Infinix Smart 8

At Rs. 21,499, the Infinix Smart 8 is a sensible pick for buyers whose budget is fixed at the entry level. Its strengths are:

• A premium-looking design and good hand feel for the price.
• A 90Hz display with Magic Ring notifications.
• A 5000 mAh battery, a headphone jack, a dedicated microSD slot and a protective case in the box.

The compromises are limited RAM, the modest Unisoc T606, slow 10W charging and a single speaker.

The Samsung Galaxy A07 (Rs. 35,599) is far faster and gets much longer software support. Verdict: if you can save for a pricier phone, it is worth waiting; if not, the Smart 8 is one of the better-looking phones in its range.

The Smart 8 has a 6.6-inch IPS LCD with 720 x 1612 resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate and 500 nits peak brightness. For this price it is one of the nicer displays: touch response is quick, scrolling feels smooth, and visibility is fine both indoors and outdoors.

The Magic Ring feature shows notifications and charging status around the punch-hole camera, similar to the Dynamic Island on iPhones.

The limits are the 720p resolution, which is less sharp than Full HD, and a noticeably thick bottom chin.

The Unisoc T606 (12 nm) uses two 1.6 GHz Cortex-A75 cores and six 1.6 GHz Cortex-A55 cores with a Mali-G57 MP1 GPU. The common Pakistani version pairs it with 3GB RAM (plus 3GB virtual RAM) and 64GB storage, expandable with a microSD card.

Daily tasks such as calls, messaging, browsing and social media run without smoothness problems. In games, Balanced and HD settings reach high frame rates, which is good for this price.

The main weakness is app compatibility and stability: some apps are less optimised for Unisoc chips, and 3GB RAM limits heavy multitasking.

The rear camera is a 13 MP, f/1.9 sensor with an auxiliary lens and a ring-LED flash; the ring around the lenses looks like a triple camera but is only the flash.

Opinions differ on photo quality:

• Some find photos sharp, with good colours, effective portrait blur and acceptable low-light shots.
• Others find image processing weak, with night mode giving only a small improvement.

The 8 MP selfie camera performs well for the price. Video recording is limited to 1080p at 30fps. Overall, it is a casual camera for social media rather than a reason to buy the phone.

The Smart 8 has a 5000 mAh battery with 10W wired charging and reverse wired charging. A 10W charger and a USB Type-C cable come in the box.

Battery life is good for everyday use, helped by the modest 720p screen and efficient basic usage.

The big drawback is charging speed: 10W is slow, so a full charge takes a long time. Plan to charge overnight rather than relying on quick top-ups.

The Smart 8 runs Android 13. The software is clean and works without odd glitches, with no strange missing or extra features.

The headline software feature is Magic Ring, which turns the area around the selfie camera into a small notification and charging display.

Infinix has not stated an official software update commitment for the Smart 8, so do not expect major Android upgrades. If long-term updates matter, the Samsung Galaxy A07, with up to six major Android upgrades, is the better choice.