Infinix Smart 8 Plus

At Rs. 26,999, the Infinix Smart 8 Plus is good value for buyers who want a big battery and an attractive design more than speed.

• Strengths: a 6000 mAh battery, 18W charging with the charger included, a 90Hz screen, a 50 MP main camera, a dedicated microSD slot, dual SIM and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
• Weaknesses: the basic Helio G36 chip, the lighter Android 13 Go edition, a 720p resolution, no dedicated night mode and no NFC.

The VGOTEL New 17 (Rs. 27,699) is the alternative for buyers who want a faster chip and newer Android and can accept a smaller battery.

Verdict: a sensible pick for long battery life and everyday use; gamers and heavy multitaskers should look for a stronger chipset.

The Smart 8 Plus has a 6.6-inch IPS LCD with 720 x 1612 resolution (about 267 ppi), a 90Hz refresh rate and up to 500 nits peak brightness. The selfie camera sits in a centred punch-hole.

• Real-world use: brightness is good, visibility indoors and outdoors is good, and colours look pleasing for videos and social media.
• Smoothness: the 90Hz rate makes scrolling feel smooth, and touch response is quick.
• Magic Ring: a light ring around the punch-hole glows for notifications and charging.
• Limitation: at 720p, text and fine detail look softer than on Full HD screens.

The phone uses the MediaTek Helio G36, an octa-core chip with four 2.2 GHz and four 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53 cores and PowerVR GE8320 graphics. It has 4GB RAM with 64GB or 128GB of storage, plus a dedicated microSD slot.

• Everyday use: calls, messaging, social media and video run well.
• Gaming: only light, casual games run smoothly. The G36 is a basic chip and is not suited to heavy games or demanding settings.
• Extended RAM: virtual RAM can take the total to 8GB, but this helps only a small number of users in practice.

Benchmark scores are normal for this price, and a stronger chip is the main thing this phone lacks.

The rear setup combines a 50 MP main camera (f/1.9, autofocus) with an auxiliary lens and a ring-shaped LED flash. The selfie camera is 8 MP.

• Daylight: photos look clean, with good detail and accurate colours, though a step below pricier mid-range phones.
• Exposure: opinions differ. Faces can stay properly exposed against bright lights behind them, but exposure is not always judged correctly.
• Night: there is no dedicated night mode. The AI camera mode improves night shots automatically.
• Modes: portrait, AR shots, time-lapse, beauty and wide selfie modes, plus filters.
• Video: the main camera records at up to 1080p 30fps.

The Smart 8 Plus has a 6000 mAh battery, one of the largest at this price, with 18W wired charging and a charger in the box. It also supports reverse wired charging, so it can top up another device over a cable.

• Weight: despite the large battery, the weight (204 g) is well balanced and the phone does not feel heavy.
• Battery life: no reliable screen-on or endurance test results were found, so exact battery life is not confirmed.
• Charging: 18W is modest for a battery this size, so a full charge takes a while.

The combination of a big battery, a 720p screen and a low-power chip is promising for long use between charges.

The phone runs Android 13 Go edition with Infinix's XOS 13 interface.

• What Go edition means: it is a lighter version of Android built for modest hardware rather than the full version. It keeps the phone usable on the G36, but the full version would feel more capable and more enjoyable to use.
• Features: the Magic Ring light reacts to notifications and charging, and the camera app includes AI Cam and several shooting modes.
• Updates: no official update commitment for this model could be confirmed, so do not count on major Android upgrades.