Introduction
Infinix has been on a roll with its mid-range devices, offering consumers devices that offer good performance and efficiency at very reasonable price points. One of its recent releases, the HOT 11S, packs an Helio G88 processor, a 90Hz display, three rear cameras, and a 5,000mAh battery, making it a seemingly capable all-around device, at least on paper.
Specifications
| Display | 6.78-inch FHD+ IPS LCD |
| Processor | Helio G88 |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB |
| Rear Camera | 50MP Main |
| 2MP Depth | |
| 2MP AI Lens | |
| Front Camera | 8MP |
| OS | Android 11 + XOS 7.6.0 |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, 18W Fast Charging |
| Pricing | PhP6,990 (4GB+64GB) |
| PhP7,990 (6GB+128GB) |
Design and Build Quality
Though mainly plastic, the HOT 11S doesn’t feel flimsy in the hand. The back panel uses a wave pattern that reacts differently depending on the direction of light, and the glossy surface makes it prone to fingerprints and smudges.
The camera module protrudes slightly, and while other brands have already shifted to an under display solution, this one still uses a physical fingerprint sensor.
At the bottom, you’ll find a USB-C port, speaker grille, microphone, and surprisingly, a 3.5mm headphone jack, to the delight of wired headphone users.
The large 6.78-inch display has a resolution of FHD+ and is further bolstered with a 90Hz refresh rate, making even the most simple tasks like navigating menus and home screens smoother and more fluid. Visibility in daylight is also decent.
Performance
Under the HOT 11S’ shell is the new Helio G96 processor, along with 4GB/6GB of RAM, and 64GB/128GB of storage. For daily use, the device performs without any major hitch, and gaming performance is also within the expected results.
We were able to play most of today’s popular titles smoothly, although we could only set Call of Duty Mobile to High FPS at most. Genshin Impact? it’s playable at Low settings, but you may want to crank it to the lowest for a better experience. If you are a fan of Mobile Legends, the game will run in Ultra + HFR mode with no issues.
Camera
While it lacks an ultra-wide lens, the triple camera system at the back of the HOT 11s makes it up with good quality shots that show plenty of detail and good control of exposure. Check out our samples below. We wish it had an ultra-wide lens for more flexibility.
Software
Infinix HOT 11S runs XOS 7.6.0 on top of Android 11. While the UI itself runs smooth and snappy, the downside is that it’s got a lot of unneeded apps pre-installed. It also throws unneeded notifications.
While the UI doesn’t offer much for personalization, except for the basic options, you do get special features like Game Mode for disabling auto brightness, preventing a change in network while playing, and preventing accidental exit via the navigation buttons. It also lets you view how long you’ve been playing each game, and even set a reminder to stop playing after 2 hours of non-stop gaming or after 4 hours of accumulated gaming time.
Smart Panel is its version of the assistive sidebar. You can instantly take screenshots, record what’s on screen, open apps, and even transform an app into a floating window for multi-tasking.
There’s also XClone, which is yes, an App Cloner, letting you have two instances of the same app, so you can for example, log in to both your personal and business Facebook accounts in one device.
Battery
The HOT 11S managed to score around 12.5 hours on PCMark’s Work 3.0 benchmark, which simulates tasks like photo and video editing as well as data manipulation.
Verdict
For what it brings to the table, the Infinix HOT 11S is a great option for those looking for a very capable mid-range device at a very affordable price tag. It’s got a high refresh rate display, delivers good gaming performance, has capable cameras, as well as great battery life. That’s what you’d call excellent value.
There are only a couple of things that would make this phone an even better deal for its price – an ultra-wide camera, and an OS that doesn’t throw so many unneeded notifications, at least out of the box.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
