Infinix Note 40X 5G
RM849.00
Pros
- 120Hz display
- Good battery life
- Have AI features
- Good enough for gaming
- Affordable
Cons
- Camera can be better
- Charging speed can be better too
The Infinix Note 40X is one of the latest additions to the fiercely competitive budget smartphone market in Malaysia. Earlier this year, Transsion, the company behind Infinix, launched several other devices in the Note series, each equipped with impressive features like MagKit wireless charging. With the Infinix Note 40X, the brand is emphasizing the 256GB of built-in storage as one of its standout offerings. This is a significant feature for users who need ample space for apps, media, and files without the need for constant offloading.
I had the opportunity to review the Infinix Note 40X 5G for about 2 weeks, and in my personal experience while using the phone, I find that it is a reliable device for those who are seeking for a cheap, yet powerful device that can handle daily tasks with ease. In my opinion, the Infinix Note 40X 5G is a capable device, even for gaming.
What are you waiting for? Let’s find out more about the new Infinix Note 40X 5G.
Design and Build Quality: Familiar Yet Stylish
If you’ve seen the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the design of the Infinix Note 40X will feel very familiar. The rear panel of the phone features a triple-camera island with a slightly raised profile, arranged almost identically to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, complete with a similarly positioned LED flash. This gives the phone a premium look, although the body is made of plastic, which is expected at this price point.
One notable aspect of the design is the matte finish on the back panel, which resists fingerprints and smudges, a godsend for people who hate cleaning their phones every five minutes. The color gradient on the back adds a nice aesthetic touch, changing hues as you view the phone from different angles. Available in Lime Green, Palm Blue, and Starlit Black, the colors pop, especially under bright lighting.
The flat edges of the phone, combined with its weight of 201 grams, give it a robust feel. While it’s not the lightest phone on the market, the weight doesn’t make it uncomfortable to hold. The USB Type-C port, 3.5mm audio jack, and speaker grille are located at the bottom, while the power button (which doubles as a fingerprint sensor) and volume rockers are conveniently placed on the right side. The inclusion of a transparent TPU cover and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable in the box is a nice touch, providing protection and convenience right out of the box.
Software Experience: Packed with Features
The Infinix Note 40X runs on Android 14 with XOS 14 on top, and while the software is feature-rich, there is some pre-installed bloatware. Thankfully, apps like WPS Office, Aha Games, and Hola Browser can be uninstalled or disabled, and unlike other budget phones, you won’t be bombarded with spam notifications.
The software comes with several useful features that enhance day-to-day usability. These include floating windows for multitasking, a floating sidebar for quick access to apps, and App Cloner, which allows you to use two different accounts for apps like WhatsApp. For parents, there’s a Kids Mode, providing peace of mind by limiting what children can access on the phone.
What’s particularly interesting is the Dynamic Bar feature, which mimics Apple’s Dynamic Island. It appears when using the Recorder app, face unlock, charging the phone, or when you’re on a call. The pill-shaped area expands to provide shortcuts or additional information, making it both functional and fun to use.
There are also a couple of AI-powered features like Smart Touch (which extracts text from apps and images) and an AI Wallpaper Generator. While these are nifty additions, you’ll want to manage Smart Touch carefully, especially when dealing with sensitive apps like banking or health-related applications.
Overall, the software is smooth and responsive, though the phone sometimes pushes recently opened apps out of memory, requiring them to reload when switching back. Infinix has yet to commit to Android version updates, which is a significant downside, as many competitors in this price segment offer at least one or two major Android updates. The phone, however, is guaranteed to receive two years of security updates.
Performance: Handles Everyday Tasks Quite Well
The Infinix Note 40X comes equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset, which is essentially a rebranded version of the Dimensity 6080. This processor, built on a 6nm architecture, is designed to provide a balance between performance and power efficiency for budget smartphones. While it’s not the most cutting-edge chipset, it remains a reliable option for users who need solid day-to-day performance.
That said, it’s important to note that this chipset isn’t geared toward delivering high-end processing power like the chipsets in more premium devices. For those expecting lightning-fast speeds, the Dimensity 6300 won’t necessarily meet those expectations, but for most casual users, it will get the job done.
One of the major strengths of the Infinix Note 40X is its 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM, which significantly enhances multitasking capabilities. The large amount of RAM allows users to switch between multiple apps, such as social media, messaging, and productivity tools, with minimal lag.
As with many budget phones, background app management isn’t always perfect, and some apps may close automatically after a period of inactivity to conserve system resources. This is more of a software optimization limitation than a hardware one, but it’s something to keep in mind for users who like to keep many apps running at once.
When it comes to everyday performance, the Infinix Note 40X handles tasks like browsing the web, checking emails, scrolling through social media feeds, and streaming content without any noticeable hitches. Whether you’re posting on Instagram, editing videos with CapCut, or even using more demanding apps like KineMaster, the phone performs these tasks smoothly, making it ideal for regular users who aren’t pushing their devices to the limit.
However, the Infinix Note 40X begins to show its limitations when it comes to gaming. For casual gaming, the phone handles popular titles like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Asphalt 9 at medium graphics settings without any significant frame drops or heating issues. Gameplay remains smooth and enjoyable as long as you keep your settings moderate.
However, a more graphically intense game like Genshin Impact is a different story. At their lowest settings, these games can still suffer from occasional lag and stuttering, particularly during fast-paced action sequences or in areas with complex environments. This makes the Infinix Note 40X less suitable for hardcore gamers or users who prioritize high performance in gaming.
