Intro
I recently had the opportunity to try out the Infinix Hot 20 and see if it lives up to its reputation as a budget smartphone. The sleek design caught my attention with its simple yet elegant matte finish and pearlescent coloring. The fingerprint sensor on the power button was a pleasant surprise, responding quickly and taking me to the home screen with ease. Despite attracting fingerprints, the TPU case included in the box more than makes up for it.
Specifications
- Release date: 2022, October 06
- Colors: Racing Black, Space Blue, Blaster Hreen
- Dimensions: xx mm.
- Weight: 0 g.
- Screen: 6.6" inc, 1080 x 2408, IPS LCD
- Camera : Dual, 50MP
- Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 810 (6 nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
- Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM
- Battery: 5000, Li-Po, non-removable
- Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
- Operating system: Android 12, XOS 10.6
- Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), unspecified sensors
If you are curious to find out all the details before reading the full review, visit the page for Infinix Hot 20 Specs, where you will find even the smallest detail about the phone.
Design
I had the pleasure of trying out the Infinix Hot 20 in Aurora Green and I must say I was immediately drawn to its stylish design. The phone has a polycarbonate construction with a textured coating underneath the glossy layer on the back, which not only adds to its striking looks but also provides a secure grip. The rounded edges of the phone add to its overall elegance, making it comfortable to hold and use for extended periods of time.
One of the things I appreciate about the design is that it doesn't attract fingerprints and smudges, which is always a plus in my books. Additionally, the 209-gram weight of the phone seemed evenly distributed, so I had no trouble holding it for long periods of time while watching my favorite shows.
The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and rectangular camera module give a clean and tidy look. I also found that the volume rocker and power button are conveniently located on the right edge of the phone, and the SIM card eject slot is located on the left . Interestingly, the SIM card eject tray has a dedicated microSD card slot, which I found convenient.
One of the criticisms I have of the Infinix Hot 20 is that the display has a water drop and thick bezels all around, which looks a bit dated compared to some of its more advanced counterparts. However, I appreciated the fact that the display easily collects fingerprints and smudges that can be easily erased.
Camera
When it comes to the Infinix Hot 20's camera, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the dual rear camera with 13MP main sensor and AI lens as well as 8MP front camera produce decent images in daylight. The cameras focus and shoot quickly, and the colors look decent. I particularly enjoyed using the selfie camera as it produces clean and neutral skin tones with actual detail and colors.
However, the camera's low light performance is a disappointment. Despite the flash on the rear and selfie camera, the resulting images are unusable, with poor detail and washed out colours. Turning on the night mode only makes matters worse with exaggerated contrast and crushed blacks.
The phone's portrait mode works largely on human subjects, but edge detection is slightly inaccurate and fails to achieve a natural-looking bokeh effect. Additionally, the AI cam mode sometimes tends to over-saturate shades to compensate for the lack of detail, which affects the overall dynamic range.
Display
The screen size of 6.82 inches is impressive, and the refresh rate of 90 Hz is noticeable when swiping and scrolling through apps. I appreciate the maximum brightness of 500 nits as it allows me to easily view the screen even when I'm outside. The display colors are decent and while not as bright as some other models, are still satisfactory for the price. The Hot 20 also supports NFC and virtual RAM, which are unexpected bonuses for a phone in this range. Overall, the Infinix Hot 20's display is impressive for its price and I think it's a great choice for anyone looking for a budget phone with a great display.
Performance
When it comes to performance, I was quite impressed with the Infinix Hot 20. First of all, the Dimensity 810 chipset and 5G support provide very good benchmark scores and overall solid gaming performance. This is especially impressive considering the fact that this phone is budget.
The phone comes with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, which is enough for most everyday tasks. However, I found that I could increase the RAM to 7 GB to further improve performance. Additionally, there is a microSD card slot for more storage options.
While the phone is mainly capable of low to medium level games and works better with regular titles, I was able to play games like Subway Surfers 2 without any issues. Although I did encounter some lag with Asphalt 9: Legends.
There were some instances of lag when receiving a few notifications, but overall the experience when navigating around the device was pretty good with very little lag. The Mediatek Helios G85 processor did an admirable job at completing tasks, and the on-screen keyboard was responsive.
Battery
When it comes to battery life, I must say that the Infinix Hot 20 exceeded my expectations. With a 5000 mAh battery and 18W fast charging support, I was able to use the phone for hours without worrying about the battery running out. Even during several hour gaming sessions, the battery managed to hold up before I had to recharge it.
Something that really impressed me was the phone's ability to last up to a day and a half with regular use. This was especially useful for me as I often forget to charge my phone at night, and it was great to know that I could rely on the device during the day. I also appreciated that the phone's refresh rate could be switched to 60 Hz to extend battery life, which was a useful feature when I needed to conserve battery.
In terms of video playback, I was able to watch 10 hours and 58 minutes of YouTube videos with the highest brightness settings and no power saving modes. That's a really good result for a 5000 mAh battery in a budget phone.
Software
I must say that software-wise, the Infinix Hot 20 is quite impressive. The Hot 20 Play runs the latest Android 12 operating system customized with Infinix's XOS 10.6. I particularly like the Smart Panel feature, which allows quick access to frequently used or recently installed apps. The X Clone feature is also useful for creating a clone of any app for a secondary account.
However, the software also has some drawbacks. The bluetooth and push notifications can be quite annoying, and some of the pre-installed apps cannot be uninstalled. I also noticed that at the time of writing this review, the phone was running a security patch from September, which is worrying.
One thing that may require some getting used to is the XOS interface. It's different from stock Android or other popular custom skins like MIUI or Realme UI. For example, the notification panel is split into two parts, and the toggle tab has a weird layout that can be a bit confusing.
Price
I recently had the opportunity to try out the Infinix Hot 20 and I must say I was impressed by its super affordable price. For only RM599, this phone comes with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, available in three different colours. It may not have top-end hardware compared to some other models, but for its price range, it certainly holds its own.
I compared the Hot 20 to other models in its price range, such as the Moto G52, and found that it outperforms them in terms of features and specs. It's also worth noting that the Hot 20 comes with an included charger, unlike the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G, which has slightly better hardware but doesn't include a charger.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have to say that the Infinix Hot 20 looks like a solid choice for someone who needs an affordable smartphone. The battery life, display and cameras provide satisfactory performance for everyday use. While the chipset and software could have been better, the phone still manages to provide a good overall user experience. Infinix definitely keeps up its pace in delivering enticing devices at an average price. However, if 5G connectivity is a must for you, the Infinix Hot 20 5G might not be the best option due to the missing optimizations and poor camera performance. In that case, the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G or even the Moto G52 might be better alternatives with their better hardware and software optimizations
Pros
- Good looks
- Good performance
- Long battery life
- Affordable price
- Good battery
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
Cons
- Not a good camera
- Outdated drop hole display
Infinix Hot 20 video review
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on our team's personal experience with the Infinix Hot 20 and third-party sources. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and reliable information, readers should keep in mind that this is a subjective assessment. The writing of this article was not paid for or sponsored by Infinix.
