Infinix Note 50

The Infinix Note 50 is a design-and-features phone, not a performance phone. Its strengths are an aluminium frame that feels more expensive than it is, a bright 144Hz AMOLED screen, loud JBL-tuned stereo speakers, NFC with Google Wallet, and 30W wireless MagCharge that few phones in its class offer.

The weak points are the Helio G100 Ultimate chip, which is also found in much cheaper phones, 4G-only connectivity, slower UFS 2.2 storage and only one useful rear camera. Video recording is also behind Oppo, Vivo and Tecno rivals.

Verdict: worth buying for build quality, wireless charging and everyday reliability at a mid-range price. Buyers who need speed, 5G or better video should look at the newer Infinix Note 60, which brings a much faster 5G chip, a bigger battery, an ultrawide camera and a longer update promise, though it costs more.

Official specs: a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a 1080 x 2436 resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, 2160Hz PWM dimming and up to 1300 nits peak brightness.

Real-world use: the screen is bright, sharp and easy to read indoors and outdoors, with very thin bezels and a smaller chin than the Note 40. Widevine L1 is supported, so Netflix and Amazon Prime play in HD.

The 144Hz claim needs context: it shows in the settings menu and a few apps, but most apps run at 120Hz, and games cannot reach 144Hz because the chip is not powerful enough. Always-on display stays on for only about ten seconds after a tap. The screen also responds well with wet fingers.

Official specs: the MediaTek Helio G100 Ultimate (6 nm) with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage.

Real-world use: social media, video streaming and everyday apps run smoothly, and the chip is power efficient. It is a small step up from the Helio G99 in the Note 40, but heavy gamers and video editors will find it underpowered.

In a 30-minute stress test, the phone held full performance for the first couple of minutes and then mostly stayed around 80 to 90%, with a brief dip to about 40% near the end. The aluminium frame spreads heat well, so the chip keeps its speed, but the body gets warm under heavy load. Some apps showed small animation delays.

Official specs: a 50 MP main camera with OIS, a 2 MP macro camera and a 13 MP selfie camera. Video tops out at 1440p (2K) at 30fps on both cameras; there is no 4K recording.

Real-world use:

• Photos: detail, dynamic range and skin tones are good, and processing is clearly better than on the Note 40.
• Low light: generally good, but in very dark scenes with a bright background, faces can look unnaturally brightened.
• Portraits: a 2x portrait option is available, but rivals such as the Tecno Camon 40 Pro offer more focal lengths and better portraits.
• Selfies: sharp in good light, with less detail than the 32 MP selfie camera on the Note 40.
• Video: stabilised video works best at 1080p 30fps; 1080p 60fps footage is shaky. Video quality trails Oppo, Vivo and Tecno phones at this price.

The 2 MP macro camera adds little; an ultrawide would have been more useful.

Official specs: a 5200 mAh battery with 45W wired charging, 30W wireless MagCharge, 10W reverse wired charging, reverse wireless charging and bypass charging.

Real-world use: a full charge takes about 45 to 50 minutes with the included charger, quicker than Infinix's official figure of an hour. Screen-on time is about six to seven hours with medium to heavy use; reports differ, with light use reaching seven to eight hours and nonstop use closer to five or six. Infinix claims its power management chip keeps the battery healthy for six years.

The MagCharge magnets are in the included case, so magnetic accessories need the case fitted. Early boxes also included a 5000 mAh magnetic power bank as a launch offer.

The phone runs XOS 15 on Android 15, and Infinix promises up to 2 major Android upgrades.

The Infinix AI suite is a strong point for the price: AI writing and summaries, Circle to Search, an AI eraser and extender in the gallery, AI cut-out, a wallpaper generator, a call assistant and DeepSeek integration. Pressing the power key opens the Folax assistant.

Other useful features include auto call recording, NFC with Google Wallet, an IR blaster, 4G+ support and a rear notification light. There is no eSIM. Some duplicate apps, such as two separate translation tools, come pre-installed, but they can be removed.