Infinix Zero Ultra Review

Screen

From the design, the value of luxury continues to the screen. The Infinix Zero Ultra has a 6.8-inch screen which, numerically, is quite large. But it’s still quite comfortable in the hand, because it has a 71-degree curve on the left and right sides. So besides not being too wide, it also looks very, very premium.

As expected, the arch also brings its own slight drawbacks. In addition to the slightly changing color of the area at a certain angle, it is also prone to being touched by the side of the hand when gripping, causing the wrong touch several times. It’s not just the Infinix Zero Ultra, the Galaxy S22 Ultra also has a similar issue.

In terms of panels, the 120Hz AMOLED screen it carries is already superior. Saturation and contrast are fine, bright for outdoor use, and there’s an accurate color profile to choose from as desired. The size of the punch-hole camera is relatively small, as well as the top and bottom bezels that are made to look the same as thin, which deserves thumbs up for an Android smartphone priced at Rp. 6 million.

Camera

Continue to the section that is classified as “wow” because it was first brought to Indonesia by Infinix, namely the 200MP main camera sensor. Yes, the Infinix Zero Ultra is the only one, at least until this review was made (and likely until the end of 2022), that carries this one 1/1.22-inch sensor. The final photo is still 12MP by default with pixel binning, but there is an option to take it at full resolution.

Benefit of taking 200MP photos, most noticeably is for cropping needs, because of the better detail (with a note only in abundant light, yes). And of course, the photo file size will be much larger, can be more than 70MB. In addition to the main sensor, there is a 12MP ultra-wide sensor which is quite interesting because it supports autofocus, as well as a depth sensor.

Before reviewing this smartphone, I had time to see another smartphone that also uses a similar 200MP sensor. After trying the Infinix Zero Ultra camera, in my opinion, this sensor is still not really optimal. The dynamic range isn’t the best in its price class, and what bothers me the most is the sometimes hit and miss color reproduction.

Especially for skin tones, they tend to be warm and sometimes reddish in indoor lighting conditions. As for the results of night photos, again not the best in its class, especially compared to those using a 50MP IMX766 sensor such as the realme 9 Pro+. It’s true, resolution isn’t everything. But with the large sensor dimensions and pixel binning technology, my expectations seemed too high at the start.

The good news is that the Infinix Zero Ultra’s ultra-wide sensor has an advantage that all current flagships don’t even have, namely autofocus. Not the best when it’s low-light and not the widest angle of view, but it gives you more flexibility in where to focus, including macro.

There’s also one most annoying drawback regarding this smartphone’s camera access—I’ll cover that in the next section. You can access complete photos from the Infinix Zero Ultra camera in the following album .

For video recording, the Infinix Zero Ultra supports resolutions up to 4K 30fps on the main sensor, and 1080p up to 60fps on the front and rear cameras. But if you want to add EIS, it can only be done at 1080p 30fps. The rest, the main sensor only utilizes the built-in OIS, which is still lacking compared to other smartphones in its class (including those without having to activate Ultra Steady).

For low-light video, it’s still inferior to smartphones with IMX766 or ISOCELL 108MP competitors in its class. But if the light is abundant, it is still quite good, with abundant natural bokeh thanks to the large sensor dimensions. The front camera can also provide optimal detail on the face. Plus a number of extra features such as Dual View Video and portrait effects that can be added.

Feature

Because the price is much more premium, it’s only natural that the Infinix Zero Ultra is finally supported by an NFC sensor. Along with other audio features such as stereo speakers, and a vibration motor that is comfortable for typing. Unfortunately, for the operating system, Infinix still has to improve more with XOS 12 based on Android 12 on this smartphone.

For those of me who are happy with a clean home screen, I didn’t find an option to not add auto-installed apps on the front page. The annoying thing is, you have to delete them one by one, you can’t check all of them and delete them right away. Another complaint is on the lock screen, where the face unlock feature is often locked for security reasons. So you have to use the in-display fingerprint sensor—which is quite accurate with the right position.

