5 min read
Initial Impressions
Infinix Note 3 is a huge phone with a premium quality build. It is a 6-inch phablet which packs a lot of high-end features. But in the pricing department, it is easily affordable. If you have previously used phablets, big screen devices, or this is your first one; you are going to love the experience.
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Without further ado, let us dive into the specifications:
Key specifications
- Dual Sim
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- Memory: 16GB internal storage, expandable storage (up to 128 GB), 3 GB RAM
- 6′ FHD IPS: Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
- Fingerprint Scanner at the back
- 64 bit Octa-core Media Tek processor clocked at 1.3 GHz
- 4500 mAh Battery (Fast Charging)
- 13 Megapixels Rear with auto-focus and dual LED flash & 5 Megapixels Front Camera.
Pros & Cons
PROS
- Premium build quality
- Fingerprint scanner
- Android 6.0
- Big Battery
CONS
- Bloatware
- Average Speaker
- Awkward hardware buttons
Hardware & Design
Note 3 comes with a solid, premium looking metallic build. With the outward appearance, it can be compared with One Plus 3. The phone also sports a fingerprint scanner on the backside; it is not 100 percent accurate. On the right side, there is a memory card slot followed by two separate buttons for volume up and volume down. The last button is of power.
On the left side, there is a sim card tray slot which can host two sims. For the review, we have the Note 3 Pro version which supports LTE as well.
At the bottom, you will find a USB charger, speaker, and a mic. The slight chamfers on the side are helpful in gripping the phone. But, people will small hands will have trouble holding and operating it with one hand. Owing to its beefy size and weight, if you are habitual of using a phone in bed, I am sure, it will definitely fall on your face a couple of times!
Display
Note 3 has a 6′ screen. It is an excellent screen size for reading, communication, and browsing. 1080×1920 full HD display gives almost 367 pixels per inch which are a massive improvement over its predecessor. The screen has wide viewing angles and color accuracy is good too.
Overall, the screen is great. If you are transitioning from a low specifications device to this one, you will love it and the colors, brightness and wide viewing angles will be more noticeable.
Storage & Performance
The Note 3 comes with 16GB of internal storage and a micro SD slot which can increase the storage space up to 128GB. If pictures consume most of your phone storage, you can use Google Photos to sync them and you will never have memory issues.
Performance wise, the phone is pretty average. I tried playing Temple Run 2 and the experience was a bit jittery. The screen also was a bit unresponsive during the gameplay. The next game I tried was Clash of Clans. The experience was smooth without any lag.
While using SnapChat, after recording snaps, the replays were lagging a lot. In fact, I couldn’t replay the snaps a couple of times. The phone is a reliable choice for everyday tasks but for heavy duties, this phone might disappoint you.
Camera & Software
Note 3 is packed with a 13 Megapixel dual flash rear camera and 5 Megapixel front facing camera. But there is more to a camera than the number of pixels. The phone performs exceptionally well in daylight conditions but the performance starts to crack in low light. In low light, the pictures are grainy, colors are washed off and quality is poor. Even the dual flash on the back side couldn’t help much in poor light.
But I took a few photos outdoor in daylight and I was more than happy with the results. The pictures came out really good, sharp and vibrant.
Software
This phone comes with a chunk of bloatware. Which unfortunately takes up more than half of the internal storage. On top, you can’t delete those applications. The Chameleon v2 of Infinix Note 3 is built on top of Android 6.
I did feel the absence of a few basic functionalities in this skin but overall the experience is neat and quite close to the stock Android. Additionally, Google’s Now Launcher can be installed to keep the experience stock Android like.
One exciting thing about the phone is fast charging. Now this is my first-ever fast charging phone and I can say without hesitation that fast charging saves a lot of time in general day to day activities. Because you are not glued to a socket checking your phone time and again for messaging till the phone is charged.
Conclusion
I am having a good time using this phone. Initially, I was hoping to get back to my daily driver phone after the review is done. But admittedly, the phones big screen, fingerprint scanner and huge battery life is a breath of fresh air. Ever since I started using this phone, I don’t keep an additional battery juice pack with me. For a price tag of 20,599 PKR for LTE version, the phone is a crushing deal.
