Infinix Hot 30 5G review: Affordable 5G phone excels in display, battery, and memory

Aug 18, 2023

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In December 2022, I reviewed the Infinix Hot 20 5G and now I am here reviewing its successor, the Infinix Hot 30 5G. The Hot 30 5G is yet again an exciting device for people who are looking forward to purchasing a 5G smartphone priced between Rs 10,000 (~$120) and Rs 15,000 (~$180).

The Hot 30 5G faces competition from the likes of Vivo T2x, Samsung Galaxy F14, Galaxy M14, Tecno Spark 10 5G, and Redmi 12 5G. There may be a few more in the same price range, but I haven’t mentioned them mainly because those devices haven’t launched in 2023. Here is a look at what is in store for people who purchase the Hot 30 5G.

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

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

Infinix Hot 30 5G handset
18W charger
Plastic case
SIM ejector tool
USB-C to USB-A cable
User guide
Warranty card

Design and Display

Dimensions	Display
Size – 168.51 x 76.51 x 9.19 mm	6.78-inch LTPS IPS LCD display	Widevine L1
Weight – 215 grams	1080 x 2460 pixels (FHD+)	NEG glass protection
IP53 rating	20.5:9 aspect ratio
	120Hz refresh rate
	240Hz touch sampling rate
	Up to 580 nits of brightness
	DCI-P3 color gamut

Undoubtedly, the Infinix Hot 30 5G stands out as one of the most attractive devices among its competitors. It holds the distinction of being the sole phone in its price segment, launched this year, to sport a punch-hole display. While the device’s chin is slightly thicker, such a feature is unsurprising given its affordable price point.

The plastic frame of the Hot 30 5G boasts a glossy allure, featuring a SIM card slot on the left-hand side, a speaker grille at the top, a volume rocker and a power key integrated with a fingerprint scanner, and on the bottom, a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone, a USB-C port, and another speaker grille. The device lacks a secondary microphone. It comes with an IP53-rating for splash resistance.

As evident, Infinix provided me with the Aurora Blue variant of the device for this review. The Hot 30 5G’s polycarbonate rear panel boasts a matte finish, which does not attract fingerprint marks at all. There are two equal-sized camera rings and a quad-LED flash positioned at the top-left corner of the phone’s back. The camera island, where the dual cameras and LED flash are placed, features an eye-catching glittery design, exuding a reflective allure.

Weighing in at 215 grams, the phone carries a slight heft. What might account for this? It’s likely attributed to its sizable 6,000mAh battery and the expansive 6.78-inch screen it accommodates. After all, Infinix has consistently delivered larger displays and batteries within its Hot-series smartphones.

Moving on to the display, the Infinix Hot 30 5G packs a 6.78-inch IPS LCD panel that offers a Full HD+ resolution of 2460 x 1080 pixels, a 20.5:9 aspect ratio, and up to 580 nits of brightness. The display is usable outside. I noticed a slight blue tint on the screen, but switching to warm color profiles got me covered. When it comes to refresh rate, the device offers options, such as auto-switch, 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz. The Hot 30 5G comes with support for Widevine L1, which can stream HD content from OTT platforms.

Turning our attention to the speakers, the phone delivers stereo output via its dual-speaker system. However, the sound doesn’t seem to be evenly balanced; rather, it leans towards a 60:40 bottom-to-top ratio in terms of sound distribution. Nonetheless, in most instances, users may not discern this disparity while watching a movie or playing a game, as the device generally produces an impressive audio output.

Performance and Software

MediaTek Dimensity 6080	6,000mAh battery
4GB / 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM	18W charging
128GB / 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage	Android 13 OS, XOS 13
8GB of virtual RAM

The Dimensity 6080, the powerhouse driving the Infinix Hot 30 5G, is essentially a rebranded iteration of the Dimensity 810 chipset. It is complemented by up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM, with an additional 8GB of virtual RAM, and up to 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage.

The Infinix Hot 30 5G isn’t targeted solely at gamers; instead, it is an affordable 5G phone designed to serve as your daily driver while offering some level of gaming. I tested games like Call of Duty Mobile on “High” settings and played Shadow Fight without encountering significant issues. While gaming, the device warms up slightly, but during regular use, it maintains a cool temperature, ensuring overall comfort.

The Hot 30 5G is equipped with a sizable 6,000mAh battery, which I believe can provide up to 1.5 days of usage. The phone’s retail package includes an 18W charger, which takes well over 2 hours to fully charge the device.

In terms of the software experience, the Infinix Hot 30 5G comes preloaded with XOS 13-based Android 13. While it offers numerous features such as Split Screen, Peek Proof, Kids Mode, and Hi Trnslat, there are several preinstalled apps that you may find unnecessary. Similar to many other brands in this price segment, the device does come with a certain amount of bloatware. Here is a look at how the device performed on AnTuTu (3D Bench Lite), Geekbench, and CPU Throttle.’

Photography and Other Features

Rear Camera	Other features
50MP Hynix HI5021Q	Side-mounted fingerprint scanner	3.5mm audio jack
AI lens	Face unlock	MicroSD card slot
Quad LED flash	Wi-Fi 802.11n	NFC
	Bluetooth 5.2
	5G (n1/n3/n5/n8/n28 /n38/n40/n41/n77/n78)
Front Camera	GPS
8MP OmniVision OV8856FF	USB-C
Dual-LED flash	Dual stereo speakers with DTS Sound

The Infinix Hot 30 5G offers various photography modes, including Film, Video, AI Cam (the default mode for still photos), Beauty, Portrait, and Super Night Mode. The primary camera of the Hot 30 5G performs well under sufficient lighting conditions and can even capture decent shots in low-light environments. The provided images demonstrate that the Super Night mode effectively prevents light bleeding from light sources.

As a user who routinely tests various smartphones, I use gridlines and the horizontal level feature when taking shots. I observed a minor issue with the accuracy of the horizontal line, which serves as a visual indicator. This slight inaccuracy affected images where maintaining a straight horizon is crucial for achieving visual balance. However, this concern is relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. The Hot 30 5G can shoot up to 2K videos at 30 fps. Features like Bokeh Effect and AI filters are available while shooting. There is no support for video stabilization on the device.

Regarding the front camera performance, the Infinix Hot 30 5G is capable of producing impressive selfies under well-lit conditions. However, selfies taken in dimmer lighting conditions exhibit a noticeable increase in image noise. While its ability to capture portrait shots is of moderate quality, it still delivers satisfactory results. In conclusion, the Hot 30 5G manages to meet expectations in the camera department, especially when considering its price point.

It is worth mentioning that I did not encounter any issues while using features like the fingerprint scanner and face unlock. The device is also equipped with a microSD card slot and NFC, which can be used for contactless payments.

Verdict

The Infinix Hot 30 5G stands out as the only 5G-ready phone in its price segment, offering a remarkable combination of a 120Hz display, an impressive 6,000mAh battery, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. While the Hot 30 5G’s Dimensity 6080 may be overshadowed by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 found in the Redmi 12 5G – a 4nm chip – the Hot 30 possesses distinct advantages in areas such as its higher refresh rate screen, audio quality, and extended battery life. Consequently, the Hot 30 5G becomes an irresistible contender when seeking a versatile and affordable 5G phone.

Variants, Price and Availability

In India, the Infinix Hot 30 5G is available through Flipkart in options, such as:

4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage: Rs 12,499 (~$150)
8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage: Rs 13,499 (~$162)
Colors: Knight Black, Aurora Blue

WHERE TO BUY

Buy Infinix Hot 30 5G @ Flipkart

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

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