Not a lot of updates but hey, it’s a good start.
Infinix has recently launched the Note 40 Pro series, which also includes the vanilla version, the 4G version, the 5G version, and the Pro Plus. Well, they launched it last March 18 but it’s not really that old considering it just ended its pre-order. What you’ll notice however, the phones feel like a rehash of the Zero Ultra with a familiar-looking design. Also, to add extra flavor, these phones have 20W wireless charging, or “MagCharging” as they would fancily call it. Not to be confused with Apple’s “Magsafe” technology, but they are very similar in concept.
What you’ll notice in this picture first is its premium design. The sides and and camera hump have a gold finish to it that feels rich. Not to mention, JBL-powered speakers! Yes, this is a budget midrange we’re talking about. That my fellow techies, is the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus, and as Transsion expands, they are not going to pull the stops!
Four phones in the same segment huh. Infinix is pulling the Xiaomi move with many many iterations of the same device that covers almost every smartphone user, apart from the classy flagship ones.
INFINIX NOTE 40 and NOTE 40 PRO 4G:
As you can see, all these four phones flaunt a similar, if not identical design. Just like how many brands would segment their laptops, the design definitely does not look any different but it’s what the inside that counts. The Infinix Note 40 and 40 Pro are not really that far off, except with the charging rate. The former has 45W and the latter has 70W. Both phones carry that 20W MagCharge we mentioned earlier.
These phones use a FullHD+ (2400x1080px) AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rates. Both these phones come with a familiar chipset, the MediaTek Helio G99. It’s not your ordinary Helio G99 however, it’s the ULTIMATE variant. What’s so “ultimate” about it, you ask? Well… it’s the name. Yeah, it’s another marketing gimmick. Now then, this display has 2160Hz PWM Dimming as well which is normally reserved for high-end midrangers. Still, they can’t top the Honor 90’s 3840Hz though. They default at 256GB UFS 2.2 storage. Choose between 8GB or 12GB RAM.
Both phones offer a 5000mAh battery as well as an in-display fingerprint scanner, 4G services (obviously), Bluetooth 5.2, and dual-band Wi-Fi. There are “two” cameras here, and that’s the loosest sense of the word, unless you count the 32MP selfie camera as the second camera. The back features a 108MP primary and a 2MP “”””””secondary“””””” camera.
Oh, before we forget, these things are brimming with colorful audio, thanks to it being JBL-tuned. Yes, there are stereo speakers here, how could you have guessed?
The Infinix Note 40 (8/256) starts at USD 199 (~PHP 11K) while the Note 40 Pro 4G (12/256) at USD 259 (~PHP 14.5K). Transsion will announce its availability here soon, and we’re pretty confident about that considering their successful market share in the Philippines.
INFINIX NOTE 40 PRO 5G/ PRO PLUS:
Vegan leather all the way! Sounds like the new trend for upcoming smartphones. Users have gotten more cautious as time passes by, preferring brands to have more flair into them that is worth their investment. Phones aren’t cheap from day one and so you want to get your money worth. You also want to feel the status of holding a flagship-like experience, at an affordable costs. Companies cut down costs by being subtle, removing features that are seen as gimmicky, or replacing them with features that are less likely to be noticed by your average user (definitely the enthusiasts will see them).
That is the case for many many budget phones being released. There’s always this sort of catch outside of its fresh design. Infinix might tell you everything great about it, from its wireless charging (capped at 20W), a rarity at this segment, to its curved AMOLED screen. What they don’t tell you is the types of materials they use here, and that’s pretty much company secret unless they explicitly tell you, like with how many brands flaunt “Samsung E4 AMOLED” at their flagship killers and higher-end midrangers. Infinix does not even tell you the sensor they use here, only the megapixel count. Because at the end of the day, that’s what really matters to your average user, in our opinion.
Anyway, enough of that, you’re not here to see us make an opinion no? You’re here for the specs. So, the other two phones in the segment, the Note 40 Pro 5G and the Pro Plus are the top-of-the-line of the series and when you look at it, Infinix is advertising these just like how Xiaomi would for their top-of-the-line Redmi Notes. It’s no coincidence these ones are also called “Notes” despite them not having a pen to write notes with.
Like the previous two, the Pro 5G and the Pro Plus aren’t all so different apart from the batteries and charging rates. Both phones are equipped with a curved AMOLED screen with FullHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and measuring 6.78 inches.
It also uses the same camera system, a single 108MP primary (with OIS) and a 32MP selfie. What, are we forgetting something? Oh right, the ring light flash at the back which should improve your portrait game. Anything else we forgot?
Next is the chipset. It’s the MediaTek Dimensity 7020, a slightly underclocked 7050, and yet still more powerful than the Dimensity 810, and is equivalent to the Dimensity 920 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G or 778G. Both phones come with 8 or 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. Of course, the gimmicky virtual RAM is here to stay.
Going back to the batteries, for the Note 40 Pro 5G, it carries a larger battery but slower charging rate, however, keeps the same 20W wireless charging as the latter two. In this phone, you will find a 5000mAh battery inside with 45W fast charging. The opposite is true for the Pro Plus wherein you get a 4600mAh battery but a faster 100W fast charging. According to Infinix, their self-developed battery management chip, the Cheetah X1, helps the Pro Plus charge from empty to full in just 8 minutes! That’s really REALLY fast! We were already impressed of how our OnePlus Nord 3 charges on the daily, imagine this. Now, you really have no reason to say your phone went dead as you attend work or school late. This Cheetah X1 chip is the sole reason that makes the new All-Around Charging 2.0 work in harmony.
The phones are unusual in that it has a vacuum chamber cooling system. As the name tells, it has a different way of cooling the internals. Instead of it being watercooled, it uses a powerful vacuum that sucks up the heat while gaming. Also, this all-around charging tech makes the user comfortable to game while charging as the phones will tap into the wire’s power instead of the battery, prolonging its lifespan.
Yes, the JBL-tuned speakers remain, so there are stereo speakers here. The headphone jack is thankfully present as well. Also, the brand is offering two years of major Android upgrades which is the standard. Not the most supportive but it’s a good start. It runs Android 14 with xOS 14 on top.
They aren’t available in the Philippines yet but soon they will, considering how well Transsion performs in the country. In the US, the Note 40 Pro 5G starts at USD 289 (~PHP 16K) and the Pro Plus at USD 309 (~PHP 17.1K).