New Horizons in Mobile Tech: Exploring the Features and Performance of the Infinix Note 10 Pro

Infinix has officially entered the higher-end market with its latest smartphone, the Note 10 Pro. This device features an impressive 6.95-inch display, ranking among the largest screens I’ve encountered on a smartphone. The generous dimensions also house a robust 5,000mAh battery and a proficient processor. Did Infinix successfully compile the essential elements for the Note 10 Pro? I decided to put this smartphone through its paces to find out.

Infinix Note 10 Pro pricing in India

The Infinix Note 10 Pro (distinct from the Redmi Note 10 Pro) carries a price tag of Rs. 16,999 for the sole model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It comes in three color options with somewhat unique names: 7-degree Purple, 93-degree Black, and Nordic Secret.

Design of the Infinix Note 10 Pro

The Infinix Note 10 Pro is visually appealing and has received an IF Design Award for the year 2021. As previously mentioned, the Note 10 Pro is a sizable smartphone with its expansive 6.95-inch display. Fortunately, it’s not as large as a tablet; it features a 20.5:9 aspect ratio, giving it a tall and slender profile. You can grasp it with one hand, though stretching your thumb to the top of the screen will be quite challenging. Infinix has minimized the bezel width on either side, but the chin at the bottom is notably thick. A sizable camera cutout is positioned at the top-center of the display, which some users may find distracting due to its prominence.

The earpiece is relatively slender, situated between the screen and the frame of the Infinix Note 10 Pro. Notably, there’s a front-facing flash discreetly located next to the earpiece. The device features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a common component in smartphones priced around Rs. 15,000. Personally, I found the placement of the fingerprint scanner and the volume buttons to be a bit high.

The Infinix Note 10 Pro in the Nordic Secret color

 

The frame of this phone is constructed from plastic, curved at the edges and flat at both the top and bottom. The left side is home to the SIM tray, while the 3.5mm headphone jack, loudspeaker, and USB Type-C port can be found at the bottom. The top edge is unadorned. The back features a quad-camera setup located in the top left corner. This camera module exhibits a two-step design reminiscent of Vivo’s latest offerings. I evaluated the Nordic Secret variant for this review, which showcases an iridescent finish. Infinix has given the Note 10 Pro a frosted appearance that also helps resist smudges.

The Note 10 Pro is equipped with a substantial 5,000mAh battery, which is a commendable capacity. While there are smartphones that integrate larger batteries in more compact forms, I have no complaints. Inside the box, you’ll find a 33W charger.

Specifications and software of the Infinix Note 10 Pro

Upon examining the specifications, I immediately recognized the MediaTek Helio G95 SoC. This processor is powering a multitude of recent smartphones in the Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 range, including models like Poco X3 (Review), Realme 8 (Review), and Redmi Note 10S (Review). This processor is often highlighted for gaming performance. Infinix has included 8GB of RAM alongside 256GB of storage, a generous offering at this price point. However, I believe that offering a 6GB RAM variant like in international markets could have helped reduce the starting price, making the Infinix Note 10 Pro more enticing within the sub-Rs. 15,000 category to attract more consumers from the competition.

The device boasts a 6.95-inch full-HD+ LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Infinix has also included a stereo speaker system featuring DTS. Typically, budget smartphones forego stereo speakers, but this effectively utilizes the large screen for entertainment purposes.

The Infinix Note 10 Pro featuring 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage

 

The Infinix Note 10 Pro accommodates two Nano-SIM cards and offers a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion. While the 256GB of built-in storage is ample, additional capacity can be added if required. The device supports dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5, as well as dual 4G with VoLTE and VoWiFi capabilities.

As for the software, it operates on XOS 7.6 layered over Android 11. The smartphone was equipped with the March Android security patch, which feels slightly outdated now. The device comes preloaded with several applications, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and a few proprietary Infinix apps. Palm Store serves as an alternative to the Google Play Store, while AHA Games provides a collection of games available for download. I noted receiving promotional notifications from these and other apps periodically. I recommend disabling or uninstalling any applications you won’t utilize to minimize unwanted notifications.

XOS 7.6 comes packed with some interesting features such as Video Assistant. This allows you to swipe in from the side while viewing a video in apps like YouTube to access various options. One standout feature, dubbed “Play in background,” lets you continue playing audio from YouTube videos even with the screen off. Additional features available through Video Assistant include the ability to block incoming calls and notifications and to take screenshots and screen recordings. Another XOS feature, Thunder Back, can be activated by double-tapping the power button. This quickly puts the current app into picture-in-picture mode in a corner while allowing another app to run in the background.

