There had been a lot of excitement surrounding the Infinix HOT 40 Pro when it came out. It’s not because of any lucrative marketing mumbo-jumbo. But instead, it was caused by the device itself.
Like its siblings, the new HOT 40 Pro is equipped with a set of features that are too good to be true for the price — from the trusty processor to the high-resolution cameras. A lot of fans are excited about it, and so are we. So, enough chitchat and let’s start our Infinix HOT 40 Pro review.
Infinix HOT 40 Pro Specs
- Android 13, XOS 13.5
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 6.78-inch FHD+ LCD display, 2460 x 1080 pixel resolution, ~396ppi
- 120Hz refresh rate, 270Hz touch sampling
- MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core processor
- 8GB RAM
- Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
- 256GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 32-megapixel front camera, LED Flash
- 108-megapixel + 2-megapixel (macro) + AI rear cameras, LED flash
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- HSPA+, 4G LTE
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- GPS
- USB-C
- Dimensions: 168.61 x 76.61 x 8.25mm
- Weight: 199g
- Colors: Black, Blue, Gold, Green
- 5,000mAh non-removable battery, 33W fast charging
Design and Build Quality
Like the other Infinix phones we’ve seen in the past, the Infinix HOT 40 Pro has an eye-catching design. Oh, and also, it looks the same as the non-Pro model that we’ve also reviewed. Only this time, we have the Gold color with a reflective shooting star accent and a matte finish that stays clean from fingerprint marks.
The camera island is very substantial with an iPhone Pro-like layout and unnecessarily large camera lenses. It has a glass-like surface that, unlike the rest of the rear panel, is prone to fingerprint smudges and dirt.
A shiny metallic bezel adds to the premium appearance, which looks the same as the plastic shiny frame. The said frame is flat, which improves grip when you’re taking pictures or watching content in landscape mode.
On paper, the HOT 40 Pro is quite thick at 8.25mm and heavy at 199g, but there’s something about the materials used and the frame design that makes it feel lighter than it actually is.
Despite being plastic, the Infinix HOT 40 Pro feels firm, sturdy, and doesn’t feel flimsy. Still, you may want to use the free case for extra piece of mind. The Free Fire Edition case has a big design that may look a bit much to some but just right for others. It easily attracts catches by itself, but it does the job of protecting the unit. A screen protector has been applied from the factory so you don’t have to buy one.
Now, let’s take a tour of the hardware. There’s a 6.78-inch FHD+ LCD on the front and a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The bezels are not the thinnest, but acceptable for the price.
The top only has the first speakers, while the other is at the bottom to complete the stereo setup. Down here we also have the 3.5mm headphone jack, built-in microphone, and the USB-C port.
On the left, there’s the SIM tray for two nano SIMs and a microSD card. While on the right, there are the volume controls and the lock/power/fingerprint scanner.
Design and Build Quality
The Infinix HOT 40 Pro has a huge 6.78-inch FHD+ screen with a sharp 2460 x 1080 pixel resolution, 396ppi, 120Hz refresh rate, and 270Hz touch sampling.
You can adjust the screen refresh rate in the settings, but we left it at Auto-Switch for better battery efficiency. You can also enable or schedule the Eye Care feature, which puts a yellow hue on the whole screen so it’s easier for the eyes.
The HOT 40 Pro also has a color temperature setting with a dial that you can adjust from the coolest to the warmest color.
Considering how affordable the device is, it is really hard to be nitpicky in terms of display quality. While we do wish it emits higher brightness for outdoor use, the screen is actually above average with its large size and sharp resolution.
The high refresh rate is there, but as with most budget phones with 120Hz, the smoothness it should bring is barely felt.
What’s more, it has an impressive stereo setup — while other phones that are even more expensive only have one speaker. The max volume can get so loud you don’t have to go full every time, even if you are in a noisy environment. The treble is fairly clean while the bass is audible.
Hardware and Performance
The Infinix HOT 40 Pro is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, which is impressive for an entry-level phone. If that’s not enough, it even comes with a large 8GB of RAM and 256GB of expandable storage.
Infinix HOT 40 Pro Benchmark Scores
There are a couple of inevitable lags here and there, but it definitely feels faster and snappier than other phones in this price range.
We spent most of our time scrolling through Facebook and TikTok, messaging through Viber, taking pictures, and watching content on Netflix. The HOT 40 Pro handled those tasks with no problems.
The Helio G99 is a tried and tested budget chip for gaming so it’s no surprise it delivered satisfying performance here. A lot of games are playable under Medium to High settings with minimal overheating after an hour of playing — at least in an air-conditioned room.
