Infinix redefining mobile with its Zero 4 and Zero 4 Plus

Infinix redefining mobile with its Zero 4 and Zero 4 Plus

Infinix, the hard-hitting, envelope-pushing brand has redefined the term ‘cheap-thrills’ by coming out with the latest magic ball in its collection: The Infinix Zero 4 (x555) and Zero 4 Plus (x602) –Infinix’s flagship model for 2016.

Also known as “Thee Camera Phone”, the successor of Infinix Zero 3 comes with a 20.7 MP back camera (8 MP for front) with a 4000 mAH non-removable battery, this beast can last a week without charging.

The Infinix Zero 4 was launched on November 25, 2016 on the online shopping mall, Jumia, dubbed ‘Black Friday.’

Design

With a sleek, chaffered and neat design – frame metal and a plastic back cover glossy – the Infinix Zero 4 stands out as a beauty among its competitors. Luxurious as it is elegant, defined by industry experts as ‘The PRO’ the Zero 4 proves to be a no push over as it also comes with a fingerprint scanner, which is one of the fastest and most responsive scanners I have interacted with.

I especially like the curved edges. Infinix Mobility got this one just right. Not to audacious – not too spacious, just right.

The only thing that turned me off is the big camera bum – which is a tad too much, despite the fact that it is equipped with an OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) that will provide clear focused photographs, even for those with shaky hands.

The camera is also enhanced with laser focus for photos in low lit conditions and four times sharp zoom that will capture clearly images in motion with optimal clarity, something which the Kardashians won’t be too disappointed about.

It has iPhone inspired speakers at the bottom, which are loud and good – but it is no stereo system. Don’t be fooled though, only one actually outputs sound, the other is for the microphone. And no – it does not come with the USB Type-C port which was a bit disappointing, seeing that I spoilt my USB cable within two weeks. Clumsy? Guilty. Still.

It has the 3.5mm jack on top for the earphones. Music on the earphones is simply another experience.

Display

The Infinix Zero 4 has a 2.5D, 5.5 inches screen while its bigger brother has a screen size of 5.98 inches but for the sake of peace and quiet we shall just go with 6 inches. Cool? Okay.

The phone is thus big, and if you are a bit clumsy with big phones, then this might prove uncomfortable for you as it is not really a one-hand device, especially for typing. The screen is gorilla glass protected, a first for Infinix meaning it cannot be scratched by coins (not welcome to try though).

The screen boasts of a 1080p resolution (experts would have wanted a full HD but come on). Colors are vivid, pictures almost perfect. One can also see well under the sun, with an option for auto-brightness which I must warn you can pretty much drain the battery switching from high to low brightness.

The 8MP selfie camera comes with an LED flash, plus a notification sensor (finally).

My only con with the screen would have to be the function keys, located at the bottom, with signs of dots which prove to be confusing before users get accustomed to which button goes back, home button etc. Throw in the fact that they don’t light up, even during the dark and we have a double-whammy.

Software, Hardware & Performance

Infinix brags of having its customized UI (User Interface) – the XOS Chameleon on top of the Android 6.0 marshmallow that it comes with.

The wallpapers change automatically after switching the screen on and off with some inspirational quotes to boot. Status bar of SIM and battery plus notification bar are displayed at the top for easy notice. There is an alphabetical search bar, complete with a frequently used applications list (8).

The whole XOS family comes pre-installed including the XAccount, XPower, XShare, XClub, XHide, XManager, XCloud, and XTheme.

The device has only lagged about once, and I am now entering my third month with it, and that was simply when I was on low battery.

Changing from application to application is fast, and the performance does not reduce, save for the few times it overheats especially during camera applications.

The Zero 4 boasts 32GB of internal storage and 3GB RAM making the device experience high speeds with an Octa-core 1.3Ghz Arm 64-bit processor that is as efficient as it is mouthful.

The Zero 4 plus takes it a notch higher with a 2.6 GHz processor, 4GB RAM and 64 GB ROM, which can be expanded to 128GB! Making all your apps, both PC and android apps to be contained in one MEMORY! Oh yeah, it’s a 4G twin SIM. The only glitch would be in the Zero 4 Plus which has a hybrid slot, meaning you need to give up using a second SIM card to use an SD card expandable up to 128 GB.

A step from the Infinix Zero 3 3030 mAh battery, the Zero 4 comes with 3200 mAh battery. The battery can last a whole day on daily heavy usage, as I only have had to carry my charger twice, and this was when I was travelling.

It offers efficient battery performances modes, switching from High Performance, Normal, Battery Saving to Ultra Battery Saving Mode which locks down all applications. Well not all. Just the battery draining ones.

Game lovers have very little to worry about as the Mali-T880 is your knight in shining armour – literally able to handle any graphic-intensive app.

The battery is fully charged in one and a half hours, so you can easily make breakfast, get your morning run, take a shower and by the time you are done, you have 100% battery life. Well, at least if you take one and a half hours.

Kiss the Power Bank goodbye as it comes with XCharge, a fast charging option that with 15 minutes of charging ca give you a good battery boost. I know because I charge mine for 20 minutes and lasts me practically three quarter of the day – especially when you are on 4G and Wi-Fi.

The only question to Infinix is whether it will push the envelope further and provide its loyal customer base (guilty) tan update to rival the Android 7 Nougat.

Network and Telephony

What good is a phone that can’t connect?

What you will note about the Infinix Zero 4 and Zero 4 Plus is the great telephony it has. Your voice has never been clearer. If you listen closely enough, you might even hear the other person’s thoughts.

It also comes with the usual: Wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and FM Radio.

It is an LTE supported device therefore comes with dual sim stand by that can switch between 2G, 3G and 4G as network conditions dictate which a plus is for me. This means that when in a low net area, it is still able to find you thanks to Infinix with ability to be.

PROS

  • 20 MP back Camera with laser focus and Optical Image Stabilisation
  • Fingerprint authentication for enhanced security
  • 3200 mAh battery for Zero 4, 4000 mAh battery for the Zero 4 Plus
  • Android 6.0 marshmallow with customised Infinix Mobility XOS Chameleon interface
  • XCharge for fast charging

CONS

  • Tends to overheat especially when using the camera or on heavy 3G/4G usage
  • Function keys: Trouble to master them
  • Camera bump. Too conspicuous

Verdict

Well the jury is still out on the Zero 4 but when the rubber hits the road, this is really a good phone. But don’t take my word for it, give it a try. For only Ksh 18,000, you too can become a Pro.

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Infinix Zero 4 Review

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