Infinix Note 30 5G review: Nailing the price point with impressive specs

Jun 22, 2023

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Infinix Note 30 5G debuted earlier this month in India with a starting price of Rs 14,999 (~$182). Today, Infnix carried out the first sale of the device via Flipkart. It goes without saying that the launch has launched with an enticing price tag. Moreover, the phone is packed with features that make it one of the best 5G phones in its price segment. Some of which include 45W fast charging, a 108-megapixel triple camera unit, a Dimensity 6080 chip, a 120Hz LCD display, and an impressive design.

I attended the media briefing for the Infinix Note 30 5G before its launch. During the briefing, I had the opportunity to learn more about the device. Additionally, I got to personally experience the Sunset Gold color variant of the phone, which incorporates a leather back. The tactile feel and overall user experience of the Sunset Gold version greatly impressed me. The phone comes in other options, such as Magic Black and Interstellar Blue. For the review, I was provided with a black variant of the brand.

Infinix Note 30 5G review: What’s in the box?

Here is a list of items that are included in the retail package of the Infinix Note 30 5G:

Infinix Note 30 5G handset
Screen protector
TPU case
SIM ejector tool
45W charger
USB-C to USB-A cable
User manual
Warranty card

Design and Display

Dimensions	Display
Size – 168.5 x 76.5 x 8.5 mm	6.78-inch LTPS IPS LCD display	1500:1 contrast ratio
Weight – 205 grams	1080 x 2460 pixels (FHD+)	Widevine L1
IP53 rating	20.5:9 aspect ratio	NEG glass protection
	120Hz refresh rate
	240Hz touch sampling rate
	Up to 550 nits of brightness
	DCI-P3 color gamut

The Infinix Note 30 5G features a polycarbonate rear shell and frame, weighing 205 grams and measuring 8.8mm in thickness. The back panel of the device has a slight camera module bump, featuring three cameras and an LED flash with a subtle protrusion. Despite this, the design is well-balanced, and the camera bump does not result in any wobbling when the phone is placed on a flat surface.

It is an IP53-rated device, meaning that it offers a certain level of protection against dust ingress and water splashes, further enhancing its durability and reliability. Speaking of durability, the phone comes with NEG glass protection for the display.

Around the flat edges, the Infinix Note 30 5G features dual stereo speakers tuned by JBL, a side-facing fingerprint scanner, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Moving to the front, it features a punch-hole display, with a slightly thick chin. There is no secondary microphone on the top edge of the device.

The Infinix Note 30 5G features a massive 6.78-inch IPS LCD panel that offers an FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut. It comes with Widevine L1 support, ensuring a seamless streaming experience on popular OTT platforms. With the added advantage of dual stereo speakers, users can enjoy immersive audio and visual entertainment on the device. Since the screen offers up to 580 nits of brightness, it enhances outdoor visibility, allowing for comfortable usage even in brighter outdoor environments. The included screen guard falls short of completely covering the screen.

Performance and Software

MediaTek Dimensity 6080	5,000mAh battery
4GB / 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM	45W charging
128GB / 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage	Android 13 OS, XOS 13
8GB of virtual RAM

The Dimensity 6080, which is a 6nm chip, powers the Infinix Note 30 5G. The chip brings support for 14 5G bands to the device. The phone comes with LPDDR4x RAM, UFS 2.2 storage, and a dedicated microSD card slot. The phone runs on XOS 13-based Android 13. It will receive one Android OS upgrade and two years of security patch updates.

The 4GB+128GB variant of the device offers up to 4 GB of virtual RAM, whereas its 8GB+256G edition offers up to 8 GB of virtual RAM. In terms of performance, I found the phone to be well-suited for daily tasks, including gaming. The review unit that I have has 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.

The Note 30 5G packs a 5,000mAh dual-cell battery that supports 45W charging. According to the brand, the phone can go from 1 to 75 percent in just 30 minutes. In my test, it took 70 minutes to achieve a full charge. The Note 30 5G comes with a nifty Bypass Charging technology, which activates when the battery level reaches or exceeds the pre-set threshold (30 percent by default), diverting charging current directly to the motherboard. This feature reduces overheating during simultaneous charging and gameplay, resulting in a maximum temperature decrease of 7°C compared to regular charging. The Note 30 5G is the only phone to offer such a feature in its price segment.

