When we talk about smartphones under the Rs 10,000 price bracket, there’s very little to be excited about, barring the value proposition. Phones tend to be on the weaker end, barely receiving any software support for the long run, and of course, are far from representing the best of technology.
However, to be a good smartphone under Rs 10,000, a phone needs to do none of that; instead, it should offer a balanced experience and then try to introduce the extras. This is exactly what the Infinix Smart 8HD does.
It is the latest entry-level smartphone from Infinix and has been priced quite aggressively compared to the immediate rivals, but does it have enough to warrant a purchase? Read on to know what’s good about it, and what isn’t.
Infinix Smart 8HD Review: What’s Good
For the launch price of Rs 5,669 or the full price of Rs 6,299 that Infinix is asking for the Smart 8HD, it certainly is a lot of phone for the price. And one category it does well in is performance. It packs an octa-core Unisoc T606 chipset, coupled with 3GB RAM and 64GB of UFS 2.2 storage. This makes everyday performance quite smooth, especially more so thanks to the 90Hz refresh rate on offer.
The display is decent as well. It comes with an IPS grade HD+ panel that does the job. Yes, it’s not the brightest at 500nits, but for the price, we are not complaining. Furthermore, the bezels surrounding it are rather small compared to the immediate competitors in the price bracket. This is especially impressive when you factor in the small cutout for the front-facing 8MP camera.
Talking about the front camera, it allows the Infinix Smart 8HD to deliver what is arguably one of its two party tricks—the Magic Ring.
Now, unlike the Dynamic Island from iPhones that it is trying to replicate, the Magic Ring isn’t functional, but it does add an element of fun every time you unlock the device or plug in the charger. This is exactly what’s needed to spice up the experience of these budget devices. But it is important to note that this doesn’t come at the cost of the basics.
Another neat trick that the phone has is having both front and rear flashes. The front one is quite useful, but the rear quad LED flash tends to wash out images; still, a solid addition nonetheless.
The camera experience isn’t too bad either. The primary 13MP camera does a good job at capturing detailed shots in the daytime and still holds up when it gets dark. It has a tendency to blowout the highlights, but overall, it presents a good image out of the box. But, of course, you need to keep your expectations in check considering the price of the device as there is also a major con in the camera experience, and we will talk about it in the cons.
Here the camera samples in different lighting scenarios:
Coming to biometrics, the side-mounted fingerprint is quick to unlock and works accurately with minimal errors. There’s also face unlock that lets you use the Magic Ring, but it isn’t the most secure and doesn’t work in low light.
Infinix Smart 8HD Review: What’s Not So Good
Two of my major gripes revolve around the camera—both in terms of design and usability. For starters, I do understand that introducing three big modules on the back allows it to look like a Pro iPhone, but in doing so, it does two things wrong—it introduces a secondary ‘AI camera,’ and it looks out of place.
I would have preferred a single-camera setup, sans the ‘AI camera’ and the quad LED flash. Cost savings here could have translated into a better primary camera sensor. But, I do get where Infinix is coming from, and a majority of the buyers may appreciate having a “dual-camera” setup that looks like it has three cameras.
Another thing that could have been better is the battery life. Despite having a large 5,000 mAh battery and internals that aren’t too power-hungry, the Smart 8HD isn’t a two-day phone. You will have to top it up by the end of the day if you use your device the whole day.
And yes, the speakers, despite being loud for a mono setup, can sound muffled at high volumes and aren’t really all that great. But don’t get me wrong, it will still allow for a good media consumption experience as long as you keep the volume around 80-85%.
Apart from these, and perhaps, Infinix’s software update policy, there’s very little that is wrong about the Smart 8HD. The software works well, isn’t too in-your-face, and in general, the phone does everything you want from a sub Rs 10,000 phone.
Infinix Smart 8HD Review: Should You Buy?
For Rs 6,299, there’s very little that we can complain about. The phone looks appealing for the mass market, has a big enough screen for content consumption, is fast in everyday usage, and, most importantly, balances out the party tricks.
Yes, the software situation is expected to be not great, and it will only receive one major software upgrade, but despite this, in its current form, the Infinix Smart 8HD can be a solid option for the money.
And, more importantly, it presents a package that will certainly appeal to the masses despite not costing a fortune.