Infinix put out a new midrange offering in its HOT series earlier this month. The Hot 70 Pro pays special attention to aesthetics, coming in thermochromic, glow-in-the-dark, and reflective variants. The MediaTek Dimensity 7100 chipset drives the phone at its core. You also get IP68 protection, MIL-STD-810H durability, and a massive 6,000mAh battery. Given the current state of the smartphone market, these specs look pretty good for Rs 24,999. We used the smartphone for a week to find out if it’s worth a shot. Here is our review of the Infinix Hot 70 Pro.
Read Also: Amazon brings Alexa+ to India for free: Here is everything about it
Infinix Hot 70 Pro Review: Design and Display
Box Contents
- Smartphone
- 45W power adapter
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- Hard plastic case
- Paperwork
The Hot 70 Pro impresses with its flat back panel. The ‘Silk Glow Purple’ variant, which we got for this review, has a nice flame-like pattern that comes alive when light falls on it. Oftentimes, smartphones going for this effect come across as gaudy, but we’re happy to report that that’s not the case here. You can also get your hands on the ‘Thermo Orange’ variant that changes shades with the ambient temperature. There’s also a fun ‘Mirage Green’ model that glows in the dark. If you want to keep things simple, the ‘Dive Blue’ shade does not have any added-on effects. The matte finish on the plastic panel keeps it from registering fingerprints and smudges easily.
The volume rocker and the side button are positioned at their usual spots on the right side of the frame. They are joined by a customisable ‘One-Tap’ button with an orange accent and a metallic texture. The hybrid SIM tray with a microSD slot is positioned on the opposite edge. The microphone, USB-C port, and speaker are placed at the bottom. The smartphone is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance. It can be immersed in water up to 2 metres for 30 minutes. Additionally, it is compliant with MIL-STD-810H standards, so you don’t have to worry about medium-intensity knocks harming the device.
There are some trade-offs at the front of the phone that won’t sit right with some folks. For starters, instead of an AMOLED display, the Hot 70 Pro uses a 6.76-inch IPS LCD panel. Secondly, the thick bottom bezel makes the display feel dated. Reaching 910 nits in High Brightness Mode, the display is able to maintain legibility in most outdoor lighting conditions, but fails to overcome intense sunlight. The 144Hz refresh rate ensures that the touch response remains smooth. Finally, the fingerprint sensor is mounted on the side, instead of its usual spot under the display. The good news is that it’s fast and accurate.
The 1,080 x 2,334p LCD panel offers a decent viewing experience. The visuals are sharp and packed with colour, but the deep black pixels of the AMOLED panel are sorely missed. This isn’t a big dealbreaker, but folks who enjoy punchy contrast will surely notice the flatness of the visuals on offer here. The single, bottom-firing speaker produces a loud audio output, but it’s missing a prominent low-end.
Infinix Hot 70 Pro Review: Performance and Cameras
The MediaTek Dimensity 7100 processor lies at the heart of this phone. This chipset is based on a 6nm process. The smartphone has an internal storage capacity of 128GB, which can be expanded using a microSD card. There are 2 RAM options on offer:
- 6GB: Rs 24,999
- 8GB: Rs 27,999
We ran a couple of benchmark tests on the device. Here are the results.
- AnTuTu 3D Lite: 858,351
- Geekbench 7: 863 (single-core) | 2,954 (multi-core)
The Dimensity 7100 SoC does a good job of handling everyday, routine tasks like calling, texting, emailing, media streaming, and scrolling through social media. The general browsing experience is stutter-free too. If you’re a casual user who doesn’t carry out any power-intensive tasks on your phone, the Hot 70 Pro will serve you well. We tried to push the phone to its limits by launching half a dozen apps at once, and were pleased to see that it didn’t crumble under pressure.
You can get good gameplay on this phone if you limit yourself to medium graphics and frame rate settings. The smartphone is able to run titles like BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile. The overall gaming experience is consistently lag-free. The encounter with the odd frame drop is rare, but not nonexistent. The internal cooling system does a decent job of managing the thermal situation. We noticed the first signs of warmth around the back panel after crossing the 15-minute mark.
Infinix’s Android 16-based XOS 16 skin has a lot of good things to offer. But there’s a lot of bloatware on the device that we recommend cleaning first. XOS 16 borrows a lot of design elements from iOS 26 and ColorOS/OxygenOS 16, but they are implemented quite well. The inspiration is most apparent in the lock screen layout and clock widget, quick settings panel, and the settings page. Infinix has promised 3 major OS updates and 5 years of security patches for this device, which is pretty good coverage for this price bracket.
There are a few special features that deserve a special shoutout. The first is the Active Matrix Cube that’s placed in the bottom cutout on the back panel. This Nothing-inspired dot matrix interface flashes when you get a call or notification. Additionally, it acts as an indicator for charging, low battery, photo timer, video recording, and startup. The dot matrix arrangement also lets you set up a timer on the grid. The most fun part is that you can create a light effect of your own.
The special One-Tap button on the right side of the frame mutes your phone when it is long-pressed. You can customise it to turn on the flashlight, enable DND, record the screen, launch the voice recorder, create a quick note, launch the translator, or kick a specified app into gear. In the Camera app, it acts as the shutter button.
The massive 6,000mAh battery pack lasts an entire day of heavy use with ease. Suffice it to say, you won’t be reaching for the charger in the middle of your workday. If you’re more conservative with your usage, you can push the battery life up to 1.5-2 days. The 45W power adapter provided in the box can fully charge this phone in just over an hour.
The 50MP primary shooter uses the Sony IMX882 sensor with 2x lossless digital zoom. This camera captures good images in outdoor daylight conditions. The pictures have deep colours and cooler tones. These aren’t the sharpest images we’ve seen in this segment, but they pack enough detail to post on social media platforms. In limited lighting conditions, the smartphone relies on Night Mode to artificially brighten the images and curb the noise. The results are passable.
The Portrait Mode in the native Camera app offers 3 focal lengths – 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm. The portraits are vibrant and well-focused. The smartphone does a good job of recognising the subject’s borders and separating it from the background. It applies a hint of background blur, which leaves more to be desired. The front-facing 8MP camera captures decent selfies without overcorrecting the skin tone and texture. The selfies are visibly soft, but passable. Both cameras on this phone can record 2K videos at 30fps.
Read Also: Poco M8x 5G Review: No compromises on style
Verdict
The Infinix Hot 70 Pro is a very easy phone to recommend to casual users who want something exciting to use as their daily driver after spending years with a boring device. Its diverse back panel options are a lot of fun, and the Active Matrix Cube brings the X factor. The Dimensity 7100 SoC has all the power you need for daily tasks. Infinix’s XOS 16 skin is light, breezy, and well optimised. You also get NFC and an IR blaster, which are good features to have at this price point. The only big trade-off is the LCD panel, which pales in comparison to AMOLED displays.
Pros
- Nice design
- Active Matrix Cube
- Customisable One-Tap button
- NFC
Cons
- LCD panel instead of AMOLED display
- Single speaker
