Infinix Smart 2 review: 'Value for money' smartphone with tall 18:9 screen

Transsion Holdings, a Hong Kong-based smartphone company, is one of the top five leading mobile phone manufacturer in India, according to recent report by IDC. The company is known for Infinix, Tecno, itel and Spice branded smartphones. It operates in affordable entry level and midrange segment. Under its premium Infinix brand, the company recently launched the Infinix Smart 2, an entry-level budget smartphone with 18:9 aspect ratio screen and a large 3,050 mAh battery.

Priced at Rs 5,999 for the base model, the Infinix Smart 2 is a feature-rich proposition in entry-level budget smartphone segment. It is targeted to consumers moving from feature phones to smartphones. The Android-based smartphone features dualSIM slots and 4G VoLTE-capabilities. Interestingly, the phone comes in two RAM and storage configurations – 2GB/16GB and 3GB/32GB. The premium 3GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 6,999.

In terms of design, the Infinix Smart 2 offers no-frill design with a removable plastic back, which reveals a non-removable battery, and a glass-covered front. The phone has tall stance and a compact form factor, which makes it easy to hold and operate with one hand. It has a good grip to it, but the plastic back and glass front is prone to smudges and scratches.

The Infinix Smart 2 sports a 5.45-inch HD+ screen. Thanks to tall 18:9 aspect ratio, the screen does not falter in its overall form factor, which is no bigger than a 5-inch smartphone with conventional 16:9 aspect ratio screens. The glass on top of the display is curved from edges, which makes it easy to use and operate. The touchscreen calibration is not up to the mark, but it works well for basic tasks such as calling, messaging, etc.

Imaging is taken care by a 13-megapixel primary camera on the back and an 8MP selfie shooter on the front. The rear camera is a five-piece lens of f/2.0 aperture. It supports phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and features an LED flash. For an entry-level smartphone, the camera output is overall satisfactory. It struggles to take landscape shots or HDR shots, but does it job neatly to take portrait shots. Both the front and back camera works optimally in day light conditions, but nighttime or low light imaging is a big miss.
 

Powered by 3,050 mAh battery, the phone keeps going for more than a day. However, the charging times are unreasonably long and the phone takes more than 3 hours to charge the battery from zero to 100 per cent. This is due to a larger battery, but no quick charging support.

Overall, the Infinix Smart 2 is a feature-rich entry-level smartphone worth of its price. In its price segment, the phone competes with Xiaomi Redmi 5A. However, an 18:9 aspect ratio screen gives it an edge over the Redmi 5A.

Infinix Smart 2 specifications

Processor: MediaTek MT6739 quadcore

RAM: 2GB and 3GB

Storage: 16GB and 32GB (Expandable)

Operating system: Android 8.1 Oreo covered under Hummingbird XOS 3.3.0 lite theme

SIM: Dual

Network: Dual 4G, Dual VoLTE

Battery: 3050 mAh