Now that Infinix has launched the Zero 3, its time for a Zero series assessment

Infinix yesterday launched the anticipated Infinix zero 3 after quite some hype (#Hero3logy). This is yet another addition to the Zero line.  I must say that I’m yet to meet a Mediatek Android developer who doesn’t have his / her reservations about inbuilt batteries when it comes to Modding, so I’m not a big fan of the Zero line. Good thing Infinix read lengthy emails from people like me and gave us options like the Infinix Hot 2. Lets take a look at a side by side comparison with its line of predecessors.

The Verdict

Infinix Zero X506

I was kind of unimpressed with the Infinix Zero. The screen for one was only as thick as air; shattered at the slightest impact. There was also the drained battery boosting issue associated with inbuilt batteries but particularly rampant in the Zero X506. There were the eMMC errors. I almost forgot the overheating issue.  I could go on and on. Performance-wise, the Zero did above average although it was over-priced in my opinion.

Infinix Zero 2 X509

This was actually a little better than the Infinix Zero in my opinion. Infinix went a little slimmer in the Zero 2 X509 (1.4 mm difference). They threw in more internal storage from 8/16GB to 16/32GB but that didn’t even move me. If you’re the type who saves a lot of heavy files then the size of the internal storage (ROM) isn’t enough to make you pay more when you could just grab an external SD card; they’re getting cheaper by the day.  For those who install a lot of apps, you’ll find that most of this touted internal storage is not available to you by default and you would have to root the phone then use the EBR tweak to get more space to install apps. My favorite additions in this model were the RAM boost to 2GB, the processor clocking 2.0GHz from 1.4GHz in the Zero and a slight increase in battery capacity to 2300 mAh (we Nigerians are battery capacity conscious).
Every other thing in the Zero 2 was pretty much the same as in the Zero. The X509 performed quite well (aside a little lagging here and there) and was a better deal than the X506.

• Note: There’s also the LTE version, see the specs at http://infinixmobility.com/smartphone/zero-2-lte/

Infinix Zero 3 X552

All we have for this model (as at the time of this writing) are paper specs and in this line of business, paper specs belong on paper, field specs are what we are after. The 20.7 Megapixel dual LED flash with HDR gesture shot, Slow Motion, Voice and Touch Gesture camera is one of the selling points. Running on the Mediatek Helio X10 chipset, I expect a beast under that hood. Sony’s Four-lane MIPI data transfer technology with a 400PPI 1080P resolution is quite an impressive addition for display I must say. It ships with Android 5.1 Lollipop and will be upgradeable to Marshmallow come 2016 (I believe them). If going by previous models is a true standard then i’m not too impressed with a 3030 mAh battery on this device but of course, optimization determines a good battery life, not the capacity. It supports the fast charging technology and that is another thumbs up.  They went a little wider on the screen with a 5.5″ display and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. I sure do hope this glass is better than those in the Zero and Zero 2. As for the price (I know you’re eager to hear this), its yet to be officially announced. It wasn’t even revealed at the launch yesterday. That would of course determine if this phone is a good deal…..or not. I -personally- wouldn’t pay more than ₦40,000 for this device.  I’ll keep you posted on the field performance of the Infinix Zero 3 X552.

* Update: The official price is ₦46,000

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