The Lowdown
The lack of widespread availability makes it hard to endorse the Infinix Zero 5G wholeheartedly. At the same time, if you’re in a region where it’s available, or you’re willing to give it a shot despite the lack of official US support, the Zero 5G is an impressive and fun device!
Overall
Pros
- Speedy interface
- Great display
- The camera is shockingly impressive
- Uses USB-C for charging
- Includes a headphone jack
- Can accept a microSD memory card
Cons
- Very limited geographic availability
Infinix has impressed us several times with its affordable, stylish, and powerful Android phones. Now they’re taking things to the next level with the Infinix Zero 5G, their first 5G Android device! Sure, it’s got a speedier connection, but does it live up to the high bar set by its predecessors? Read on to find out!
The Infinix Zero 5G measures 6.64″ long by 3.01″ wide by 0.35″ thick, and it weighs 7 ounces. It sports a 6.79″ FHD+ screen (500 nits) with a 120Hz display refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate that are phenomenal for games, web browsing, and enjoying videos — which you can do so for quite some time since it also sports a 5,000 mAh battery with quick charging capabilities.
The 16-megapixel front camera is a hole-punch style right in the middle, and it blends right in if you use a dark background.
You have the power button/fingerprint reader and the volume keys on the right side, while the left side has the dual nanoSIM and microSD tray.
There’s a speaker, a USB-C connection for charging, and a headphone jack along the bottom.
The shiny back looks great, but it is definitely a fingerprint magnet. The Uni-Curve Design means that the camera array juts out slightly, but they’ve done a great job of smoothing those edges, so it has an attractive curve, similar to the OPPO Find X3 Pro and the OPPO Find X5 Pro.
Under the hood, the Zero 5G is running a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chip, which means you’re getting fast connectivity and snappy processing; plus it comes with 8GB+3GB Extended RAM and 128GB storage.
The Infinix Zero 5G definitely has a beefy battery life — I left it on standby for several days, and it still had a charge (note that I did not have a SIM installed, but it was connected to my WiFi).
The Zero 5G runs Android 11 under Infinix’s XOS 10 skin. If you don’t love their interface, you can always use a different launcher, but I’ve found theirs does a nice job of putting all the information you need in one place.
There are a few pre-set widgets and folders, and swiping to the right takes you to a screen with news and updates on what’s using the memory and battery.
Infinix also includes a health assistant and an easy-access button to track steps, activity, and even water intake. It does add an extra layer of updates to Android, but XOS does add some value, so it’s worth giving it a try, even if you’re usually a plain Android type.
Security-wise, there are the usual password or pattern unlock choices; a fingerprint reader built into the power button, or you can use facial recognition unlock.
I found the fingerprint reader to be hit or miss; sometimes, it picked up my thumbprint quickly, and sometimes it seemed like no amount of rolling my thumb around on it would get it to recognize me.
On the other hand, the facial recognition is incredibly speedy, to the point where it would pick up my face and unlock faster than I could run my thumb along the power button for the fingerprint reader!
The real thing that makes the Zero 5G stand out though, is the camera. It’s truly an impressive camera array, with a 48-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel bokeh camera, a 13-megapixel portrait camera, and a dual-color temperature flash; I had a lot of fun snapping some excellent shots.
I took the Infinix Zero 5G with me to a local bird rescue sanctuary, and here’s a sampling of some of the shots I was able to get. Since these are wild birds, you can’t get close to the fence, which makes the zoom and quality of the pictures even more impressive!
There are several other camera options as well, from portrait mode to an AI camera, as well as a selfie camera with color filters:
We couldn’t test the call quality without a compatible SIM, but the WiFi connectivity was smooth and fast. This is a fantastic device with a sharp and clear screen, a great camera array, and solid power under the hood.
Here’s the snag — the Infinix Zero 5G is not officially available in the United States; it appears to only be for sale in Pakistan, Zambia, Togo, Nigeria, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Peru, Bangladesh, Colombia, Philippines, and Thailand.
Pricing is dependent on the country and currency, but a quick search indicates the phone retails for roughly $345 on eBay if you’re looking to pick it up in US dollars. It’s available in Cosmic Black, Horizon Blue, and Skylight Orange.
The lack of widespread availability makes it hard to endorse the Infinix Zero 5G wholeheartedly. At the same time, if you’re in a region where it’s available, or you’re willing to give it a shot despite the lack of official US support, the Zero 5G is an impressive and fun device! You can learn more about it here.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Speedy interface; Great display; The camera is shockingly impressive; Uses USB-C for charging; Includes a headphone jack; Can accept a microSD memory card
What Needs Improvement: Very limited geographic availability
