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Infinix Note 50x 5G Review

New Delhi: The Infinix Note 50x 5G is the first device in the world to feature the brand new MediaTek D7300 Ultimate chipset. Infinix launched the phone on 27 March, at a price point of Rs 12,999. The positioning is aimed at those stretching the 10K budget for more advanced features. This device is not to be confused with the Infinix Note 50s 5G, which is expected to launch on 18 April, where the company is introducing a scented phone to incorporate olfactory sensations in the mix. While the exterior design appears to be similar to the 50x, the details of the internals are not known at this point. 

Infinix is trying out some novel approaches when it comes to its colourways, mixing up the textures as well. The Infinix Note 50x 5G+ is available in Titanium Grey and Enchanted Purple variants with metallic finishes. There is also the Sea Green Breeze colourway with a vegan leather finish, that has technofuturistic patterns etched into the back. There is apparently a  Sunset Spice Pink variant as well, but this one is not listed on the shop. The Titanium Grey and Sea Green Breeze finishes seem to be in high demand as they are out of stock at the time of writing. In the box is the phone itself, with the user manuals, the 45W fast charging adapter and the cable. 

Infinix Note 50x 5G Build and design

The Infinix Note 50x 5G boasts of a military grade construction. This is a 6.67 inch display with a 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio, with a 720×1600 resolution. The screen can reach 672 nits of brightness, and is vibrant enough but a bit lacklustre outdoors under direct sunlight. The bottom edge is thicker, with a punch hole for the selfie camera on the top. The Sea Breeze Green colour variant is a bit thicker, necessary because of the differentiated texture. 

One of the design highlights of the device is the camera island on the back, which is a rectangular octagon (or a stretched octagon). The gem-cut camera module has an eye-catching design. There is an IR blaster on the island, along with a dual-tone flash. We are not sure why the camera module has three lenses, one is the primary camera, and the other is the depth sensor. There are speaker grilles on the top and bottom of the device, providing stereo sound. On the top right corner is the dual-SIM tray that can hold a couple of nano-SIMs or a nano-SIM and a MicroSD card. The base of the phone has a charging cable. On the right side are the volume rocker buttons and a slightly depressed power button that has an integrated fingerprint sensor, that is fast, reliable and accurate. 

The screen does have a bit of flex but not too much. Overall, this is a well-constructed device that looks slick and modern. The device boasts of an IP64 Rating, with the screen designed to function even with wet/greasy touches. This device is actually great for slobs who want to use their smartphones without tissues while eating at a fast food restaurant. Note that there is no 3.5 mm audio jack on this device, and that is something we feel is required at this price point, because it is just too expensive to keep buying wireless headphones, with the batteries deteriorating rapidly on regular use. The alternative is to use a Type-C headphone. 

Infinix Note 50x 5G Performance and Experience 

The Infinix Note 50x 5G ships with XOS 15 based on Android 15. Infinix has committed to two years of OS updates and three years of security patches. One of the first things we noticed about the device is how it is packed with intelligence, and how the device brings generative AI technologies to the fingertips of the user. The operating system is minimal with almost no bloat, which is something that we really appreciated. All the default apps are offerings by Infinix aimed at providing powerful capabilities to the user out of the box. One of the things that we liked about the device is that it does not heat up even under heavy use. A few benchmarks are embedded below. 

First let us look at the camera. The Vlog section has a number of VLOG templates, that guide users to what kind of shots to take. By replicating the sequences, users can quickly produce vlogs, and get ideas on what to shoot. Apart from a visual depiction of the type of sequences for the vlogs, the feature also includes text prompts to guide the user. There are a wide range of vlog templates to choose from, including for group settings and events. We like this feature as it is incredibly useful for someone who is just starting out with content creation. Someone has sat down at Infinix and thought about how we can help and encourage new users to produce content, and has come up with an excellent, if unconventional solution. This is not the kind of feature you would expect to be integrated into the camera app. 

For the selfie camera, there are AI effects to fix particular aspects of the face, including the skin tone, blemishes and reshaping specific features such as the cheeks, nose and eyes. There are also filters, effects and frames integrated into the mode, along with granular control options for the camera itself. Users can also choose to add a watermark to all their captures. Then there is the AI cam feature which is a lot of fun. It uses generative AI technologies to help you revisit your childhood. There is a bank of kiddie photos, that the user’s selfie is mapped onto. The feature gets thrown a bit by specs and facial hair, but otherwise works like a charm. Four images are generated in rapid succession, and we were surprised by the speed at which the outputs were provided. Some people liked the outputs, others did not, but everyone had fun using it. 

