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A Review of the Infinix Zero3 Android Smartphone

IMG_2210I have been using the dual sim Infinix Zero3 Android smartphone for over a month meaning that this blog post is more than overdue. As with all my phone reviews, I like to focus on the things that would make this a good or bad buy in the marketplace. So, here we go:

  • Price – The Infinix Zero3 is retailing for an impressive Kes. 18,500.00 making it a mid-range smartphone. This is not exactly cheap and yet its not too expensive for many of the features mentioned below? Indeed, I can see the Infinix Zero3 selling like hotcakes in Kenya by the end of this year at this price. Mark my words.
  • Design & Build – The Infinix Zero3 is a follow-up to the Infinix Zero2 that came out last year and was a decent phone which I also unboxed here. The design of the Infinix Zero3 is a complete departure from the Infinix Zero2 and they may as well be strangers. The Infinix Zero2 had a more conventional design with the exception of a carbon fibre back panel? However, the Infinix Zero3 evokes a much more geometrical style that exudes quality and precision even though its made with a translucent plastic finish wrapped in a metal bezel. It looks worth much more than it actually costs in Kenya and I also found that its really durable. It comes with unibody design meaning you cannot gain access to its innards. At the same time, its a dual SIM using micro SIM slots and also has a slot for Micro SD.
  • Screen – The Infinix Zero3 comes with a 5.5 inch screen which is increasingly the standard for most new smartphones these days. That being said, the Infinix Zero3 comes with an FHD 1080P HD screen meaning that its bright and crisp. Its also made with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 meaning that its hard and will not break or scratch easily. It has lots of other features that I need not delve into here but basically this is a top of the line screen on the Infinix Zero3.
  • IMG_2216Battery – The battery on the Infinix Zero3 is 3030 mAh meaning that its able to work for a whole day without needing a recharge once you have a full charge on it. I did this many times and true to form I could function without needing a recharge provided I did not over do it with power hungry mobile apps.
  • Processor & Memory – The Infinix Zero3 comes with a Mediatek 64Bit Octacore Processor as well as 3GB of RAM. The combination of a really fast processor and a huge amount of memory means that it performs really well and can handle anything you throw at it as far as I can tell. The Infinix Zero3 I got came with 32GB of storage so there was no problem with media files, etc for the whole time I used it? It also has a Micro SD slot which can be expanded up to 2TB so really there are no issues in this respect with the Infinix Zero3.
  • Camera(s) – The back-facing camera on the Infinix Zero3 is arguably its strongest selling point. It is able to take 20.7 megapixel pictures from the back facing camera making it one of the highest resolution cameras in the marketplace for a mid-range smartphone. However, it does not stop there, the Infinix Zero3 comes with a Sony Exmor camera meaning that it has really high-end optics and image sensor – the things that matter the most for great smartphone photography. This, coupled with the excellent professional grade mobile app for photos and you can control almost every aspect of your photography like you would on a DSLR. The Infinix Zero3 is a BEAST in this respect. This would not be ideal if the Infinix Zero3 had a bad flash. That being said, the Infinix Zero3 comes with a dual colour LED flash meaning that it works really well in low light based on my experiences using it. Don’t take my word for it – look at the gallery of photos in this blog post to get a sense of what I mean. As expected, the Infinix Zero3 also has a front-facing camera for selfies and video at 5 megapixels including an LED flash. Since I am NOT really ‘team selfie’ I can’t comment on the same.
  • IMG_2217Video – If you thought the back-facing camera was great just for photos, think again. Its now more or less commonplace that new smartphones in Kenya and beyond come with 1080P video, yes? Well, the Infinix Zero3 is able to do that and more. The Infinix Zero3 shoots 4K video. Yes. 4K video! This is the first smartphone I am aware of in Kenya at a mid-range price that is able to do so. I find this mind-boggling and yet there it is. Its going to be another year or so before the majority of new mid-range to high-end smartphones in Kenya support 4K video so this is really getting the future really early. In addition, it can do video in slow motion and 4K at 30 frames per second.
  • Data – The Infinix Zero3 is able to handle both mobile and WIFI data as expected. However, the Infinix Zero3 is also 4G capable which I also found to be somwhat surprising at the price being offered for the same. Being on Safaricom, I have become something of a 4G addict given that 3G now feels really slow by comparison. Therefore, it not uncommon for me to use my Infinix Zero3 to download large files on the go using 4G and really not feeling the waiting time at all – even as a hotspot for my Macbook it worked really well. If nothing else, having 4G made the Infinix Zero3 so much better than the many other non-4G mobile devices out there in Kenya.
  • IMG_2228Audio – I used the Infinix Zero3 extensively to listen to music on MP3 as well as Apple Music. The quality of music on the same was really good when using my own earphones. However, out of the box, no earphones were supplied with the Infinix Zero3! This is the same case as the Infinix Note2 that I reviewed in December 2015 and I guess its a cost cutting measure? Whatever the case, this was surprising, once again.

In concluding, I would give the Infinix Zero3 a solid 8/10 in favour of purchasing. The price is affordable, the features are amazing and the build quality is top notch. I will say it again here that Infinix is making exceptionally great smartphones at prices that make sense to a price sensitive market like Kenya where value for money is a key decision driver. As I have said before, I fear for the likes of Samsung going forward.

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2 Comments

  1. Duncan
    March 31, 2016 at 2:51 pm — Reply

    Hi Moses? Thanks for the review. Love your blog! Infinix Zero 3 v LG G3? which one would you buy and why?

    • April 24, 2016 at 9:25 pm — Reply

      @duncan thanks for your message and apologies for not reverting sooner. I have never used the LG G3 so really not sure if I would pick it over the Zero3? That being said, I am sure they are both great picks! 🙂

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