DESIGN
DISPLAY
PERFORMANCE
CAMERA
PRICE and AVAILABILITY
The newest budget phone with the right specs for your needs ay nandito na! The Infinix Hot 12i has new features like 7GB expandable RAM, cinematic-level audio processing, and a super bright 6.6 inch clear display. ‘Eto na ba ang bagong affordable phone ng 2022?
DESIGN
At first look, hindi mo aakalain na budget phone ang Infinix Hot 12i – borderline mid-ranger ang dating with the modern look. We say modern because the Infinix Hot 12i’s rear panel texturing looks like an iPhone SE 2022. However, mas malapit sa looks ng iPhone SE 2022 ang big brother neto, the Infinix Hot 12.
It looks slimmer from the side because it gently tapers to a curve, while the Infinix Hot 12 has a flat frame. Regardless, the Infinix Hot 12i looks slim and generally close to the design aesthetic ng Infinix Hot 12.
What you’ll easily notice is how the phone is using a rear fingerprint scanner. Actually, 3 out 4 phones from the Infinix Hot 12 series are using rear fingerprint scanner. Medyo dated ang looks, but it’s still refreshing to see a few phones who still use old designs.
The only exception is the Hot 12 which uses a sidemounted fingerprint scanner. Wala naman pinagkaiba in terms of performance kung rear mounted or side-mounted ang scanner. Both are equally ergonomic so that’s not a big worry for the general smartphone consumer looking to save a few bucks for spending it elsewhere.
It’s still a bit thick too, measuring 8.75mm from the sides. However, this phone is also comfortable dahil hindi katangkaran, and it’s narrower. So that’s a big plus for people who want to carry a compact device.
There’s an illusion created by the thick bezels that the chin is actually larger than the other Hot 12 phones, but this doesn’t affect the performance at all, and it’s more or less the same chin size. The volume rocker buttons and the power buttons still jut out, compared to the Infinix Hot 11 which has an indent that houses them.
DISPLAY
The Infinix Hot 12i uses an HD+ screen that measures 6.6” wide. The website may have had a typo as it says it’s a 6.82” screen – this could have been a good phone for media consumption because of a larger screen, but the dimensions would appear disproportionate if this were true.
The bezels are still thick, but if you view it at the sides, it’s not as ugly. The front camera is housed by a water drop notch which is very common in its price range. At least hindi na malapad na rectangular notch just like what the iPhone SE 2022 has, kaya sulit ang purchase mo should you decide to buy Hot 12i.
The display is very bright thanks to the IPS screen. We might actually some screen bleeding so this isn’t a good display for viewing dark scenes in movies, but if you’re watching pop music videos on Youtube, or your favorite anime with lots of explosions, this phone we’ll do a good job of showing very accurate colors.
PERFORMANCE
The Infinix Hot 12i runs on an energy-efficient quad-core processor. While it’s true that most phones today have octa-core processors, phone speed and performance depend on software-to-hardware optimization rather than hardware alone.
The Helio A22 processor is the same chipset Xiaomi Redmi 6A runs on, and the price point for that phone is below PHP5,000, and it even has lower specs than the Infinix Hot 12i. The Helio A22 is definitely apt for this price range, and you’re getting additional internal storage.
Para naman sa mas magandang gaming experience, the Hot 12i has 3GB of virtual RAM, so don’t worry about this phone underperforming during games. Baka magustuhan nyo pa ang Infinix Hot 12i because of the good price to spec ratio. Kung kulang ang 64GB for all the newest apps and for your secret movie collection, the phone supports up to 512GB external storage.
The GPU of choice for the Infinix Hot 12i is the PowerVR GE8300. The manufacturers for PowerVR GPU had a partnership with Apple before, so this GPU can still do some heavy graphics processing but nowhere near the level of newer, more expensive phones in 2022.
Maraming phones today ang meron lang battery power na 4500 or even 4000, sometimes going as low as 3500 to favor a light and sleek design, but the Infinix Hot 12i comes equipped with a long-lasting 5000mAh battery.
With the combination of an 18W fast charger, you’re guaranteed with a phone that can last long enough to handle all your mobile gaming and everyday social media needs.
CAMERA
We’ve seen phones with tag prices a little higher than the Infinix Hot 12i but one key takeaway is that there’s no significant difference when it comes to photo quality (strictly in the budget level segment).
What’s good is that the Infinix Hot 12i still has a triple camera setup. One 13MP shooter, 2 QVGA cameras, and dual LED flash which will come in handy in low-lit scenarios. The front camera is equipped with an 8MP sensor for selfies.
The company website indicates the rear camera can capture videos in 1080p at 30fps, which sounds too good to be true, but at least it’s a redeeming spec kung totoo nga.
PRICE and AVAILABILITY
The phone is currently priced at PHP5,490 for the 4GB | 64GB version.
For other Infinix phone reviews and specs, click here. View the spec sheet for the Infinix Hot 12i.
For the best phones and best phone reviews, subscribe to our Youtube channel and like our Facebook page for more updates.