Is there anything more annoying? There is: when we want to capture the moment directly from the screen off, we usually need to press the power button then the camera button, or press the volume down button twice. The camera application opens, our smartphone rotates in landscape position, and once the left and right hands hold the Infinix Zero Ultra properly, the screen is locked. A bug I’ve felt since Infinix Zero X Pro.

My guess is that it has something to do with the proximity sensor detecting as if the smartphone is in a pocket, or securing it so that the screen is not accidentally touched. The trick is, when the new camera application opens, the Infinix Zero Ultra body should not be rotated to landscape first, aka the hand should not cover the top of the screen in the first few seconds.

Still related to the camera, Infinix also needs to optimize its camera sensor with other applications. For something as simple as scanning a barcode for WhatsApp Web, the Infinix Zero Ultra’s main sensor is a little difficult to focus on and tends to over-exposure, so the QR code detection process takes a little longer. The front camera is also not good for video calls, the face is very smooth and the cropping effect is high.

Performance

In terms of chipset, the Infinix Zero Ultra is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 octa-core 6nm chip, which is actually a minor upgrade from the Zero 5G series. Not the fastest in its price class, but it’s quite enough. Paired with 8GB RAM (+5GB virtual RAM), and 256GB of internal storage without a microSD card slot.

When used to run daily applications, there are no problems, it feels smooth and smooth even though it carries a 120Hz screen. The temperature is also quite maintained thanks to the hardware-based cooling system. So even without a case, it doesn’t feel hot on the back of the body. Unfortunately, by default XOS on Infinix Zero Ultra tends to be diligent in stopping applications.

WhatsApp, for example, often doesn’t receive notifications, especially when I put my smartphone on the table or it doesn’t move. So for some apps that require instant notifications, make sure you set them so they don’t automatically enter power saving mode (by holding down the app logo – App info – Battery – Unrestricted), and if necessary lock them via the multitasking menu.

It’s a shame because that way, Infinix Zero Ultra users still have to reset a number of messaging applications or applications for connecting to the smartwatch so that it can run smoothly. Even though the Dimensity 920 chip itself is quite power efficient, and strong enough to run quite heavy applications at the same time.

Battery

In addition to the highest resolution camera sensor, the Infinix Zero Ultra’s charging speed is also the fastest in the industry to date, which is 180W! It is claimed to be able to charge a 4,500 mAh battery in just 12 minutes—yes, the capacity does sound a little small for its sizeable body dimensions. When I tried to fill it for the first time, the time it took was in the range of 30-35 minutes.

Apparently, users have to activate Furious mode first in the battery settings menu, similar to Xiaomi and realme. When activated, charging the Infinix Zero Ultra from a low battery to 50% only takes 4-5 minutes. Until full? Less than 15 minutes! Slightly off the mark, but still very speedy. The size of the charger adapter is also relatively small, and supports the USB-PD standard.

And unlike the other two vendors, the cable is already USB-C to USB-C. When used for other smartphones, it can still provide fast charging in the 30-65W range, so it’s quite inclusive. And even when activating Furious mode, I think the body is relatively warm, not too hot. There is TUV Rheinland certification and a number of special protections from Infinix regarding the charging process, to keep it safe going forward.

As for the Infinix Zero Ultra battery itself, it’s just enough for a full day of less intense use. Standby time feels a bit wasteful, so if you’re actively accessing the camera or playing games during the day, chances are you’ll need to recharge before midnight. At least 5 minutes is enough.

Conclusion

Overall, if you look at it as a smartphone with a price of Rp. 6 million, the Infinix Zero Ultra is arguably commensurate with its competitors and certainly brings its own advantages and disadvantages. Superior in terms of design, screen display and truly instant charging technology. Also suitable for use as an entertainment consumption device with a large screen.

But if you are looking for a smartphone with a more satisfying overall camera experience, the options from realme that I mentioned earlier, or other competitors such as the Galaxy A73 5G feel much more suitable for capturing photo and video moments in all conditions. Evidence that the combination of mature software and hardware is not to be missed.

If indeed in the future there are software improvements that can fix a number of bugs, of course Infinix Zero Ultra will be interesting to look at. When else can you have a smartphone that can be fully charged in less than 15 minutes, so you can immediately move without having to wait 2-4 times longer.

Specifications of Infinix Zero Ultra