Infinix Note 30 Hands On: Packs a punch!

When it comes to mobile phones, Infinix is probably a name that many would not be familiar with. Perhaps even surprisingly to some, the company has been around since 2013 and since 2017 has been selling their products here in Malaysia.

Today, Infinix’s lineup consists of well made, attractive looking, and value for money mobile phones. One of these phones is the Infinix Note 30, and we have gotten our hands on a unit for a brief hands on session.

The Infinix Note 30 is priced at RM699. But don’t let the budget price tag fool you, as Infinix was able to put together a very well equipped phone that also looks good, which greatly deceives its price point.

It runs on Mediatek’s Helio G99 mobile processor, has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage out of the box. Notable features include 45W fast charging, as well as a huge 5000 mAh battery. There is also a 64MP triple rear camera set up, and a 120Hz high refresh rate screen. Oh, and the speakers were tuned in collaboration with JBL.

On paper, the spec sheet beggars belief for a phone at this price point. Holding the phone in our hands, the build quality was rather surprising too. Though predominantly made of plastic, the matte back and shiny aluminium finish of the side rails provide the look and feel of a phone that is more akin to a mid-range device instead of a budget phone.

It weighs perfectly too, providing substance and heft when held whilst also avoiding being too heavy at the same time. On the other end, it also does not feel too light in the hands which may give the impression that it is a cheap device.

Infinix’s choice of colour finishes compliments the Note 30 with further premium touches as well. Here, our hands-on unit came in what Infinix describes as “Interstellar Blue”. Under sunlight, the colours are able to shift to provide a rainbow effect when held at different angles, which actually provides a really premium look to it.

Software wise, the phone feels snappy and quick during our brief usage. The phone runs on XOS, which is Infinix’s take on Android. The good news is that it runs on the latest Android 13. However, XOS is not the most vanilla Android experience you can get out there, as it is quite heavily skinned.

But, they are not the worst offenders in providing the heaviest skin and biggest amount of bloatware to Android as there are definitely worse ones out there. Most users will find using XOS just fine.

We had the opportunity to put the Note 30 through its paces with some rather demanding tasks during our brief hands on, and are happy to report that the phone handles most tasks flawlessly.

For gaming, we’ve managed to put in a full round of PUBG online and can confirm that the gaming experience was really smooth. The session was played with playable frame rates at respectable graphical settings. More importantly, the phone never once lagged out or had temporary freezes, which tends to be a trait of budget phones during gaming.

The Note 30 also performs really well when multitasking between apps, with no lag spikes or stutters to report. The phone feels snappy to use, and the UI is quick to respond.

The cameras were pretty good too, providing high quality photos on a bright sunny day. It is quite colour accurate, and has great  HDR qualities. Outdoor images will definitely look good from this camera.

Battery life and performance on the Note 30 is outstanding. After playing a full round of PUBG, taking multiple photos, watching videos on YouTube and listening to music, the battery percentage barely dropped much. We are confident that the phone will be able to handle a whole day of moderate usage for most users.

Interestingly, the Note 30 also has a rather unique feature of being able to function as a powerbank. This means that you are able to charge other phones with a cable via its USB C port, which is a nice feature to have for emergencies.

Overall, we were mighty impressed with the Infinix Note 30 and what it’s able to offer at an affordable price range. It looks and feels like a proper upper mid-range phone, and performs like one as well, yet is priced really competitively at RM699.

What’s more, it executes the fundamentals really well, providing features and an experience that users will truly value on a day to day basis, such as the 45W fast charging, and 120Hz refresh rate screen.

This phone is definitely one to look at for anyone that is seeking for a device that is affordable and feature packed.

The Infinix Note 30 is currently available in Interstellar Blue, Obsidian Black and Sunset Gold at RM699, and is available for purchase at Infinix’s Lazada and Shopee pages.

For more information on the product and Infinix’s other offerings, do refer to their website here!

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