- You have no items in your shopping cart
- Continue Shopping
If you’ve read our other phone reviews, you know what to expect from us and that is a detailed review of the flagship device. Whether it’s a brand new launch or a re-imagined version of an older model, we try and give as much information as possible to help you decide whether to buy or not.With that being said, let’s take a look at the Infinix Note 12. This is the company’s first Android One smartphone and one that they hope will set the pace for others to follow in terms of design and build quality. It also serves as their answer to phones such as the Google Pixel 3 XL since it features some of the same software features and has similar camera specifications as well. In this review, you will find out if all those things are worth it in the end or if it’s just another entry in Infinix’s long line of disappointing devices.
What’s new in the Infinix Note 12?
The major hardware changes you will notice with the Infinix Note 12 are the move to a 6-inch 18:9 aspect ratio display and some upgrades to the camera. The former means the Note 12 has a smaller chin at the bottom of the screen, giving you a slimmer and more modern look. The latter makes the Note 12 the first Infinix phone to come with a dual camera setup.While there’s nothing new in terms of software, you will still get the latest version of Android 9.0 Pie and 4GB of RAM. You also have an option of 64GB or a massive 256GB of internal storage, though there is no expansion slot available. Coming to the battery, the Note 12 is powered by the same 3,500mAh battery that’s found in the Infinix Hot S Cool Plus. You’ll get slightly better battery life than the other Infinix phones thanks to that smaller 6-inch display and 18:9 aspect ratio.
Appearance and Build Quality
The design of the Infinix Note 12 is similar to most of the other Infinix phones, but with a few minor changes. There’s now a notch at the top for the front-facing camera and the back is made from a textured plastic that feels nice to hold. The back also has the company’s circular logo in the middle and the bottom has two holds for the micro-USB and headphone jack.The body is made from plastic, with a textured plastic finish added to the back. There are two grilles at the bottom that house the micro-USB and headphone ports. The power button is on the right side and the volume rocker is on the left. The dual rear cameras are placed horizontally at the top and bottom of the phone, along with a LED flash. At the top of the phone, there’s the Infinix branding, which is also present on the bottom.
Display and Speakers
The Note 12 features a 6-inch 18:9 aspect ratio display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,080 pixels and a pixel density of 402 ppi. There is no notch or hole-punching feature on this panel and colors look nice and bright. The panel is an IPS LCD panel and is protected by a layer of 2.5D curved glass. It has a good response time, but the colors don’t look as natural as they do on the Honor 10. The Note 12 also comes with an f/1.85 aperture, which should help with low-light photography.The Note 12’s front-facing stereo speakers are loud, although they’re not the best sounding speakers you’ll find. However, they’re loud enough to serve as a makeshift party speaker. The Note 12 also has a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top.
Quality Room
The Note 12 has the same AI-powered digital sound enhancement technology as the Note 11, but it also comes with Dolby Atmos technology for a better sound experience. This is similar to Dolby Vision and is used to bring out details in the music so you can hear what the artist intended.The Note 12 also has a noise cancellation feature that uses dual technology to reduce noise by up to 85 percent and has dual mics for clear audio recording in stereo. The Note 12 also has a new DTS Headphone Theater 3D sound mode that delivers immersive 3D sound experience.
Software Features
The Note 12 comes with the latest version of Android 9.0 Pie and is upgradeable to Android 10. The Note 12 is one of the few Android One devices that comes with a stock version of the OS and it shows. The interface and apps look and operate exactly as they would on a Pixel phone.It has a 12-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a secondary 5-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture to help with depth analysis. The Note 12 also has a dual-LED dual-tone flash next to the rear cameras to help with better low-light photos. The Note 12 has an in-built fingerprint sensor next to the rear camera, which can also be used as a shortcut to the camera.The Note 12 also has a dedicated AI Engine that processes data for more accurate results, similar to Huawei’s Super Camera mode. It also has a 3D scanning feature that can turn objects into 3D models, so you can save it to your gallery, share it on social media or save it as a 3D model.
Conclusion
The Infinix Note 12 is the company’s flagship Android One phone and, while it isn’t perfect, it’s a solid device that brings a lot to the table. The design and build quality are very good and the dual rear cameras provide quality shots in both good and low-light conditions. The large 6-inch display also looks great and has plenty of pixels for you to use for watching videos and playing games.However, the battery life isn’t great, the software can be buggy, and the camera isn’t on par with more expensive phones. There are also cheaper Chinese alternatives, such as the Vivo X21 and Huawei Honor 8 Pro, that offer better value for money since most of these problems are present in the Infinix Note 12. If you can deal with those issues, the Infinix Note 12 is a great choice.
