Beyond build; Infinix Hot S Review

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August 9, 2016
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4 min read

During the unboxing the Infinix Hot S, we all liked what we saw and admitted as much; a beauty to behold. But like we all know, there is more to a phone than the build, especially a smartphone.


Suggested Read: Infinix Hot S; Unboxing and First Impressions


After pulling all the stops to run the smartphone phone through the works and determine its true power here is a review highlighting the high and low points of this golden sleek looker.

Design

The gold plastic casing of the Infinix Hot S gives it a metallic ring that is sleek, chic and lithe at the same time.

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At 5.2 inches and featherweight, it handles smartly and does not create a pocket bulge.

Infinix-Hot-S-pocket-friendly (1 of 1)

A major design flaw of the Infinix Hot S -- one it shares with many other smartphones --  is the SIM tray that has an allowance for a variant of two micro SIM cards or one micro SIM card and a memory card.

Infinix-Hot-S-sim-card-slot (1 of 1)

This means that you cannot use two SIM cards and a memory card; a choice has to be made.

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The Infinix Hot S is one of the first phones I have fully reviewed without having to download and install the Google Now Launcher.

Icons in the menu are beautifully arranged in a linear manner that leaves little to the imagination.

Infinix Hot S Menu Icons (2)

 

Another first with the Infinix Hot S is the fact that I never got around to changing wallpaper or themes. There is a "Shuffle" icon on the home screen that automatically changes the current theme without going through the hassles of deciding in the display setting.

Camera

The trend with smartphones these days are 13MP cameras. And expectedly the back camera of the Infinix Hot S spots a 13MP shooter.

Chess Pieces with the Infinix Hot S
Chess Pieces shot with light filtering in from window

It does not have the sharp filtered quality that characterizes phones these days; the nearly blurry fineness that looks like a permanented "Beauty mode".

Pictures from this camera have a sturdy feel to them, but somewhat still feels like something is missing; some color maybe?

The 8MP selfie camera is good too. Even though I am not very excited about the greyish hue, it helps strike a balance in the image quality.

Selfie with the Infinix Hot S
Selfie under optimal lighting conditions

Battery

Set on  "High Performance" mode, screen brightness to the highest, mobile browsing intermittently and music playing on full blast, the 3000 mAh non-removable battery of the Infinix Hot S went from full charge to zero from in 6 hours 50 minutes.

full-battery

However, charging from zero to a 100% was faster -- expectedly-- as it went from flat to full charge in 3 hours 23 minutes.

The battery fast-charges from zero to 70 %, but when nearing the 90% mark, it crawls at an incredibly slow pace; to store up more charge I guess.

Fingerprint Identification

Infinix-Hot-S (144 of 169)

This feature is more than just a security upgrade in the Infinix Hot S. The fingerprint technology in the back is also a convenient way to navigate certain functions with your unique fingerprint; answer calls, snap photos and browse photos.

Screenshot_20160809-011429

It responds at the first touch without any hassles or lag whatsoever.

Price

As I earlier stated in the unboxing, the Infinix Hot S still retails for ₦45,500 on Jumia which is the official price. It is a little bit more expensive from retailers.

Verdict

new-gavel

With the release of this smartphone, Infinix Mobility has shown they are upping their games to new positive heights.

The 13MP back camera does not shoot as expected, I cannot exactly say it is living up to its full expectation. But the selfie game is actually strong.

Honestly, ₦45,500 seems a little bit steep. but still not too expensive.  Considering the aforementioned specification, I really do think it is worth the price.

Considering the aforementioned specification, I really do think it is worth the price.

Coupled with the sleek build, fingerprint identification, a powerful battery, and quality camera with excellent graphics, the Infinix Hot S is an ideal smartphone.

tech. media. startups. africa. vc | Twitter: @victor_ekwealor
tech. media. startups. africa. vc | Twitter: @victor_ekwealor
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tech. media. startups. africa. vc | Twitter: @victor_ekwealor

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