Infinix Smart 8 Review: Is this the best smartphone in under 7000 Budget?

Infinix launched the 2^sd smartphone from its Smart 8 series as the brand announced its first device for 2024 Infinix Smart 8 in the Indian market. Infinix Smart 8 is different from the Infinix Smart 8 HD released in December 2023 and priced at Rs. 9,999. 6299. The new Smart 8 costs a little more, but it is worth it as there are upgrades in the form of chipset, camera and storage. The new Infinix Smart 8 features a 90Hz refresh rate, 5,000mAh battery, 8GB RAM, and many other similar specifications. With such a low cost, the paper specifications of the Infinix Smart 8 seem to have attractive specifications, but is this 4G device under Rs. 9,999. 7000 best in the segment? Let's try to find all the answers throughout the review.

Infinix Smart 8 Review: Design and construction

The design of the Infinix Smart 8 is similar to the Smart 8 HD. Considering the price, the design of the smartphone seems quite premium. The back panel has a texture which looks nice and Infinix called it the stamp texture. The device has a beautiful appearance that is suitable for people of all ages. We received it in a Rainbow Blue shade and when the light fell on the back panel, a rainbow-like pattern was reflected. The rear panel features a square camera module that includes 2 camera sensors and an LED light ring. At the front is a 6.6-inch display and thin bezels around it, with the chin being slightly thicker.

There is a punch-hole selfie sensor on the front. The Magic Ring feature reminds you of the Dynamic Island feature seen on iPhone. You can view your call duration, charging status, fully charged notification and much more in this Magic Ring.

The sides between the screen and the back panel are flat. The right side houses a power button and volume rockers, while the left edge features a SIM tray slot. The bottom edge includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, microphone, USB Type-C port, and speaker grille. The upper edge remained inactive.

Infinix Smart 8 has a plastic body and going by the price, the build quality is decent. The screen comes with NEG glass protection. When held in the hand, the device is light (189 grams) and can therefore be used for long periods of time. Although it is thick, but considering the price range, you cannot expect more from its design.

Infinix Smart 8 Goodbye: Display

Infinix Smart 8 features a 6.6-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. The display supports 500 nits brightness, which works well at indoors but outdoors under sunlight, working on this screen becomes a task. The colors are ok but there is no sharpness in the visuals. Dynamic range is also about average.

Using the color profile in the default mode of Infinix Smart 8 is not comfortable at all. To make it safer for your eyes, you need to go to the display settings to enable eye care mode and adjust the intensity. Then you can stream content securely.

The screen also has an Apple-like dynamic island that Infinix has called Magic Ring. The Magic Ring will display charging status, call duration, face unlock, and other notifications. The theme of the phone can be set as you wish by going to the MY DIY options. To do this, you need to go to Settings > Personalization > Online Wallpapers > Theme > DIY, where you can change the theme and save it under My DIY.

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Infinix Smart 8 Goodbye: Performance

Infinix Smart 8 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G36 chipset which is an octa-core processor based on a 12nm manufacturing process. There is also an IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU. Infinix has launched the device in a single storage configuration, so it comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. With 4 GB of virtual RAM, you can expand the RAM to 8 GB because it takes 4 GB of storage space to convert it to RAM.

Speaking of performance, regular tasks like calls, messaging, light video streaming, etc. perform well. are fluid. However, when you try to multitask, you might sometimes experience lag. Other than that, if you like playing games, this device is not for you. Light games like Candy Crush, Project Makeover, etc. work well but don't expect more than that.

Benchmark test results are given below.

Infinix Smart 8 runs XOS 13 based on Android 13 Go Edition. The device interface is easy to use. The best part is that even though phones in this segment are filled with bloatware, this Rs 7,000 phone has very limited pre-installed apps.

Infinix Smart 8 Goodbye: Cameras

Infinix Smart 8 features a dual camera setup at the back, comprising a 50 MP primary camera and a secondary AI camera. For selfies and video calls, there is an 8MP punch-hole sensor on the front.

With the main sensor you can take decent photos in daylight. The photos taken have natural colors and average details. Although the details are not clear cut compared to the price, there is no room for complaints. In low light conditions the camera struggles and as a result the shots are noisy. In indoor environments with good light, the sensor works well.

The results from its selfie camera aren't so good. Although the sensor does not change much on the skin tone, the details do very little. In the photo below we see how, in addition to the background, the hair has also been blurred. Even in low light, selfies aren't very good.

Overall, the main camera performance is good, but the selfie sensor is average. While you can't expect more than that at such a low price, the selfie sensor could have been improved.

Infinix Smart 8 review: Battery life and charging

Infinix Smart 8 packs a 5,000mAh battery that easily lasts more than a day. Even if you are a heavy user, the battery will last a day. With a screen time of 5 hours, the device offers good battery backup. But if you are using a fast charging device, you will find it difficult to use this one. This is because it comes with 10W charging support, which means plenty of time to charge the smartphone.

Infinix has also bundled a charger with the device. This adapter takes almost 2.5 hours to charge the battery from 0 to 100%.

Review Verdict: Should You Buy Infinix Smart 8?

If you are looking for a stylish smartphone with a budget of 7k, the Infinix Smart 8 can be one of your options. The device also has an HD+ display, 5,000 mAh battery, and 50 MP camera-like key features. Compared to the other model in this series, Infinix Smart 8 HD (launched in December 2023), this one has an improved chipset although there is still a lag in performance. The HD model has 3GB of RAM and a 13MP main camera, while this one has 4GB of RAM and a 50MP main camera. While this may not be considered the best deal, if you get more storage and a better chipset by giving an extra INR 1,200, it's not a bad deal.