Infinix has been one of the most sought-after smartphone brands in the world today as they keep on releasing bang-for-the-buck smartphones one after the other. And the new Infinix ZERO 30 5G is no different.
Just like its siblings, this device wants to provide the best value for the price by having an extra capable set of cameras for content creation, ultra-fast charging, fancy design, and a whole lot more — all in a competitively priced package. Were they able to achieve that? We’ll find out in our Infinix ZERO 30 5G review.
Infinix ZERO 30 5G Specs
- Android 13, XOS 13
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 6.78-inch FHD+ curved AMOLED display, 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, 388ppi
- 144Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling
- 950 nits peak brightness
- 10-bit colors, 100% DCI-P3, 2160PWM dimming
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- 2.6GHz MediaTek Dimensity 8020 octa-core processor
- Mali-G77 MC9 GPU
- 8GB/12GB RAM
- 256GB UFS 3.1 internal storage, non-expandable
- 50-megapixel front camera, 4K video, LED flash
- 108-megapixel (f/1.65, OIS, PDAF) + 13-megapixel (ultra-wide) + 2-megapixel (depth sensor) rear cameras, ring LED flash
- Under-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- Stereo speakers
- Headphone jack
- HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
- WiFi 6, dual-band
- Bluetooth
- GPS
- NFC
- FM radio
- USB Type-C
- Dimensions: 164.5 x 75 x 7.9mm
- Weight: 185g
- Colors: Rome Green, Golden Hour, Fantasy Purple
- 5,000mAh non-removable battery, 68W wired charging
Design and Build Quality
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G is easily one of the sleekest and most premium-feeling smartphones we’ve reviewed in a while, which is even more impressive considering that it’s only a midrange phone. It is 7.9mm thin, which feels thinner thanks to the fancy curved display and the curved rear panel.
It has a shiny metal-like frame that makes the device lavish. What’s impressive is, unlike glass-like plastics that others use, the rear of the ZERO 30 5G is real glass, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to be exact.
The review unit we got is the Golden Hour color with a gold and pinkish hue that really matches the name, and with glitters that are surprisingly subtle but add to the overall appeal. We like how it stays clean from fingerprint smudges or any dirt, even if you don’t use the free clear case. The case barely adds bulk to the device while protecting it securely, even with a curved screen.
We’re not a big fan of the large, card-like camera island, but it does give the device a distinct look and it is not as bulky as it looks. Oh, and if you’re not a fan of the color, it is also available in Fantasy Purple and Rome Green.
For durability, the ZERO 30 5G uses the same Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and even has a pre-applied screen protector. If that’s not enough, you’d be happy to know that it also has an IP53 rating for being dust and splash-resistant. It’s not as waterproof as most high-end devices, but it’s nice to see ingress protection on a handset at this price point, which is extremely rare.
Despite how thin it is, the Infinix ZERO 30 5G feels really sturdy with no alarming creaking or flexing.
Taking a tour, we have the large 6.78-inch AMOLED screen on the front with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The bezels are incredibly thin, with the sides almost not noticeable due to the curvature.
We have the second loudspeaker on top for the stereo setup, as well as the noise-isolating microphone for calls and a “Powered by INFINIX” branding.
The primary microphone and loudspeakers are at the bottom, as well as the USB-C port and the SIM tray that can house two nano SIM cards. Sadly, there’s no spot for a microSD card for storage expansion, but we’ll give them a pass considering how they were able to make it this thin and affordable.
We have nothing on the left side, while the right has the really thin volume controls and lock/power switch. The buttons do provide a satisfying click when pressed, but the curved front and back means there’s little room on the chassis for larger, more comfortable to press buttons. We were able to get used to it, but we wish they were slightly bigger.
Clearly, Infinix nailed this segment. The ZERO 30 5G not only has a sleek and luxurious design, but a build quality to back it up.
Display and Sound Quality
Besides the camera, one of the biggest highlights of the Infinix ZERO 30 5G is a feature-packed display. What we have here is an enormous 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, 10-bit colors, and 100% DCI-P3, 360Hz touch sensitivity, and an extra-high 144Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, it lacks HDR support.
