The Infinix HOT 20S still remains one of, if not the best budget friendly phone which offers more value for money than any other smartphone on the market.
For just under PHP 10000, you will get the Infinix HOT 20S Free-Fire edition with 8GB RAM + up to 5GB expandable RAM, 128GB storage, 120Hz and HelioG96 and many other impressive features but, for now, let us focus on the unboxing and our first impression.
Whats in the box?
Firstly the box is protected by a cover sleeve of the Infinix HOT 20S Free-Fire edition which is printed with a FREE-FIRE character (Kelly) and the HOT 20s branding on the side and some of the main specs of the device. At the bottom part of the sleeve cover, you will find the rest of the specs in full detail including the QR code that leads you to the official Infinix website. The box itself is in bright neon green with almost the same branding details like those in the cover.
As you open the box, on top is the device protected with a branded wrapper. The device feels more robust and dense compared to other smartphones and the general build quality feels superior. Inside the box you will also find some documentation papers, USB-C cable, 18w charger, a free silicone case and $1 Prop bill with a QR code to join the XClub which is a pretty cool presentation.
The actual phone design
Instead of using a more attention-grabbing pattern the HOT 20S has a glossy back panel. The HOT 20 device has a camera module which consists of two sizable circular modules (one of which holds the 50-megapixel main camera) and a smaller circle in between. It can be difficult to design entry-level phones that are aesthetically pleasant without using elaborate designs, but Infinix did a fantastic job with the HOT 20S.
The HOT 20S features flat frame sides like the majority of modern phones, with the power button and fingerprint scanner on the right side. The phone’s loudspeaker, USB-C port, and headphone jack are all still located on the bottom. The HOT 20S has stereo speakers much like its predecessor had, and one of them is located on the earpiece.
How is the display and the speakers
Infinix has upped the game by making the HOT 20S the most inexpensive phone with a 120hz display. We applaud Infinix for being ambitious in its pursuit of the best price-to-specs ratio, but it is not without problems.
Although the IPS panel’s colors are passable, the biggest issue is that it has a finicky auto-brightness setting, and sometimes we had to manually change it to get the optimum brightness range. The display tends to become less bright when using it to play games.The speakers are fairly impressive given the price point and they definitely give a decent sound distribution around the device.
The HOT 20S has the same camera design like its predecessor but its camera performance is slightly upgraded especially when it comes to low light environments. Even though the phone is generally placed under the budget smartphones category, its performance quite surpasses its expected level. The only problem that at such a price point, you would have to chose to sacrifice other features like the ultra-wide angle short.
The HOT 20S also has phenomenal sensor giving it the ability to shoot great photos with a great natural looking depth of field. It also records videos at 1440p resolution for videos despite the lack of stabilization.
Internals, battery life and performance
The Helio G96 is unquestionably the greatest CPU you can utilize for less than Php 10,000. The Helio G96 is competitive with other processors like the Snapdragon 680 and UniSoc T616 in terms of CPU performance, while the MediaTek chip outperforms them all in terms of GPU performance.
We managed to play Mobile Legends comfortably at medium and balanced graphics settings, averaging close to 30FPS and 80% stability, respectively. While we enjoy the customizations on the Free Fire edition, which ships with XOS 12 based on Android 12.
Conclusion
In short, the HOT 20S further establishes that Infinix is a master at providing excellent phones for under Php 10,000 in the Philippines. Despite the few issues with brightness, there’s no denying the HOT 20S’s ridiculous price to performance ratio is absolutely unmatched and worth it.
