If you’re buying a smartphone in 2022, it’s best to go with one that has 5G connectivity. Being the new standard, having this feature on your mobile device will make it future-proof and should be enough to last you for years.
But if you’re daunted about the high prices of 5G phones, don’t be. In only a couple of years since it came out, we’re now seeing affordable smartphones that has this next-gen feature. And today, we’ll be comparing two of your best options in the midrange market.
First, we have the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV, one of the first two 5G phones to come out from the local tech brand. We’ll be comparing it to the Infinix Zero 5G, which is also the company’s first 5G phone ever.

Both are meant to offer 5G connectivity to those who are on a tight budget. So the question is, which between the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV and Infinix Zero 5G actually gives the better value for money? We’ll find out in our specs and features comparison.

Cherry Mobile Aqua SV | Infinix Zero 5G | |
Operating System | Android 11 | Android 11 XOS 10 |
Display | 6.6-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2400 x 1080 pixels 398ppi 90Hz refresh rate Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | 6.78-inch FHD+ IPS 2460 x 1080 pixel resolution 396ppi 120Hz refresh rate 240Hz touch sampling rate 500-nits peak brightness |
Processor | 2.4GHz MediaTek Dimensity 810 octa-core Liquid Cooling Technology | 2.4GHz MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G octa-core Heat Pipe Thermal Module 2.0 & 3-D Cooling Master |
RAM | 8GB | 8GB +3GB via virtual RAM expansion |
GPU | Mali-G57 MC2 | Mali-G68 MC4 |
Storage | 128GB not expandable via microSD | 128GB expandable via microSD |
Front Camera | 16-megapixel 2-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
Rear Camera | 64-megapixel 5-megapixel (ultra-wide) 2-megapixel (macro) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) LED flash | 48-megapixel 13-megapixel (2x telephoto) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) dual-tone flash |
Audio | Single Loudspeaker No Headphone jack | Single Loudspeaker Headphone jack |
Connectivity | HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.1 GPS, A-GPS USB Type-C | HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G WiFi 6, dual-band Bluetooth FM radio USB Type-C |
Security | In-display fingerprint scanner Face unlock | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
Others | Curved screen | – |
Colors | Luxxe Green | Skylight Orange Horizon Blue Cosmic Black |
Dimensions and Weight | 160.5 x 73.8 x 8.8mm 175g | 168.73 x 76.53 x 8.77mm 199g |
Battery and Charging | 4,200mAh 30W fast charging | 5,000mAh 33W fast charging |
Price | Php11,999 | Php11,990 |
Design and Build Quality
The Infinix Zero 5G offers a pretty clean design, with a camera bump awfully similar to the OPPO Find X5 Pro.

While we often say that judging a design is subjective, on this case, it’s quite obvious that the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV is the winner.
It has a more premium feel in the hands, thanks to its curved screen. It’s much lighter, too.

What’s more, the device also boasts a textured plastic back that looks like leather. Plus, a pill-shaped notch for the dual front-facing cameras and a tougher Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
Winner: Cherry Mobile Aqua SV
Display and Audio
With all the other great features these devices already have, neither gets to have a stereo speaker setup. On the upside, both share feature-packed displays.

If you want speed, the Zero 5G boasts a speedy 120Hz refresh rate and is also larger at 6.78-inches. Great for playing games on titles that support it.
On the other hand, the Aqua SV comes with a fancy AMOLED panel, which should make movies, TV shows, and other videos look more colorful.
Winner: Tie
Hardware and Connectivity
While both devices do come with 5G, they still differ in one major area: the processor.

The winner here is the Infinix Zero 5G and its Dimensity 900 5G processor, which is obviously more powerful than the Dimensity 810 chip of the Aqua SV. What’s more, it has a more advanced thermal management, a faster screen that should showcase its speed, and like 5G, a newer WiFi 6 standard.
Winner: Infinix Zero 5G
Cameras
The Infinix Zero 5G is equipped with a 13-megapixel sensor that sits behind a telephoto lens that can do 2x zoom. This type of lens is great for taking portraits of people and other subjects.

While those features are good to have, we have to hand the win to the Aqua SV, primarily because of its sharper 64-megapixel main shooter — the camera you’d be actually using most of the time.
It also has a more usable 5-megapixel ultra-wide that’s great for taking pictures of larger subjects and a macro lens. Oh, and it has more camera sensor count thanks to the secondary selfie snapper.
Winner: Cherry Mobile Aqua SV
Battery
An easy win for the Infinix Zero 5G. As you can see, it has a 5,000mAh battery, which is noticeably larger than the 4,200mAh of the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV. Although, the actual consumption will still depend on their efficiency. Since the Aqua SV uses an AMOLED panel, it should help in conserving battery.

SEE ALSO: 5G smartphones in the Philippines
While it’s 3W faster, charging speeds will be better on the Aqua SV since it has a smaller battery. But still, we bet most people would rather prefer a bigger battery, so we gotta hand the win on the Infinix device.
Winner: Infinix Zero 5G
Conclusion
Both devices have a retail price of Php11,990, and most of the customers shopping in this range would prefer the best specs they can get for the price.

If you prefer better specs, the Infinix Zero 5G wins this match thanks to its better processor, larger and faster screen, speedy charger, and bigger battery. However, with a smartphone this enticing, it’s no surprise that it is always out of stock. In fact, as of writing, it’s not available on Infinix’s online stores.

But in case you value a better AMOLED curved screen and more sophisticated design, the Cherry Mobile Aqua SV is the better choice. And if you can get it on May 8 where it will be offered for a discounted price of Php9,990, we’d say it’s the better deal between the two.
Winner: Tie