The display settings let you switch the refresh rate to 60Hz, 120Hz, or 144Hz, or settle with the Auto-Switch like we did to let the system decide which one to use depending on the task.
Since it has curved edges, Infinix put an Edge Mistouch Prevention setting. We’re fine with the Intelligent setting, but if you see yourself annoyed by your palms always accidentally hitting the edges, pick the Strong setting.
Widevine L1 is also here, which means we were able to stream content from Netflix and on other platforms in HD.
All those display features translate to good quality. You can always expect OLED screens to provide punchy colors and deep contrast, and they certainly did on the ZERO 30 5G. The screen brightness was also enough for outdoor use while the high refresh rate certainly made the UI and select apps feel smoother.
As for audio, the loudspeakers offer good value and clarity. The stereo separation is audible, too. However, we’re not a fan of the speakers’ placement. They are at opposing heights, which means that when gaming or watching in landscape with two hands, your palm/finger will cover one of the two speakers whatever the orientation is.
Still, the Infinix ZERO 30 5G nailed the display and sound department. However, the lack of HDR and the uncomfortable speaker placement are a bummer.
Hardware and Performance
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G comes with a 6nm 2.6GHz MediaTek Dimensity 8020 octa-core processor, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of non-expandable, fast UFS 3.1 storage. Graphics is handled by the Mali-G77 MC9 GPU.
Infinix ZERO 30 5G Benchmark Scores
Oh, and just so you know, the Dimensity 8020 is one of those new MediaTek chips that were just rebranded. This one used to be the Dimensity 1100. While it’s basically old, it still provides impressive performance, especially for a mid-range device such as this.
Performance on basic and daily tasks is smooth, with no surprises there: from video calls, messaging, taking pictures, streaming, and more. So, what we’re really curious about is its gaming prowess.
And gaming we did. Call of Duty Mobile was playable under Very High graphics quality and Max frame rate. Farlight 84 was stable on HD graphics and Very High frame rates with Medium resolution. PUBG Mobile was also fine with HD graphics at High frame rate.
One of the most demanding mobile games around, Genshin Impact, was playable under Medium settings, which was set by default. However, we’re noticing random hiccups and stutters here and there. In addition, the device started to heat up 15 to 20 minutes into the game, which we also noticed on other titles.
Overall, the gaming performance was great thanks to the capable processor, as well as the large display and the competitive advantage given by the stereo speakers as you can easily hear footsteps. It can handle most games fine, but if you plan on playing really demanding titles, it might be best to settle with lower graphics settings.
Software and User Interface
We’re not a big fan of Infinix’s own interface and it’s not changing with the Infinix ZERO 30 5G’s Android 13-based XOS 13. Everything just feels all over the place with this one and has a lot of unnecessary pre-installed apps.
The worst part is, a lot of the pre-installed apps cannot be uninstalled, so they stay there eating up space.
We’re also not a fan of how the Vibration and Haptics settings are different from the Sound and Vibration settings. This can be annoying for those who want to disable the pesky haptics when using the keyboard.
On the upside, the interface feels relatively smooth and fluid. Android’s Nearby Share feature works really well for sharing files with other Android devices.
Android Auto also worked fine in our car’s infotainment system using the included USB-C cable.
Personalization features include customizable themes, live wallpapers, font adjustments, and different AOD wallpapers.
The in-display fingerprint scanner worked fast and accurately. Face unlock worked well, too.
Infinix has included a built-in Privacy Optimization feature that analyzes the system and checks which settings you need to change, and more, to improve privacy protection.
XOS also features Infinix’s Folax Voice and Folax Translate. They work fine, but obviously not better than Google’s own virtual assistant.
For better multitasking, XOS features floating windows, Smart Panel, and MemFusion. There are also different Action and Gesture options like tap to wake, flip to mute when you get calls, life to wake, and more.
An app called X Arena is also here as a game launcher, with Infinix’s Dar-Link engine optimizing the CPU, GPU, memory, and network for better gaming performance. Plus, it can also hide notifications for uninterrupted gaming.