The portrait mode also allows users to tweak facial features, and provides body shaping tools as well. All of the body shaping features are aimed at slimming down or toning and shaping body parts, and lengthening the legs. Essentially, the features are aimed at short, fat people and not tall, slender people. If you are skinny and want to look like you have hit the gym, then you are out of luck. Then there are some features that are squarely aimed at creators, that we did not expect at all in a device in this category. Dual video allows for users to simultaneously capture videos from both the front and back camera. The low-light performance is decent, and the camera can capture 50 megapixel images. 

There is a slow-motion mode, a timelapse mode, and a document mode for scanning. There is a Sky Shop mode that makes the skies more interesting, but tends to make the tops of buildings semitransparent. We really like the idea here, but there is just one fixed sky, and we wish that there were more options available here. Boring skies is one of the biggest problems when it comes to capturing images, and the integration of the features prevents the need to install third-party apps such as Picnic, which offers a wide range of skies and is much better at replacing the sky than the feature in Infinix Note 50x. There is a pro mode with granular control options. We just wish there was a long exposure mode for capturing star trails and traffic trails, otherwise the camera app is very well rounded, powerful and fun.

Infinix has included a bunch of helpful apps, including the Vish app that collects all the multimedia in the system into one interface. One feature that we really liked about this app is the ability to convert a video into an mp3. XArena is a great interface for games that showcases high-quality games that can make the most use of the hardware. There is a complete, integrated office suite called WPS Office, that also lets you edit PDFs. Then there is the WeLife app that allows you to use the IR remote for household devices and appliances. There is also a translator tool that translates content from English to Chinese or Hindi at this time. We would really like to see more Indic languages added to this app. 

We also liked the inclusion of a transcriber app. This is incredibly useful for journalists. The app can handle Bangla, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Apart from English and Hindi, the performance of the rest of the languages are a bit dicey. The English version also does not do a great job at Indian accents. So this app requires some improvements, but is just about usable. In noisy environments, it just shows that the sound is of a crowd. It is best used in a one-on-one setting or a dialogue. 

Now there are a whole bunch of generative AI features that are difficult to find in the apps that they belong to. For example, the feature to turn sketches into generated images is in the Notes app. Infinix offers an easy way to access all these features through the settings menu. In the settings menu, users can also pick the apps in which these features are available. One of the most helpful and interesting features is cutting or extracting objects from images. Just open up the gallery, find the image and long press on the object to cut it out. 

For erasing the object, you need to use another approach though. Long pressing the power button allows users to use the advanced AI features, including erasing an object, and searching by image. This feature is speedy and works as intended. If you are the kind of person who likes to use your own images as the smartphone as the lock screen and home screen backgrounds, then Infinix has included an AI theming app that customizes the colours, and uses AI to enhance the images as well. Like most of the integrated AI features, the output varies in quality, but is a fun feature to use nonetheless, providing pleasing results at times. All in all, we were incredibly satisfied with how Infinix has implemented these features, providing a powerful set of generative AI capabilities to the user. 

Infinix Note 50x 5G Verdict 

The Infinix Note 50x 5G is a compelling contender in the price bracket, offering a fresh choice in terms of both hardware and aesthetics. The debut of the MediaTek D7300 Ultimate chipset adds a futuristic edge to a device that otherwise stays grounded in the expectations from a budget segment offering – everyday usability, decent construction quality, and stylish looks. The display could have been a bit brighter for outdoor use, and can be a hinderance when it comes to capturing outdoor images on well-lit days, but that is a common problem for smartphones even at three times the price.

Where the device shines really is the software department, with a clean and intuitive XOS 15, that is packed with fun and genuinely useful AI features. The sky replacement feature and the portrait modes require some refinement, but that can be done with software updates. This is a feature-rich device that punches above its weight. Infinix is taking a few bold steps in offering its consumers an elevated design by ditching the 3.5 mm jack, innovating on the finishes, and offering a military grade build. At Rs 12,999, the Infinix Note 50x 5G shapes up as a good option for users who want a bit more flair without breaking the bank.