Infinix Note 40

At Rs. 57,999, the Infinix Note 40 offers features that are rare at this price:

• A 120Hz AMOLED display with very thin bezels.
• 45W wired, 20W wireless and reverse wireless charging.
• JBL-tuned stereo speakers, an IR blaster and 8GB RAM with 256GB storage.

The compromises are the older Helio G99 Ultimate chip, no headphone jack, only IP54 splash protection and inconsistent camera processing.

The Itel Super 27 Ultra (Rs. 54,999) is listed with a bigger battery, but its chipset is unconfirmed. Verdict: the Note 40 is good value for buyers who want a premium-feeling display and wireless charging; gamers seeking high frame rates should look at faster chips.

The Note 40 has a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 2436 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, 1300 nits peak brightness and Corning Gorilla Glass protection.

Its biggest strength is the design: the bezels are very thin on all sides, with a screen-to-body ratio of about 89.9%, so videos and games feel immersive. Brightness is good, and Widevine L1 support allows HD streaming on apps such as Netflix.

An always-on display shows the time and notifications for about 10 seconds after a tap. One weakness: the touchscreen does not respond well when it is wet.

The MediaTek Helio G99 Ultimate uses two 2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 cores and six 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 cores with a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, paired with 8GB RAM (plus virtual RAM) and 256GB storage.

Daily use is smooth. After six to seven months of use, apps still open quickly and the phone does not feel sluggish. It also runs the same games at the same frame rates and settings as the pricier Note 40 Pro.

Gaming is acceptable rather than impressive: PUBG runs at around 40 FPS. Sustained heating under long gaming sessions has not been verified.

The rear setup pairs a 108 MP, f/1.9 main camera with a 2 MP secondary sensor and quad-LED flash.

• High-resolution mode: 108 MP photos keep plenty of detail when you zoom in or crop.
• Portraits: a 2x portrait option and an AIGC Portrait mode are available.
• HDR: bright areas can show a glow, so processing is less refined than newer models.

Video goes up to 1440p at 30fps. No optical stabilisation is listed, but a stable mode at 1080p 30fps keeps footage steady; exposure in video can still shift.

The 32 MP selfie camera records video at 1080p 30fps and gives sharp results for social media and video calls.

The Note 40 has a 5000 mAh battery with 45W wired charging, rated to reach 50% in 26 min. A 45W adapter comes in the box.

It also supports:

• 20W MagCharge wireless charging (the wireless charger is not in the box; the included case lets magnetic accessories attach).
• Reverse wired and reverse wireless charging, useful for topping up earbuds.

Reliable screen-on time tests are not available, so battery endurance cannot be stated with confidence.

The Note 40 launched with Android 14 and XOS 14.

Useful features include:

• An Active Halo light on the back that glows for notifications and music and can be customised.
• A call dialer with call recording, and an IR blaster for controlling home appliances.

It lacks several AI tools found on the newer Note 50, such as AI writing, AI summaries and Circle to Search, unless they arrive through an update. Infinix's official update commitment for this model could not be confirmed, so check the latest available software version before buying.