A few years ago OnePlus was widely known for producing "killer flagship devices". Then the presence of Poco F1 changed the market of this category of devices by creating a premium mid-range device that tries to challenge flagship devices. The latest from Transsion is the Infinix Note 40 Pro, a compact entry-level smartphone with the features of a flagship device. It is sold at a price of RM1098 and is it worth buying?
SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
Infinix Note 40 Pro
6.78″ AMOLED screen, 1080 x 2436 FHD+,
120Hz, 1300 nits
Dimensity 7020 processor (6nm)
2x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A78
6x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55
IMG BXM-8-256/Hyper Engine Graphics Chip
RAM 8GB LPDDR4X
8GB Virtual
256GB UFS 2.2 storage
Primary Camera 108MP, f/1.7, OIS – Wide Angle
2MP, f/2.4
2MP, f/2.4
Film, AI Cam, Super Night
2K 30 FPS video
Front Camera 32MP, f/2.2
5000mAh battery
45W Floating Charging
5G Dual-SIM Sim/Telephony
JBL Stereo Speaker Audio
WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth WiFi 5, Yes, Bluetooth,
Infrared Yes
Waterproof IP53
Under Screen Fingerprint Scanning System
Sale Price Vintage Green/Titan Gold
Priced at RM1,098 (8/256 GB)
At first glance, the Infinix Note 40 Pro does look like a flagship device. Curved AMOLED FHD+ 120Hz screen, the body is thin with a combination of green and gold colors. There is a vegan leather finish on the back with a large flat camera bump. Every part of the device is given a finish like a premium device.
Every power button and volume adjustment button feels good to press, the device supports IP53 splashproof protection, has an infrared emitter, runs XOS 14 based on Android 14 complete with generative AI features and also a unique charging system with its own special chip to guarantee long-term battery health .
SCREEN
Lately I'm not a big fan of curved screens, because they interfere with the experience of using the screen. However, with good 120Hz support that can be experienced, beautiful color quality and a screen that is bright enough for indoor use, it raises a question, what kind of device is this Note 40 Pro?
It doesn't support HDR on Netflix, but watching movies is still a satisfying and pleasing experience. If XOS 14 has screen features that use AI like Oppo or OnePlus devices that can further enhance video quality, this device will definitely be a perfect basic premium class device.
BIOMETRIC
The biometric system is a type of fingerprint scanner under the screen and a face scan using a selfie camera. The fingerprint scan is a bit slow but the face scan is surprising as it is quite fast even when used at night.
USAGE – XOS 14, ANDROID 14 and GENERATIVE AI
If you have noticed their previous device which is Infinix GT10 Pro, it is a basic class gaming device running XOS which is free of fat applications. On this Note 40 Pro, the XOS 14 that is used gives a user experience that is more or less the same. The difference is the presence of lightweight fat applications because this XOS is not a GT edition.
Using XOS 14 reminds me of Funtouch OS by vivo because many interface design elements do not follow Material You design. Unique design elements used are as if Huawei once upon a time.
Daily use of XOS 14 on the Note 40 Pro is like using a device with a Helio G99 chip but more powerful. The AI feature in the device is also dependent on the Internet and even the first play needs to use the gaming mode for a smoother experience. But for an entry-level device, XOS 14 is pretty good and it's hard for me to complain too much.
Here are the AI features provided in the Note 40 Pro and also other interesting features provided;
Selective Translation
Select text and translate.
Voice Translation
As an Interpreter on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
Chat Translation
Like Chat Assist in Galaxy AI on select Samsung devices.
Image Translation
Like Circle to Search but using its own system.
Folax and PAL
As a virtual assistant with built-in ChatGPT 3.5.
AI search on albums
Just search with keywords like "cat running", "sunset at beach".
Hello Lighting
RGB lights that move according to device activity such as notifications, charging, music and more.
Dynamic Bar
Dynamic Island iteration for face unlock, charging, phone calls and voice recording.
PERFORMANCE AND BENCHMARKS
The Infinix Note 40 Pro does not deserve to be categorized as a mid-range device because the benchmark test requires the AnTuTu 3D Lite application which is always used by basic class devices. AnTuTu tests show low scores, the usual Wild Life Extreme test on 3DMark is not supported and the device takes a long time to complete the Geekbench 6 test.