The 10W reverse charging capabilities of the Note 30 5G allow users to use it like a powerbank to charge other devices like a smartwatch, TWS earbuds, or a smartphone. In addition, the phone supports the USB PD 3.0 charging protocol. According to Infinix, the 5,000mAh battery of the Note 30 5G retains 80 precent of its original capacity even after 1,000 charge and discharge cycles. This performance surpasses the industry standard of 800 cycles, equivalent to approximately 3 years of regular daily charging.

During extended gaming sessions lasting approximately 45 minutes, the device experiences a slight increase in temperature. This is where Bypass Charging proves beneficial, allowing the device to be charged while gaming without causing overheating. In terms of gaming performance, the device can comfortably handle HD settings, although it may not deliver the smoothest experience on graphics-intensive games.

The OS experience is the usual affair as seen on other mid-range Infinix phones. There are several preloaded apps onboard and only a handful of them can be uninstalled. Thankfully, there are no intrusive notifications. The XOS 13 is user-friendly, smooth, and has plenty of features. However, I hope the brand de-clutters the experience in the future iteration of the XOS.

Here is a look at the phone’s performance on benchmarking apps:

Photography and Other Features

Rear Camera	Other features
108MP Samsung S5KHM6SX03 primary camera	Side-mounted fingerprint scanner	Dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
2MP depth sensor	Face unlock	3.5mm audio jack
AI lens	Wi-Fi 802.11ac	x-axis linear motor
Quad-LED flash	Bluetooth 5.1	NFC
	5G (n1/n3/n5/n7/n8/n12/n20/n28 /n38/n40/n41/n77/n78)	MicroSD card slot
Front Camera	GPS
16MP Hynix H1631 camera	USB-C
Dual-LED flash

Sitting on the front is a 16-megapixel front-facing camera flanked by dual-LED flash units. On the back, the device is equipped with a 108-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, an AI lens, and a quad-LED flash unit. If I am not mistaken, the Note 30 5G is the most affordable smartphone with a 108-megapixel camera. Some of the photography features available onboard include street photography filters, a super night scene filter, sky remapping, film mode, and dual-view video.

In well-lit conditions, the primary camera of Note 30 5G performs admirably, capturing images in a default resolution of 12.5-megapixel. These images exhibit a decent dynamic range and contain a good amount of detail. The main camera also impresses in indoor shots as well as low-light environments with the Super Night mode. While this mode significantly enhances the quality of shots in challenging lighting conditions, it does require a few seconds to capture an image.

The selfie camera performance of Note 30 5G is somewhat lacking, with occasional issues of softness and a lack of detail in the selfie shots. When taking selfies at night, there is some noticeable noise, although the Super Night Mode feature improves the quality to some degree. To assist in capturing better shots in low-light environments, the device is equipped with a dual-LED flash unit to provide adequate lighting for the subject. In summary, the Note 30 5G pleasantly surprises with its impressive performance in the photography department, without excessive hype from the company.

Some of the other features worth mentioning on the device include a dedicated microSD card slot and NFC connectivity, which can be used for contactless payments at POS terminals.

Verdict

The Infinix Note 30 5G excels in multiple areas, boasting impressive features such as rapid charging, a high refresh rate display, a capable primary camera, and a decent design. While I personally would have preferred the inclusion of an AMOLED screen, it’s understandable that this might have resulted in a higher price point. Nonetheless, the device stands out as a formidable competitor among 5G smartphones in the Rs 15,000 (~$182) price range. Moreover, the Axis bank offer price, which reduces the price of the device to Rs 13,999 (~$170) further enhances its value proposition, making it an enticing choice for budget-conscious consumers.

Variants, Price and Availability

In India, the Infinix Note 30 5G is available for purchase through Flipkart. Following are the configurations and color options available for the buyers:

4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – Rs 14,999 (~$183)
8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage – Rs 15,999 (~$195)
Colors: Magic Black, Interstellar Blue, and Sunset Gold

Those who purchase the device using an Axis credit card or debit card can avail a flat discount of Rs 1,000 on both variants. Hence, with the Axis Bank offer, both variants can be purchased for Rs 13,999 (~$170) and Rs 14,999 (~$182), respectively. Buyers can also benefit from no-cost EMI for up to 6 months. For those who are not aware of the company’s after-sales support, it has 1250 service centres spanning across over 1000 towns across the country. There’s a Carlcare app on the device, which can help users find the nearest service centre.

WHERE TO BUY

Buy Infinix Note 30 5G @ Flipkart

Disclaimer: All of the opinions in this Infinix Note 30 5G review are mine and based on my own experiences. There has been no editorial input from Infinix.

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