Contents
We unboxed the Hot 2 a couple of weeks ago and you can find the images and video on this page. Infinix Hot 2 is an upgrade to the first Infinix Hot we reviewed last year but, it’s not just an upgrade, it’s a complete deviation from the Infinix Hot we know in terms of design and software.
The biggest thing about this device is the software it runs. We explained all about Android One on this post and why it’s a big deal.
Quick Specs
Before diving into the full review, you may want to check the full specifications. It’s right here in our gadgets specifications section. Here’s an overview:
- ROM: 16GB
- RAM: 2GB/1GB (optional)
- Display: 5″
- Resolution: 720×1280
- Micro SD: up to 64GB
- OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop
- Camera: 8MP primary, 2MP secondary
- Battery: 2200mAh
- Processor: Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU (MediaTek MT6580)
Likes & Dislikes
Infinix Hot 2 is a pretty nice phone, but like every device, it has its pros & cons.
Pros
- It runs the latest Android OS version and will get Marshmallow update
- It will also get subsequent updates for the next 2 years
- The UI is stock Android (but it’s actually for those who like it)
- It’s affordable considering the specs
Cons
- Those who don’t really like stock Android may find the UI rather boring
- Battery management is good, but battery life still average
Design & Physical Appearance
Infinix Hot 2 looks a lot like Infinix Zero and I’m assuming this is delibrately done. It’s not exactly the same but the there are similarities. The front is plain, there’s no soft keys and no branding. The bezel at the bottom might suggest the presence of soft keys though the phone has on-screen keyboard.
At the top of the screen on the far left, you have the 2MP front camera and just beside it is the ambient light sensor barely visible. In between these is the LED notification light. The centered earpiece sits at the uppermost part, almost touching the shell.
There’s absolutely no button on the left side, but on the right side are the volume controls and power button.
Infinix did the right thing placing the speaker at the bottom instead of at the back of the phone as seen on Infinix Zero 2.
At the top are the microUSB port and earphone jack. At the back, shifted to the left is the 8MP camera with the LED flash just below it. There’s an Infinix branding and another Android One branding further down.
The back cover looks glossy and at first look, you might assume it’s glass. It’s not, it appears to be plastic. The back cover is removable, so is the battery.
Software, UI & Performance
You’ve probably heard it over and over again that this is an Android One phone and runs stock Android.
There’s no customization at all and if you’ve already fallen in love with the XUI now on Infinix Hot Note, you may find the user interface lacking in action (as someone put it). You may decide to install a 3rd party launcher but when you think about it, what’s the point in having an Android One phone with stock Android only to start customizing the OS?
But if you’re familiar with the Android One project, you should understand that is how exactly it should be.
However, it’s responsive, fast and performs exceptionally well. Games play just fine and I didn’t notice any lag when using the device. Multitaking works great, the 2GB RAM makes a lot of difference. Here are the results of benchmarking tests on Antutu, GeekBench 3 and Quadrant.
The phone scores 20,663 on Antutu trailing just behind Tecno Camon C8 we recently reviewed.
Some apps are missing, replaced with equivalent Google Apps, You don’t have the regular Gallery app, you have to make do with Photos, a Google app. There’s no Music app too, but you have Play Music, another Google app. You don’t have a file manager as well and I had to install ES File Explorer.
I don’t really think this is an issue though, there are loads of apps at the Play Store that should work just fine if you’re not satisfied with the default Google Apps.
Connectivity
It’s a dual SIM phone and the call quality was okay during use. Whether you select SIM 1 or SIM 2 as default for data, you can set either to 3G. Unfortunately, given the crappy nature of the network coverage in some parts of this country, having a 3G only mode is more than needed but this device doesn’t offer it. We have a working trick to do that on any Android device in this article anyway and the great thing is that you don’t need to installany 3rd party software to do it.
As part of the promotion of Android One, with just 500 Naira, you can purchase 1GB of data with MTN. Sounds great, right?
As expected, you can connect to the internet through WiFi and use your phone as a wireless hotspot. You also have bluetooth for file transfer.
Storage
The phone comes with a 16GB storage out of which you have almost 12G usable. It’s definitely not enough for people like me but there’s the option of using an external memory. It supports up to 64GB SD card.
Battery Life
As suggested by Udegbunam Chukwudi of PatchWorkofTips, we ran a test with 53% battery and set the phone to airplane mode and started playing movies with MX Player. During this time, the brightness was around 50% and volume stayed around 75%. After 4 hours, the battery dropped to 7%. If we’re to judge by this, you should get about 8 hours of movie with 3G turned off.
The battery is only 2200mAh but the phone has good battery management and you should be able to use it for a day. Battery management is great but battery life is still average. It should get you through the day though if well managed. It attains full charge in about two hours thirty minutes.
When Infinix decided to slam a 4,000mAh battery on the Hot Note, they were setting a standard not only for their future devices, but also for other OEMs. Most users now use the battery on the Hot Note to benchmark other devices and it’s the same reason a lot of users tend to underestimate any device with less than 3000mAh.
Camera
Infinix Hot 2 comes with a 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. It’s not being advertised as a camera phone and the 8MP isn’t one of its major powers but still, it took some nice shots.
You can browse though the gallery below.
Verdict
One of the perks of having an Android One or Nexus phone is getting the latest OS update before anyone else gets it and your operating system is managed by Google, optimized to run just the way it should. You get this with Infinix Hot 2 and even more importantly, at a relatively good price.
Does it offer value for money? Yes, it certainly does. The phone’s performance is quite great but as with every device, there’s always one or two gripes. I personally would’ve preferred a bigger battery but then, that probably won’t make it fall under the sub-20,000 naira phones category.
If you have a strong love for pure Android in it’s undiluted form and wish to get the latest Android version before your friends do with a 2GB RAM budget phone that responds well, Infinix Hot 2 is the only phone in the Nigerian market that offers that right now.