Launched a couple of weeks ago, the Infinix HOT S was one of the devices we were really looking forward. It was the first device from Infinix Mobility to feature a fingerprint sensor and of course we were curious to know what other improved features the phone had.
The Infinix HOT S is a camera-centric device, probably a response to Tecno Camon C9. It’s a mid-range device, a must-buy for someone looking for a good camera phone. I have been using it for two weeks now and I must admit I loved what I saw when I did the unboxing. In this article, I am going to share m experiences with it. Did the phone perform well? What are the specifications? What should Infinix Mobility have done better with the device? Those are some of the questions I will be answering here.
Design and display
The Infinix Hot S comes with a nice premium look and it is finely finished with metal frame and metal body. It’s 5.2 inches and as I said during my unboxing this could be a good option for those who would want a smaller screen less than 5.5 inches. It is also very compact and this makes it fit so well in your hand. I think it is also one of the lightest devices in the market right now so you don’t have to be worried about carrying a heavy device in your pocket.
……what about the camera?
So here is the thing, I love a phone with a good camera. The amazing photos you see in some of the reviews I do here I have always taken them using a phone. One of the devices that really did well for me was the Tecno Camon C9 and when Infinix Mobility gave me brief about the HOT S I had a positive feeling about the camera.
The HOT S features a 13 megapixels rear camera with dual LED flash and an 8 megapixels wide-angle camera with a soft LED flash at the front, which is perfect for selfie lovers. A friend asked me, what makes this camera special? I always try to be as bold as possible so the HOT S back camera does not disappoint. The Dual LED flash makes sure you capture all the awesome moments’ event at night.
The 8MP front camera, on the other hand, comes with 1.4 µm ultra pixel technology which gives you a high-resolution selfie, comparing this with other 8MP cameras, the HOT definitely gives you a higher resolution. You should also not be worried about group selfies with the 120° wide angle HOT S front camera.
Hardware, software, and performance
The Infinix HOT S comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and with the much-anticipated XOS which we so much loved on the Infinix NOTE 3. It is powered by a 64-bit Kirin 650 SoC, and the processor offers 8-cores and will clock at up to 1.5GHz. This is pretty great for especially when you are multitasking.
It comes in two variants, one that offers a 16GB storage with a 2GB RAM while the other offers a 32GB storage and a 3GB RAM. The storage for both of these two variants is expandable to up to 128GB using an external micro SD card.
The fact that Infinix decided to produce these two variants is really interesting. We reviewed the 2GB variant and the performance is quite good. I hope to compare the performance of the variants in the coming weeks just to check the difference.
Something else which I had mentioned earlier is the Infinix HOT S fingerprint sensor, which I think is the most useful technology in mobile right now. Most manufacturers are trying to include this feature on their smartphones and that’s why I like the fact that Infinix has started going in that direction. Remember the company has promised us that all future devices it will be launching will now have this feature. The fingerprint scanner is a good substitute for passwords and pin codes.
…..did I love the battery?
Now this is one of the worries of most smartphone consumers when they want to get a new smartphone. As much as I loved the 3000mAh battery capacity on the phone I feel Infinix should have considered making the capacity a bit higher. I mean most phones in the same category like the HOT S offer nothing less than 4000mAh battery capacity.
But still the battery is not a disappointment, It is able to take you for hours whether you are gaming, taking pictures or videos or chatting.
Here is a summary of the HOT S specifications
- Display: 5.2-inch IPS Touch Display, 720 x 1280 pixels (404 ppi)
- Platform: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
- Processor: 1.3GHz dual-core Cortex-A7 CPU, MediaTek MT6572 Chipset, Mali-400 GPU
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Built-in Storage: 16GB/32GB Storage
- Rear Camera: 13 MP Camera, Video,up to 3264 x 2448-pixel pictures, HDR, autofocus with LED flash
- Front Camera: 8 MP Camera
- SIM Count: Dual SIM, Dual Standby
- Battery: 3000 mAh Li-ion Battery
- Network: 2G, 3G HSDPA 900
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, hotspot, microUSB v2.0, GPS
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth v4
- Colours: Gold , Black , Blue , Ash , Pink
…..So, overall, did I love the Infinix HOT S?..and where can you buy it?
I am going to be very honest here, the new massive advanced features that Infinix gave to the HOT S should be able to convince anybody to but it. From the display to the camera and security features it is a device I would recommend to anyone right now, especially if you feel the normal 5.5 inches screens are just not for you. It is the perfect lifestyle smartphone.
The device is currently available offline at Safaricom and Infinix branded shops for Kshs.15,000 (Click here to view the shops) across the country .
