Infinix S5 Pro Review

Phones with Pop-up cameras were popping left and right last year and we were momentarily led to believe that conventional notches were finally on their way out. The trend, however, didn’t hold and notches of different sizes and shapes slyly crept back in. 

In the interest of immersive full-view screens, Transsion Holdings is now trying to reinstate the sliding front camera across the affordable segment. The online sub-brand of the company, Infinix, recently introduced the S5 Pro that offers this differentiation for as low as Rs. 9,999. 

So, if you are limited by 10K mark, is the Infinix S5 Pro the right phone for your individual needs? We will try and answer that in our Inifinix S5 Pro review. 

Infinix S5 Pro Price and Specifications

Infinix S5 Pro Review: Design and Build

The main highlight of Inifinix S5 Pro is its massive, uninterrupted full-view screen. As we have iterated time and again, screens without notches do feel more immersive. Unless an OEM is going out of its way to accommodate a slim and compact profile favoring one-hand usage, we’d gladly accept a pop-up module over any of the notch styles. 

We have the glossy forest green variant with us for review. I can see young consumers taking to the striking color, but we found it a bit flashy for our taste. In fact, the software has a matching green accent throughout and we couldn’t download or add another theme to replace it. 

Anyways, the glass-finish plastic back has ergonomic curves on the edges that make the phone quite comfortable to handle.

The capacitive fingerprint sensor is quite accessible and snappy. The S5 Pro also has fast face unlock and a cute unlock animation to go with it.

The phone retains dedicated SD card slot and audio jack, things that budget phone buyers value and ask for. The charging port is the regular USB port. Of course, Type-C would have been better but I guess this shouldn’t yet be a deal-breaker in the under 10K price segment. 

Infinix S5 Pro review: Display

The IPS LCD panel measures 6.5-inch and has full HD+ resolution. The screen is quite sharp and the brightness is comparable to what we get on most affordable phones. The panel quality is about average. The white point is cool and there is the characteristic harsh blue tint that we have come to associate with affordable phone displays. 

There is no option to switch color profile. The S5 Pro does have an eye-care mode and a dark mode and we’d suggest you make use of them. 

Infinix S5 Pro review: Performance and Software

This is the section where Infinix is cutting a few corners. The S5 Pro is driven by MediaTek Helio P35 octa-core SoC, which is 12nm process based octa-core chipset that was introduced early last year. This is not a particularly powerful chipset and that reflects in the performance. S5 Pro is not a snappy phone and it’s not meant for demanding gamers. The SoC is still good enough to take you through light and moderate day-to-day workloads. 

On a positive note, a decent amount of storage (64GB) and RAM (4GB) should ensure durable performance in the long run. The XOS 6 software running on the phone is based on Android 10. The interface is feature-rich and mostly stable but is not intuitive and lacks finesse.

The software also includes a number of pre-installed apps that push notifications and ads. These apps play a spoilsport but are to be expected across phones from all brands in the under 15K price segment in India. 

We didn’t face any issue with connectivity and calling in our area. 

Also Read: Realme C3 Review

Infinix S5 Pro review: Camera

The Infinix S5 Pro camera turned out to be better than what we had expected. That doesn’t mean it can beat more expensive affordable phones. The images are far from perfect, but what the S5 Pro offers feels perfectly apt for the price. 

In daylight, the camera can capture a reasonable amount of details. Motion blur creeps in easily, so it’s important that you keep your phone steady. 

Indoors and in lowlight, S5 Pro aggressively counters noise. 

Consumers should find the night mode particularly appealing. We also managed to capture some decent close-ups.

The selfie camera does a fine job. 

It’s unfair to expect much in terms of camera performance in this budget. The Infinix S5 Pro does rather well with resources on board and, overall, the performance exceeded expectations. 

Infinix S5 Pro review: Battery and Audio

Battery backup is quite good. The 4000mAh battery can comfortably last for more than a day and at times even for 2 days. Fast charging isn’t supported, though. 

The mono loudspeaker is present at the bottom. It gets loud enough for comfortable hearing and the audio quality is above average. 

Also Read: Realme 6 Review

Infinix S5 Pro Review: Verdict

The Infinix S5 Pro is a design-focused affordable phone. That’s a good thing because traditionally design hasn’t been a preference for affordable phones. Apart from the trendy pop-up, the S5 Pro also has a decent camera, assuring battery, and Android 10-based software. 

On the downside, the performance power and software leave a lot to be desired. 

Pros 

• Immersive full-view display 
• Battery backup 
• Decent camera performance 

Cons

• Middling performance
• XOS 6 interface needs refinement

Infinix S5 Pro FAQs Answered