent.
Verdict
Overall, the Infinix Smart 8HD has been priced at Rs 6,299 (on Flipkart, by the time of writing), and the main highlighting feature includes a unique texture, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a decent performing camera which delivers good pictures in the well-lit conditions, but there is some room for improvement in autofocus and low-light shots (indoors and outdoors).
The Unisoc T606 SoC ensures decent performance for essential tasks like social media surfing, listening to music, binge-watching, and calling- basic requirements. The device is low in pricing and could be a fit for basic requirements- but even in the low-price segment, the device is going to face some good competition, as several smartphone companies are working on more budget devices.