Performance of the Infinix Note 10 Pro

The Infinix Note 10 Pro delivers strong performance and showed no signs of lag during the review period. Apps opened swiftly, and I didn’t have to wait long. Multitasking was seamless, enabling easy transitions between various applications. The fingerprint scanner functioned promptly, consistently unlocking the device in a single attempt.

The display of the Note 10 Pro offers impressive viewing angles, complemented by stereo sound from the speakers. However, the audio balance isn’t quite right, with the bottom-firing speaker being louder than the earpiece. While the Note 10 Pro can get loud, the sound quality can become tinny at elevated volumes.

The side-mounted fingerprint scanner quickly unlocks the device

 

In our benchmark testing, the Note 10 Pro obtained a score of 359,128 in AnTuTu, as well as 510 and 1,672 in Geekbench 5’s single-core and multi-core tests respectively. For graphics performance, it achieved 17fps and 28fps in GFXBench’s Car Chase and Manhattan 3.1 graphics tests. These benchmarks surpass those of the Poco X3 and Realme 8, which utilize the same processor.

I played Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) on the Infinix Note 10 Pro, which defaulted to HD graphics and high frame rate settings. The gameplay was smooth at these parameters, with no noticeable lag or stuttering. After a 24-minute round, I observed an 8 percent decrease in the battery level, and the phone felt slightly warm to the touch.

In our HD video loop test, the Note 10 Pro lasted 15 hours and 35 minutes while operating at a 90Hz refresh rate. Although this figure is respectable, it falls slightly short of competitors that achieve a couple of hours more in similar tests. The device comes with a 33W charger that brings the battery to 47 percent in 30 minutes and 83 percent in an hour. A full charge takes about 90 minutes.

Camera capabilities of the Infinix Note 10 Pro

The Note 10 Pro features a quad-camera configuration on the rear, including a 64-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera that can also capture macro shots, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and an additional 2-megapixel black-and-white camera. For selfies, it includes a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. The camera application is user-friendly and straightforward, offering quick AI scene detection based on the subject in view.

Daytime photos captured with the Infinix Note 10 Pro exhibited good detail and satisfactory dynamic range. Distant objects remained recognizable, and text was clearly legible. Ultra-wide-angle shots were decent but lacked the sharpness and detail of those taken using the primary sensor.

Infinix Note 10 Pro daylight camera sample (tap to view full size)

Infinix Note 10 Pro ultra-wide-angle camera sample (tap to view full size)

 

Close-up images showed a natural depth effect in the background, with the subject remaining sharp. Portrait shots provided good edge detection; however, adjusting the blur level before capturing was not an option. The Note 10 Pro employs its ultra-wide camera for macro shots, yielding sharp results with commendable detail, surpassing what you might expect from phones equipped with dedicated macro sensors.

Infinix Note 10 Pro close-up camera sample (tap to view full size)

Infinix Note 10 Pro portrait camera sample (tap to view full size)

Infinix Note 10 Pro macro camera sample (tap to view full size)

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Low-light photography results were average at best, as the device struggled to capture details in darker scenes. The Super Night mode produced significantly brighter images with improved shadow details, although the downside is the 5-6 seconds required to capture a photo in this mode.

Infinix Note 10 Pro low-light camera sample (tap to view full size)

Infinix Note 10 Pro Night mode camera sample (tap to view full size)

 

Self-portraits captured using the 16-megapixel front camera in daylight were satisfactory. The device could also take portrait selfies with a blurred background. However, low-light selfies fell short, as the Note 10 Pro tended to overexpose darker areas, increasing contrast. The front-facing flash proves beneficial for capturing images in poor light conditions.

Infinix Note 10 Pro selfie portrait camera sample (tap to view full size)

 

Video capabilities reach 4K at 30fps for both the rear and front cameras. Regular video recordings lack stabilization at 4K and 1080p, resulting in shaky footage during movement. In lower light conditions, video quality improves slightly but still suffers from a lack of stabilization. The Note 10 Pro also features an Ultra Steady mode for video stabilization, although this limits the resolution to 1080p at 30fps.

Conclusion

After spending a week with the Infinix Note 10 Pro, I’ve concluded that while the device’s size may not be to everyone’s taste, it excels in media consumption. The stereo speakers deliver satisfactory audio output, albeit slightly tinny. I experienced no performance issues, as the smartphone ran smoothly, thanks to its powerful SoC and 8GB of RAM.

It would be advantageous for Infinix to offer a more affordable variant of the Note 10 Pro to widen its appeal in the market. The camera performance is average, and the lack of stabilization for video recording might deter potential buyers. Competitors like the Poco X3 (Review) present viable alternatives to the Infinix Note 10 Pro, and if you’re looking for a future-ready option with 5G functionality, the Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G (Review) is worth consideration.