Pros | Cons |
+ AMOLED Display | - Easily leaves fingerprint around the camera |
+ 33W Fast Charge | - Fingerprint sensor placed a little bit low |
+ Large storage and RAM | - Glossy back that can get scratches easily |
+ Ultra Steady mode and Super Night mode camera features | |
Infinix Note 12 2023
Price: RM799
If you are looking for a smartphone that is aesthetically pleasing yet fulfils your gaming needs. Infinix Note 12 2023 would be a perfect choice for youths nowadays.
Design
The Infinix Note 12 2023 comes with a glittery look at the back of the device with a matte texture on the back of the phone while the upper part of the phone where the camera is located is coated with glossy texture, forming a rectangular area around the camera. Not to mention, the light reflected on the glossy area creates a halo effect around the camera, taking the appearance of the device up a notch.
Also, the Infinix Note 12 2023 features a round camera module that is located at the right side of the smartphone, considering it as a middle size round camera module compared to some of the trendy flagship devices in the market.
The 7.8mm ultra sleek design on the Infinix Note 12 2023 makes the device a lot slimmer and it wouldn't feel bulky to be held in your hands. The device is covered with a plastic frame with the fingerprint sensor mounted at the right side of the phone along with the volume control.
Display & Audio
The Infinix Note 12 2023 offers a 6.7-inches FHD+ AMOLED Display with 1080x2400 resolution along a teardrop notch. Living up with the branding “Note”, the screen of the device is too big to be used with one hand while travelling by public transport where your other hand is gripping the handrails or handle grip.
Other than that, the visual displayed on the screen is brightly coloured thanks to the smartphone’s 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut.
The audio experience with the Infinix Note 12 2023 excellent thanks to the dual speakers on the top and the bottom of the phone, balances the audio output for a more entertaining experience.
Camera
The Infinix Note 12 2023 comes made up of a Triple 50MP Ultra Night camera, 50 (wide), PDAF 2 MP, (depth) QVGA and a 16MP front camera with a handful of camera features that assists you in taking perfect compositions and a 16MP front camera. One of the camera features is the Auto HDR feature that ensures the highlight of colour being captured within the pictures appears vibrant.
Another camera feature would be the 50MP mode. Though this feature does not show much difference about the details in the pictures.
(Taken with HDR and 50MP mode)
For the pictures taken without the HDR feature on, the neon colours on the banner will be clearer compared to the picture on the left which is taken with HDR on.
(HDR On) (HDR Off)
In addition, the depth of field composition pictures taken on this phone is quite accurate and acceptable. The subject stands out and the object on the background is blurred/not focused.
(Portrait mode f.1) (Portrait mode f.11)
Another example of depth of field composition. While the aperture of the lens is low, the plants on the back will appear to be blurred to emphasize the main subject and vice versa. Though there will be flaws such as the side of the subject getting blurred too along with the background.
(Portrait mode f.1) (Portrait mode f.16)
Furthermore, the Infinix Note 12 2023 Super Night mode is pretty good for taking photos in low-light environments. As you can see the lights in the photos taken at night won’t be spreading out much, keeping most of the text visible. Below are some pictures taken with and without the Super Night camera feature.
(Super Night mode - On) (Super Night mode -Off)
(Another example of pictures taken with and without Super Night mode)
(All taken with Super Night mode)
For my experience of recording using the Infinix Note 12 2023, I would give it 7 out of 10. The Infinix Note 12 2023 offers various resolutions up to 2K 30fps, 1080p 60/30fps and also 720p 30fps. Unfortunately, I can only capture 1080p and 720p 30fps video while using the Ultra-steady mode which basically means that the recording will be shaking a lot while capturing 2K videos.
(With Ultra Steady mode)
(Without Ultra Steady mode)
The Ultra steady mode is one of the best features for the Infinix Note 12 2023. However, this feature does not support 2K resolution recording, which is a no-no for vloggers.
(Ultra steady mode is only available for 1080p 30fps recording)
Performance
In terms of the performance for Infinix Note 12 2023, the device performs decently with the MediaTek Helio G99 6nm chip flanked by the high number of RAM available in the phone which is 8+5GB extended RAM which provides a much more seamless multitasking experience. I can keep many applications running in the background without facing lag issues while navigating around the phone.
Of course, the more important part of the phone is that the Infinix Note 12 2023 offers 128GB of ROM which is very generous for a phone that cost only RM799 in the market compared to some of the competitors still offering 64GB ROM in 2022.
For the game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), it can run the game with the highest setting. The Infinix Note 12 2023 has a sustained FPS which is quite enjoyable while playing the game. It does not face any lagging issue during the entire game, even in teamfights.
On top of that, with around 2 hours of gaming session on the Infinix Note 12 2023, there is no overheating issue thanks to the 10-Layer Graphene Cooling System and it is comfortable to hold on as you can barely feel the heat.
Unfortunately, the Infinix Note 12 2023 couldn’t run well with my desired game Honkai Impact 3rd, A game that is almost 6 years old. With the settings recommended by default, the graphics look terrible and could not maintain 30 FPS in game. The good thing is, the device does not overheat during gaming sessions at acceptable levels without burning your finger.
Though, the game mode didn’t really help much by tuning up the performance while gaming. Instead, it only provides functions such as monitoring the CPU and GPU, clearing background apps for more RAM, screenshots and DND modes.
Moreover, a mid range device packed with 5000mAh battery capacity allows the Infinix Note 12 2023 to operate for a whole day. Even if you run out of battery, with the 33W Fast Charge could quickly juices up the device for another run. For instance, it took around 1 hour to charge the device from 40% to 100% using the 33W Fast Charge. Hence, 33W Fast Charge sounds kind of small, but it’s better than having no Fast Charge feature in this fast-paced lifestyle.
Buy or no buy?
In conclusion, as a mid-range smartphone is worthwhile, but as a smartphone that partners the game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, it is lacking some sort of element that represents the game. It would be nice if the Infinix Note 12 2023 comes with MLBB design in terms of user interface and special themed phone casing that can serve as collections as well. I believe that it would make the Infinix Note 12 2023 much more outstanding smartphone in the market.
The Ultra steady mode and Super Night camera features work like charm for a phone within this range. It allows you to take precise pictures even in dimmed areas.
However, one of the bad things about this phone is that while holding it horizontally when playing games and watching videos, it will leave messy fingerprints around the glossy part of the back which frustrates me to have to clean it everytime.
For your information, Infinix Malaysia will be giving away the Infinix Note 12 2023 on Instagram starting from 14th October 2022 until 21st October 2022 (1 week period). You will be required to solve the puzzle in the comment given by Infinix Malaysia to win a Infinix Note 12 2023 (128GB +8GB).
