Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G Review: Premium Features And Style

A smartphone brand that Westerners might not be familiar with is Infinix, an OEM that produces quality handsets aimed at developing nations. Here at TalkAndroid, we've been lucky enough to test out a couple of Infinix's concept ideas, and now we've had some time with one of its latest offerings – the Note 40 Pro+ that packs premium features such as a 108MP primary camera, 100W wired charging, and a 120Hz AMOLED display for just $300. 5G support is also present, as are several generative AI features.

So how has the Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G performed in our time with it? Join us after the break to find out.

Design

You may remember that I'm something of a sucker for a vegan leather finish, and so the Note 40 Pro+ 5G starts on a positive thanks to its rather lovely-looking rear panel which is in the Vintage Green colorway. Combined with the (plastic) gold frame, the phone looks quite stylish and stands apart from other, more expensive rivals.

The display's curved sides may irk those preferring a flat surface, but they certainly complement the design. I don't mind either way, and I always find the curved edges slightly more comfortable to hold.

Elsewhere, there's a volume rocker and power button on the right-hand side, the SIM tray, a USB-C port, and a speaker chamber on the bottom. The top edge sports “Sound by JBL” branding between another speaker chamber and the IR blaster.

Overall, it's a very neat design for a phone that costs around $385.

Read: Infinix’ Entire Note 40 Series Gets Racing Edition Models

Hardware

Performance

Powered by MediaTek's mid-range Dimensity 7020 processor, the Note 40 Pro+ 5G boasts 12GB of memory and 256GB of built-in storage. It may not be MediaTek's flagship processor under the hood, but its performance is more than adequate, especially considering the price point. Switching between apps and general multitasking is a smooth experience. Gaming and streaming content is also excellent, with the caveat that you may need to adjust the graphics down to medium. Hey, it is a $300 handset.

The AMOLED display is plenty bright enough for outdoor usage with the vibrant colors and deep blacks you would expect from this type of panel technology. The built-in fingerprint sensor is generally quite accurate, with the occasional hit-and-miss.

The audio is good enough for impromptu listening sessions, but as with most, if not all, mobile phones, don't expect it to match the sound of a dedicated speaker.

Battery

It may be a 4,600mAh battery, just 100mAh more than Motorola's Edge 50 Pro, but it will last the day with normal usage. What's normal usage? Well, tending to my city in Age of Origins, browsing and replying to emails, editing articles, catching a few YouTube videos, and, of course, WhatsApp and taking pics of the cat. At the end of the day, there's usually around 20% left in the tank.

When you do reach the empty mark, the Note 40 Pro+ 5G's 100W AllRound FastCharge 2.0 technology comes into its own. Aided by Infinix's Cheetah X1 power management chip, the phone can fully charge in just 29 minutes using the included charger. Yes, unlike Samsung or Google, Infinix includes a 100W wall charger in the box.

But that's not all. The Note 40 Pro+ 5G is also capable of 20W Wireless MagCharge. For this, you'll need to use the MagKit, which is once again included in the box. The MagKit consists of the MagCharge Case, which enables wireless charging. The MagCharge case isn't one of those cheap TPU cases either; it's finished in the same material as the phone's rear panel and also feels good in the hand. When attached, the cage facilitates 20W wireless charging and the ability to reverse charge at 5W (10W Wired).

Finally, the Bypass Charging function lets you power the phone during those long gaming sessions without putting the battery under unnecessary wear and tear, thus aiding in the unit's longevity. As you can see, there are features and accessories present that you wouldn't get with a phone three times its price.

Read: IQOO 12 Review: Racy Performance in a Classy Design

Software

Running XOS 14, which is based on Android 14, the Note 40 Pro+ 5G is slated to receive two major upgrades and three years' worth of security patches. It's not quite up to the Samsung software support standard, but it's much better than what Motorola offers on some of its similarly priced handsets.

XOS 14 is feature-rich, surprisingly so considering how much the phone costs. Notable features include the Active Halo, which, despite Infinix's claim that it will “spark engaging conversations with mesmerizing lighting effects created by the Folax AI,” is really just a funky LED notification light that doubles up as an adjustable flash. It's certainly interesting, and you can customize it to light up in certain colors to signify the receipt of a message, incoming call, and more.

As for the baked-in Folax AI chatbot, it's based on GPT-3.5 which can only leverage data up to July 2021. Asking Folax about more recent events or information could result in incorrect findings, and in my opinion, you are best to disable it and go with CoPilot or Gemini instead.

Other than some bloatware that can be removed, XOS 14 is more than serviceable and offers an array of customizations to help you make the Note 40 Pro+ 5G your own. The Ring Portal (Infinix's take on Apple's Dynamic Island) can be useful for showing notifications and revealing which song is currently playing.

Camera

The 108MP rear camera is just one component of the rear camera array; let's not mention the relatively useless 2MP macro and depth sensors. Instead, let's concentrate on the primary camera, which features PDAF and OIS. Don't get your hopes up too far; unfortunately, this is the corner that Infinix cut to include all high-quality features.

Images tend to be a little grainy and lacking vibrancy. The Note 40 Pro+ 5G's camera setup isn't friendly to low-light conditions, but it can record video in 2K resolution quite smoothly in good light. Overall, the primary camera will do the job asked of it, and that's about all.

Conclusion

Considering that the Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G is priced under the $400 threshold, it offers huge value. From a bright AMOLED panel to ultra-quick charging, 20W wireless charging via the included MagCharge case, and an appealing vegan leather finish, the phone knocks it out of the park in most departments. While the rear camera setup could be better, it's still capable of reliable images and 2K video for social media purposes.

At this price point, you'll be pushed to find a rival that matches the Infinix Note 40 Pro+ 5G, the only real caveat is that it's not currently on sale in Western markets via official channels. But if you are in the market for a new, affordable phone with a ton of premium bells and whistles and can get your hands on one, you'll find plenty to like on the Note 40 Pro+ 5G from Infinix.