XOS phones with Emoji keyboard set by default. It’s fine and intuitive, but we immediately reverted to Google Keyboard when we got it. The camera app is clean and convenient, but we still wish Infinix dropped the “AI Cam” and just use “Photo” in the standard camera mode. Not everyone uses AI, which can be confusing.
Software continues to be the achilles heel of Infinix phones. We’re just glad that it doesn’t affect performance.
Cameras
When they released it, Infinix couldn’t stop raving about the cameras of the Infinix ZERO 30 5G. Rightfully so, since it boasts an interesting 50-megapixel selfie camera that has PDAF, its own LED flash, and 4K@60fps video recording with the aim to appeal to content creators.
The cameras on the back are not too shabby either. The main 108-megapixel shooter uses an HM6 sensor from Samsung with a bright f/1.65 aperture, PDAF, and of course, optical image stabilization (OIS). It is joined by a relatively sharp 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens and 2-megapixel depth sensor. No macro glass here, but I guess that’s too much to ask for the price.
As you might expect, daylight shots have sharp details, with clean dynamic range, and realistic colors. Image processing is not the best, but enough to make images pop.
Portrait shots are decent with the help of a dedicated 2-megapixel depth sensor. The foreground separation was clean and the background blur was enough to make it look believable.
Low-light shots are also good with impressive details, colors, and even dynamic range. Noise and grains start to creep in, so if you can, try enabling the night mode feature.
Don’t worry about taking blurry shots in night mode as the OIS is there to assist you.
There’s a 3x zoom button on the camera app. It’s digital zoom, so the image quality is not as sharp, but it’s still usable. You can slide the zoom buttons together to get to 10x. As expected, it takes very pixelated images.
The 13-megapixel ultra-wide takes good photos with a lot of details and nice colors. Edge distortion is forgivable for the price. Low-light shots are also impressive, especially with the Night Mode enabled.
Of course, the 50-megapixel front camera takes killer selfies with tons of details, accurate skin tones, and decent exposure, even at night. We also appreciate how the LED flash can brighten night shots.
Without a doubt, Infinix nailed the cameras on the new Infinix ZERO 30 5G. They churn out images with great detail, colors, and dynamic range, whichever lens you use.
Battery and Charging
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G has a 5,000mAh battery that offers an okay performance — not the best, but definitely not the worst. It managed to last for 12 hours and 12 minutes on PCMark’s battery test before dropping to 20% charge.
Like most phones, you’d also be charging this device every day: Every night, if you wake up with a full charge, or around the afternoon if you’re really a heavy user.
Fortunately, charging shouldn’t be an issue as it ships with a flagship-level 68W adapter, which is the fastest you can get for the price.
At 17% left, a quick 15-minute charge already managed to take us all the way to 66%. Another 15 minutes and we’re already at 96%. This means that a full 0-100% charge only takes about 45-50 minutes.
Verdict
We’ve always known that the Infinix ZERO 30 5G is one of the best, if not the best, bang-for-the-buck smartphones in its class. Just by looking at the specs list, you can already tell that it offers way more than what other sub-Php15,000 phones do.
Our review just translated how impressive it already is on paper. It’s a beauty to hold, the screen is gorgeous to look at, the cameras are top-notch, the charger is speedy, the speakers are nice to the ears, and that large 12GB/256GB is impressive for its segment.
But as expected, it’s not perfect. Infinix really has to work on its UI, the lack of HDR support is a bummer, the lack of a microSD card slot is disappointing, and overheating after extensive gaming is not fun.
Still, there’s no denying that the Infinix ZERO 30 5G is one of the best smartphones you can get for the price. The price-to-performance ratio is defiinitely impressive.
Infinix ZERO 30 5G price and availability
The Infinix ZERO 30 5G 12GB/256GB is available in the Philippines for a price of Php14,999.
Pros
- Sleek, attractive, durable design
- Spacious, colorful, smooth, curved display
- Good cameras
- Stereo speakers
- Flagship-level charging
- Generous RAM and storage for the price
Cons
- XOS needs a lot of work
- Lot of pre-installed bloatware
- Higher temps after extensive gaming