The Dimensity 7020 chip is actually the Dimensity 930 launched in 2022 with a new name. Many devices that use this chip are in the basic class. Suitable devices for us to compare are the realme C67 with the Snapdragon 685 chip or the Tecno Spark 20 Pro with the Helio G99 chip.
Antutu 3D
Infinix Note 40 Pro – 450,320
realme C67 – 304,413
Tecno Spark 20 Pro – 420,193
Geekbench 6
Infinix Note 40 Pro – 1120/3338
realme C67 – 470/1530
Tecno Spark 20 Pro – 706/1872
3D Mark Wildlife Extreme
Infinix Note 40 Pro – Unable to test
realme C67 – 133
Tecno Spark 20 Pro – 345
It's very strange that normal use of the device lags and sometimes it can get warm. But when playing a heavy game like COD Mobile the device has no problem to operate at a smooth rate so that you can finish a game session with a satisfactory experience as long as it is on medium settings.
CAMERA
Basic class devices will have basic class camera quality. The Note 40 Pro does not come with a zoom or ultra-wide-angle camera. The most useful sensor is the wide-angle 108MP and the other two 2MP sensors are just gimmicks. The selfie camera is a decent 32MP. The camera quality is average and acceptable. The colors on the picture look good and the focus system is quite fast. But details are difficult to preserve, the portrait mode is messy, the zoom results are a bit broken and even with OIS night pictures look dull and soft.
3x digital zoom is not able to preserve details well.
Looks beautiful, but when examined the sky is not visible and the resolution seems too low.
The 32MP selfie camera is capable of providing interesting portrait results.
Nice attempt at night mode, but there is still the problem of extreme light exposure.
The lighting in the building looks good compared to the natural one.
Close-up photos under bright house lights, can focus quickly.
Human pictures are not consistent in quality if the lighting is in the building.
Close-ups can give good focus, but not consistently.
For video recording, I remember recording using a basic class device that costs around RM500. It's not pretty for social media and there are a lot of stuttering issues when high resolution recording is done.
AUDIO
Infinix Note 40 Pro proudly promotes stereo speakers powered by JBL. But it's just the usual stereo speakers that you always hear on devices in this class. It's slow, with inconsistent audio strength levels. It's also unbalanced and it lacks detail. The audio quality seems so flat that we can't hear what JBL system is used here?
BATTERY AND CHARGING
The Infinix Note 40 series uses the All-Round FastCharge 2.0 charging system. Wired charging is 45W which takes around 90 minutes to fully charge the 5000 mAh battery. Battery life is around 6.5 hours SOT for light use and 4-5 hours SOT for heavy use. An added bonus, the device supports 7.5W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging. If you think that's not enough, Infinix also brings MagCharge support similar to Apple's MagSafe.
Note 40 Pro uses their own developed Cheetah X1 chip to handle all these charging features. MagPower is a Qi-based wireless charging powerbank accessory. Use the special frame provided for free, it will work like an iPhone. It even uses the MFi standard because on my iPhone 15 Plus it displays the MagSafe animation. MagPower can also be a 20W power bank.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
No matter which is more expensive or cheaper, every purchase of this device you will receive;
1x Infinix Note 40 Pro
1x Premium MagCharge Frame
1x USB-A to USB-C Cable
1x All-Round USB-A Charger FastCharge 2.0 version 45W
1x Tempered protective glass
1x Infinix sticker set
1x Handbook and safety
CONCLUSION
While the Note 40 Pro isn't quite as fast, there's a slight lag and the camera isn't very satisfying – what Infinix has to offer in this entry-level smartphone is actually quite solid. This is the first time I have used an entry-level device packed with features like a flagship device. Most surprising is the offering of various charging methods and the cohesive All-Round FastCharge 2.0 ecosystem.
Note 40 Pro is not a flagship device, not a mid-range device, not an entry-level device but is under its own category of “premium entry-level device”. With a selling price of RM1098, in my opinion it is a device that can be purchased for those who want additional features that have not been available in devices of this class. I also recommend it for children if parents want to give their children the experience of using the latest technology without spending a lot of money.
PRO
The premium design is like a flagship device.
Pretty good screen and fast.
Brand new but XOS feels pretty mature.
Even cheap devices have many generative AI features.
There are various interesting charging methods.
Very long lasting battery.
The price is very worth it.
CONS
Performance is inconsistent.
A curved screen is no longer a premium value for a device.
The camera is unsatisfactory as only one main sensor is useful.
JBL speakers seem like marketing gimmicks because they are not good and balanced.
