The Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus, part of the Note 40 series, has garnered significant attention since its March 2024 debut. This mid-range offering boasts an array of impressive features at an affordable price point, making it an enticing option for budget-conscious consumers.
Available primarily in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, this device packs quite a punch for its price tag. Yeah, that’s a lot of territories to be sure, but it’s not everywhere. And that’s an important factor we’ll touch on in a bit.
Let’s dive into the phone a bit and see if it might be a good fit for your needs.
Design
One of the most striking elements of the design is the premium feel of the device, achieved through a combination of sleek lines, smooth contours, and high-quality materials. The use of vegan leather on the back not only adds a touch of luxury but also contributes to a comfortable grip, ensuring that the phone feels secure in the hand.
The choice of materials and finishes is well thought out, with the aluminum camera module adding a touch of refinement to the overall aesthetic. Available in a range of eye-catching colors such as Vintage Green, Obsidian Black, and Titan Gold, the Note 40 Pro Plus lets users express their personal style while making a bit of a statement.
Despite its slim profile, the device feels solidly and sturdy, with plenty of attention to detail. The inclusion of IP53 protection against dust and splashes adds to the device’s durability, providing peace of mind for users on the go.
The Active Halo Lighting (bottom right) is a welcome effect for notifications and more.
The Active Halo Lighting, a customizable light ring on the back, not only adds a unique visual element but also serves practical purposes such as notifications and alerts.
The display of the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus is surprisingly nice, offering an immersive viewing experience that exceeds expectations for a smartphone in its price range. At 6.78 inches, the screen provides ample real estate for enjoying multimedia content, gaming, and productivity tasks. That’s among the bigger displays on the market for those not familiar.
The display features AMOLED technology and that means vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast levels. This results in a visually stunning image quality that enhances everything from streaming videos to browsing photos. Additionally, the Full HD+ resolution ensures sharpness and clarity, making details pop with crispness and precision.
Brightness is another area where the Note 40 Pro Plus excels, with the screen capable of reaching peak levels of up to 1300 nits. Even in bright outdoor conditions the display remains easily readable.
The display’s responsiveness is also noteworthy, with smooth and fluid animations that enhance the overall user experience. Whether scrolling through web pages, navigating menus, or playing games, the touchscreen interface feels responsive and precise, offering a seamless interaction with the device.
Along those lines, the Note 40 Pro Plus features a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth motion and reduced motion blur during fast-paced activities such as gaming and scrolling. This high refresh rate contributes to a more fluid and immersive experience, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the device.
Hardware
Let’s talk about what’s inside the phone, shall we? At the heart of the device is the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 chip, a solid performer that delivers smooth and responsive performance across a wide range of tasks. Whether you’re multitasking between apps, streaming videos, or playing games, the Dimensity 7020 chip ensures snappy performance with minimal lag or slowdowns.
Paired with 12GB of RAM, the Note 40 Pro Plus offers ample memory for seamless multitasking and app switching. This generous amount of RAM allows you to run multiple apps simultaneously without experiencing any noticeable slowdowns, making it ideal for productivity tasks and demanding applications.
Storage-wise, the Note 40 Pro Plus comes equipped with 256GB of internal storage, providing plenty of space for your apps, games, photos, and media files. This storage capacity is both generous and expandable; add more storage via microSD card if space is ever needed.
The Note 40 Pro Plus excels in everyday use, delivering smooth and responsive operation across a variety of tasks. Whether you’re browsing the web, streaming videos, or playing games, the device handles everything with ease, thanks to its powerful hardware and optimized software.
Graphics-intensive tasks such as gaming are also handled admirably by the Note 40 Pro Plus, with the device delivering smooth and fluid gameplay even in demanding titles. The MediaTek Dimensity 7020 chip and Mali-G57 GPU work together to see that games run smoothly with high frame rates and minimal lag.
The Note 40 Pro Plus offers both 4G and 5G variants, meaning fast and reliable connectivity wherever you go. Whether streaming HD video, downloading large files, or video calling, the phone delivers speedy and reliable performance.
Software
Enough about the hardware, for a moment. Let’s switch gears and talk about the software experience. The Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus has a user-friendly interface with intuitive features, and a range of customization options. It’s easy to make the phone feel uniquely yours.
The device runs on the latest version of Android, complemented by Infinix’s XOS 14 skin. This combo provides a clean and familiar user experience, with access to all the latest features and capabilities in Android.
One of the cooler features of the software experience is the inclusion of generative AI features, which add a layer of intelligence and personalization to the device. For instance, the AI wallpaper generator allows users to create custom wallpapers using simple text prompts, resulting in unique and personalized backgrounds tailored to individual preferences.
Additionally, the handset features a built-in voice assistant powered by ChatGPT, with intelligent responses to queries and commands. Whether it’s asking for information, setting reminders, or controlling your smart home devices, the voice assistant provides a convenient and hands-free way to interact with the phone.
