Infinix Smart 8 Pro

At Rs. 27,999, the Infinix Smart 8 Pro is a reasonable buy for simple daily use, but no longer the best value in its range.

• Strengths: an attractive, light design, a smooth 90Hz screen, a 50 MP main camera, a 5000 mAh battery that lasts a day, a dedicated microSD slot, dual SIM and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
• Weaknesses: the basic Helio G36 chip, the Android 13 Go edition, slow 10W charging, low screen brightness outdoors and a single, average speaker.

The newer Infinix Smart 9 costs less at Rs. 26,999 and brings a faster chip, a 120Hz screen and stereo speakers, though with a 13 MP camera.

Verdict: fine for calls, social media and photos, but most buyers will get more from the Smart 9.

The Smart 8 Pro 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 punch-hole.

• Smoothness: scrolling feels smooth, and touch response is very good.
• Media: videos and social media look good for the price.
• Brightness: brightness is on the low side, so using the phone in direct sunlight is a struggle.
• Sharpness: 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. Memory versions are 4GB/64GB, 8GB/128GB and 4GB/256GB, and a dedicated microSD slot adds more storage.

• Everyday use: calls, messaging, social media and video run fine.
• Gaming: small, casual games run well, but heavy games such as PUBG do not run properly and show some lag.
• Sound: a single speaker at the bottom gives average sound quality.

The G36 is a basic chip, so this phone suits light users rather than gamers or heavy multitaskers.

The rear setup combines a 50 MP main camera (f/1.9, autofocus) with an auxiliary lens and a ring-style LED flash. The selfie camera is 8 MP (f/2.0).

• Daylight: photos capture detail well, with accurate, natural-looking colours.
• Low light: results are decent for the price, both on the rear and front cameras.
• Overall: the camera is decent, neither bad nor outstanding.
• Video: the main camera records at up to 1080p 30fps.

The Smart 8 Pro has a 5000 mAh battery that comfortably lasts a full day of normal use.

• Charging: there is no fast charging. It charges at 10W, and the 10W charger comes in the box, so a full charge takes a long time.
• Reverse charging: it supports reverse wired charging to top up another device over a cable.
• Weight: at 189 g it stays light in the hand despite the large battery.

No reliable screen-on time or charge-time measurements were found, so treat "a full day" as typical use rather than a tested figure.

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

• What Go edition means: it is a lighter version of Android designed for modest hardware, not the full version found on pricier phones. It helps keep the G36 usable for everyday apps.
• Updates: no official update commitment for this model could be confirmed, so do not count on major Android upgrades.

Buyers who want full Android should look higher up the range.