To gauge its performance more objectively, we ran a series of benchmark tests on the Infinix Note 40X, which provided a clearer picture of where it stands in relation to other devices in its category. On Antutu, the phone scored 405,917 points, which is respectable for a budget device. On 3DMark Wild Life, a graphics performance test, the phone scored 1377, further confirming that while it can handle light gaming, it may struggle with the most demanding mobile games.
In real-world usage, these scores translate into acceptable performance for most users. The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM, ensures that the phone can tackle everyday tasks efficiently, making it a solid option for students, professionals, and casual users. However, if you’re a power user who frequently engages in heavy multitasking, high-end gaming, or resource-intensive tasks like 4K video editing, you might want to consider a device with a more powerful processor.
For its price, the Infinix Note 40X delivers an adequate performance package that will satisfy most users looking for a budget-friendly smartphone with good multitasking capabilities and decent gaming performance. The phone may not outclass its competitors in every benchmark test, but it does offer enough power to handle most day-to-day tasks and light gaming without too much compromise.
Display: Good, But Could Be Better
The Infinix Note 40X features a 6.78-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display is bright enough for outdoor use when the automatic brightness setting is enabled, but an AMOLED panel would have been a game-changer in this price range to deliver better color accuracy and deeper contrasts, especially for media consumption.
That said, the IPS LCD panel on the Infinix Note 40X isn’t bad. It gets reasonably bright and offers decent color reproduction, making it suitable for watching videos on Netflix or YouTube Videos. The dual stereo speakers are a bonus, getting loud enough for casual viewing without significant distortion at higher volumes.
The 120Hz refresh rate keeps the phone feeling snappy, whether you’re scrolling through social media or navigating the UI. However, the thick bottom bezel can be a bit distracting, especially when consuming content in landscape mode.
Camera Performance: Solid for Daylight Shots, Decent in Low Light
For photography enthusiasts on a budget, the Infinix Note 40X offers a 108MP primary camera, along with a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor. The 8MP front camera is serviceable for selfies, just enough to make it to your usual social media posts.
In good lighting, the 108MP camera performs admirably, capturing crisp images with good dynamic range. There’s also a 3x zoom mode that uses in-sensor cropping to zoom in without losing too much detail. Daylight photos come out sharp, especially when photographing still objects. However, the performance starts to waver in low light, even with the Super Night Mode enabled. Images tend to have a bit more noise, and skin tones sometimes appear with a slight reddish hue.
The 2MP macro camera is useful for close-up shots but only works well in well-lit environments. As with most budget macro cameras, the results can be hit or miss, especially when shooting in less than ideal lighting conditions.
The front-facing 8MP camera delivers decent selfies in daylight, with the beautification features turned off by default for more natural results. There’s no dedicated night mode for selfies, but the Wide Selfie mode is a handy feature when you need to fit more people into the frame.
Both the primary and selfie cameras support 2K video recording at 30fps, though the lack of optical image stabilization (OIS) or electronic image stabilization (EIS) means that videos can appear shaky, especially at higher resolutions. Stick to 1080p at 60fps for the best results if you’re capturing handheld videos.
Photo samples:
Battery Life: Dependable for Everyday Use
Battery life is another area where the Infinix Note 40X shines. The 5,000mAh battery easily lasts over a day with moderate use, which includes heavy social media usage, browsing, streaming videos, and occasional gaming. I recorded around six and a half hours of screen-on time, with minimal overnight battery drain. In our video loop test, the phone lasted a respectable 22 hours and 10 minutes, which puts it on par with other budget smartphones.
Final Verdict: A Solid Choice
In the highly competitive world of budget smartphones, the Infinix Note 40X stands out as a compelling choice, particularly for users who prioritize ample storage, sleek design, and innovative software features. One of the key selling points of this device is its massive 256GB of internal storage, which ensures that you won’t run out of space for apps, media, or files anytime soon, which is a rare offering in this price segment.
For users who frequently find themselves juggling large files, such as videos, high-resolution images, or hefty mobile games, this storage capacity is a significant advantage. You no longer have to worry about constantly deleting apps or offloading data to cloud services.
Where the Infinix Note 40X excels is in its ability to cater to the needs of a diverse group of users. Its 108MP primary camera is well-suited for those who love photography, especially in well-lit environments, delivering detailed and crisp images that rival even some mid-range phones. The Super Night Mode also helps users capture better low-light photos, though it’s not the most advanced night shooter on the market. The macro lens and depth sensor round out a versatile camera setup, though these features are more useful for casual photographers than those seeking professional-level shots.
Overall, the Infinix Note 40X strikes a balance between performance, design, and affordability. It may not outshine every competitor in every category, but for users looking for a solid budget smartphone that covers all the basics and then some, it offers excellent value. The large storage capacity, stylish design, decent camera setup, and intuitive software features make it an attractive option for users who want style and functionality without breaking the bank.
If you’re someone who values reliable performance for daily tasks, enjoys snapping good-quality daylight photos, and appreciates a phone that offers more than just the basics, the Infinix Note 40X should be on your shortlist. It may not have the fastest processor or the most powerful camera system, but its mix of storage, features, and eye-catching design make it a worthwhile contender in the sub RM900 price range. Whether you’re upgrading from an older model or getting your first smartphone, the Infinix Note 40X offers a compelling package that won’t disappoint.
More info: note 40x 5g – Infinix (infinixmobility.com)