The Note 40 Pro Plus offers a range of themes, wallpapers, and icon packs that allow users to personalize their device to suit their style and preferences. Whether you prefer a minimalist look or a vibrant and colorful interface, there are plenty of options to choose from to make the device your own. The software experience is optimized for efficiency and performance, with features such as app optimization and memory management.
Camera Experience
Back to hardware. The camera setup is one of the more notable highlights, with impressive performance and versatility for photography enthusiasts and casual users alike. And considering the price of the phone, it’s even cooler.
At the forefront is the main camera, boasting an impressive 108MP sensor. This high-resolution sensor allows the Note 40 Pro Plus to capture detailed and well-exposed shots with excellent clarity and sharpness. Whether you’re snapping photos in broad daylight or low-light conditions, the main camera delivers consistently impressive results with accurate colors and minimal noise.
While the absence of an ultrawide lens may disappoint some, the main camera on the Note 40 Pro Plus excels at capturing a wide range of subjects and scenes with precision and clarity. From sweeping landscapes to close-up portraits, the device delivers stunning images with impressive detail and dynamic range.
In addition to the main camera, the Note 40 Pro Plus features a 32MP selfie camera, perfect for capturing self-portraits and video calls. With its high resolution and advanced image processing capabilities, the selfie camera produces sharp and detailed self-portraits with natural skin tones and flattering lighting.
The camera software offers a range of shooting modes and features to enhance creativity and versatility. From portrait mode to night mode, users can easily capture stunning photos in any situation with just a few taps. If you’re a “point and shoot” type of person, you’ll be pleased, but those who like to tinker a bit will enjoy the options.
Cool Features
There’s a lot to like about the phone, but these were some of my favorite features.
Active Halo Lighting: The device features a customizable light ring on the back that not only adds a unique visual element to the device but also serves practical purposes such as notifications, charging indicators, and gaming enhancements.
Generative AI Features: The generative AI features enhance the user experience in various ways, including custom wallpapers using simple text prompts. The built-in voice assistant powered by ChatGPT offers intelligent responses to user queries and commands.
MagCharge Technology: The phone supports MagCharge technology, which enables convenient wireless charging with the included MagPad accessory. Additionally, the MagPad features a built-in battery, allowing it to charge the phone wirelessly even when disconnected from a power source.
All-Round FastCharge 2.0: All-Round FastCharge 2.0 technology, powered by Infinix’s self-developed Cheetah X1 chip, enables the phone to charge exceptionally quickly, with options for Smart Charge and Low-Temp Charge to optimize battery health and charging speed.
AI Chatbot: The device includes an AI-powered chatbot named Folax, which is essentially advanced conversational capabilities via OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 model. Folax can understand complex instructions, provide step-by-step guidance, and even engage in extended conversations on a wide range of topics.
Stuff to Consider
While the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus boasts numerous positives, there are some considerations that potential buyers may want to keep in mind before making a purchase decision. Here are some reasons to consider skipping the device:
Limited Availability: The Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus is not readily available in all regions, limiting accessibility for potential buyers outside of certain markets. This could pose challenges for those who are unable to purchase the device due to limited distribution.
Lack of Ultra-Wide Camera: Unlike some competing smartphones in its price range, the Note 40 Pro Plus does not feature an ultra-wide camera lens.
Software Support: While the device runs on the latest version of Android with Infinix’s XOS skin, it may receive only two more major software updates in the future. This limited software support could affect long-term usability and compatibility with future apps and features.
Gaming Performance: Although the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 chip offers smooth performance for everyday tasks, it may struggle with demanding games at higher graphics settings. It’s not a gaming-centric phone and as such, those who prioritize gaming performance may not be all that pleased.
Video Recording Quality: While the Note 40 Pro Plus excels in photography, its video recording capabilities may not be as impressive. Some users may find the video quality to be lacking, particularly in low-light conditions or when recording fast-paced action.
Wireless Charging Limitations: Although the device supports wireless charging with the MagPad accessory, it may not fully juice up the phone due to the limited battery size of the MagPower. This could be a drawback for users who rely heavily on wireless charging for convenience.
Final Thoughts
The Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus is a strong contender in the ever-crowded mid-range (<$400) smartphone landscape. It boasts a compelling combination of advanced features, impressive performance, and stylish design. And with its high-resolution camera system, vibrant AMOLED display, and innovative AI capabilities, the phone delivers a user experience that rivals pricier flagship phones.
Potential buyers should be aware of certain considerations, perhaps most notably the limited availability in certain regions. Additionally, it’s possible the device receives 1-2 major software updates in the future, possibly shutting the door on long-term usability.
The Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus remains a compelling choice for users seeking a feature-rich smartphone at an affordable price point. It’s the right kind of balance that we like to see in our devices.
Its premium design, impressive camera capabilities, and innovative features like Active Halo Lighting and MagCharge technology set it apart from the competition. Consumers looking to elevate their smartphone experience without breaking the bank should give this one a look, if it’s available in their market.
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