Genshin Impact, one of the most demanding mobile games, ran decently in “Low” settings instead of the default “Lowest” that other competing phones do.
| Game | Graphics Settings |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Medium • Frame Rate: High |
| Farlight84 | • Graphics Quality: HD • Frame Rate: Extreme • Resolution: High |
| PUBG Mobile | • Graphics Quality: HD • Frame Rate: High |
| Genshin Impact | • Graphics Quality: Low |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | • Graphics Quality: Ultra • Frame Rate: Super • HD Mode: On |
Software and User Interface
The Infinix HOT 40 Pro runs on the same Android 13-based XOS 13.5 interface as the vanilla HOT 40. And just like in our review of that device, we do think the UI on this one desperately needs an overhaul as the lack of organization and abundance of bloatware ruins the user experience.
This special Free Fire edition model we got comes with a matching theme set by default, which looks cool and edgy for some, but maybe a bit too much for others. Personally, it’s not something I’d like, but it would absolutely appeal to the younger generation.
What added to the bloatware are some features that could’ve been just part of the Settings but instead were turned into their own apps for some reason. There’s the Phone Master app, which lets you optimize the system by removing junk files, cleaning memory usage, and more so that the device remains in tip-top shape.
There’s also the Phone Marathon, which lets you optimize the settings for better power efficiency. Now, don’t get me wrong, these apps can be very useful, especially if you’re a power user, but we wish they were kept in the device’s settings.
Infinix’s Magic Ring feature is also here. It works like Apple’s Dynamic Island animations, only this time, it’s only for system notifications like charging. We wish it also works with notifications from social media apps, messaging, and more as it looks very cool and I want to see more of it.
I’ve also seen a couple of usual personalization settings like Themes, wallpaper, fonts, magazine lock screen, and a few more.
By default, Infinix uses Google Keyboard on all of its devices. It’s familiar, has access to gifs and emojis, and is heavily customizable to fit your taste. No complaints here.
The camera app has been also improved compared to the previous versions. It now feels cleaner and more organized.
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Camera Quality
The Infinix HOT 40 Pro has a sharp 108-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel macro, and an AI lens. On the front is a 32-megapixel sensor for selfies.
I would’ve preferred if one of the two extra cameras was an ultra-wide sensor. They could also lower the resolution of the main shooter for a more usable secondary lens. But then, we don’t always see 108-megapixel cameras on a device at this price point, so we’ll cut them some slack.
That said, the image quality from the 108-megapixel main camera is good enough. Far from perfect, but above average for the price. With ample lighting, shots look very detailed — even when zoomed in via the 2x button on the camera app. Dynamic range is passable, while the colors look close to reality.
As expected, image quality starts to drop at night. Still, if you can prop your subject under decent artificial lighting or when you enable a night mode, you can get impressive shots like we did.
The 2-megapixel macro camera has a decent quality for its purpose. However, they could’ve made the shooting distance closer or the resolution sharper so you could lock in easier on small subjects.
For a sensor that has a high resolution of 32 megapixels, we were expecting sharper selfies from the front camera. Still, the ones it takes are detailed enough, with just the right skin tones.
Picture quality drops when shooting in low light and indoor environments, which is not surprising. But that’s where the front LED flash is for, which you can also use in very dark scenarios like a bar or camping trip.
While we would’ve loved to have an ultra-wide lens, there’s no denying that having a 108-megapixel main camera on a device at this price is an incredible feat for Infinix.
Battery and Charging
The Infinix HOT 40 Pro has the usual 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging. It got a score of 9 hours of 16 minutes in PCMark’s battery loop test, which is way below the average score of 12 hours that we got on previous phones we reviewed.
But it isn’t as bad as it is in real-world use. In my tests, I would go to bed with still about 20 to 30% juice left after a day of casual web browsing, messaging, taking a couple of pictures and videos, and scrolling through TikTok.
Along with the large battery is a 33W fast charger, an impressive get for the price. A 30-minute charge can get you from 0 to 48%. A full charge takes around 1 hour and 27 minutes. You can see our full test result below:
- 15min charge: 0-28%
- 30min charge: 48%
- 45min charge: 72%
- 1hr charge: 89%
- 1hr 15min charge: 97%
- 1hr 20mins charge: 99%
- 1hr 27mins charge: 100%
Verdict
Is the Infinix HOT 40 Pro a perfect device? Definitely not. But it is easily one of the best smartphones you can get under Php8k.
Those who want to get the best hardware they can for the price will appreciate the device’s eye-catching yet solid build, roomy display with impressive speakers, sharp cameras, good battery life with speedy charging, and of course, the reliable processor for basic tasks and gaming.
Still, it’s far from perfect. The interface needs a lot of work as its flaws really affect user experience. Also, having an ultra-wide camera instead of two usually less-used sensors would’ve been better.
But if you want to get the most out of your money, you can’t go wrong with the Infinix HOT 40 Pro.
Infinix HOT 40 Pro pricing and availability in the Philippines
The Infinix HOT 40 Pro has an SRP of Php7,499 in the Philippines. It’s available in Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop with varying discounted prices.
Pros
- Eye-catching, comfortable build
- Solid stereo speakers
- Good performance for the price
- Decent cameras
Cons
- Interface needs a lot of work
- No ultra-wide camera