With 5G networks now available in major cities, Indians are still paying the ‘5G tax’. This basically means that as a buyer, if you choose a 5G-capable smartphone, you end up with less capable hardware and features because 5G has been prioritised over everything else. This is felt the most in the budget segment, because of the rising cost of hardware. The recipe for cooking up a budget 5G smartphone for India has been the same since they started appearing in the first half of 2021. Now, Infinix has just launched its version of a budget 5G smartphone, the Hot 20 5G, so let’s see if anything has changed.
The company promises to deliver a true 5G experience with twelve
Infinix Hot 20 5G daylight camera samples. Top to bottom: Landscape, Close up, Portrait mode selfie (tap to see full size)
While I did not have great expectations from a budget smartphone when shooting in low light, the results from this camera did take me by surprise. The image quality dropped drastically when shooting photos post sunset. Resolved details were non-existent and the shots appeared mostly like paintings, with defined outlines around objects. Firing up the night mode only made things worse with overblown contrast and crushed blacks. Selfies in low light came out with passable detail, and the front-facing flash does improve the quality drastically, so it is useful.
Infinix Hot 20 5G low-light camera samples. Top: Auto mode, bottom: Night mode (tap to see full size)
Overall, video quality was quite average for a budget smartphone. The recorded video lacked stabilisation and appeared quite shaky when panning or walking. Details weren’t as sharp as I expected. Low-light video recordings were unusable.
Verdict
With the Hot 20 5G, it sure feels as though Infinix solely focussed on 5G as a selling point and ignored everything else. This phone packs a MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC, but XOS lacks the optimisations to make everything run smoothly. While I did not expect phenomenal gaming performance at this price point, I did hope for decent daylight camera performance, which I didn’t get from the Infinix Hot 20 5G. Apart from battery life and support for multiple 5G bands, there is little reason to check out this smartphone.
Despite lacking a charger in the box, the iQoo Z6 Lite 5G (Review) seems to be better optimised in terms of software and also offers superior still image performance with its primary camera. If you are fine with a 4G device, you can treat yourself to far better hardware by choosing the Moto G52 (Review). It has a superior 90Hz AMOLED display, stereo speakers, an IP52 rating for water and dust resistance, 30W charging, and bloatware-free near-stock Android software.
