Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus review: The budget phone to beat under $400

When the Infinix Note 40 series made its debut in March 2024, it stirred up quite a buzz, not because of flashy ads or marketing tricks, but because of its impressive features. Infinix's newest mid-range lineup, especially the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus, packs a punch with features that seem too good for the price tag. From a reliable processor to top-notch cameras and clever charging technology, it's a steal.

While it might not boast MediaTek's absolute top-tier processor, it makes up for it with a big AMOLED display, 12GB RAM, a whopping 108MP main camera, and the latest Android 14 out of the box. This phone's ready to go head-to-head with the best budget Android phones on the market.

Many fans are hyped about it. With its affordable price tag and killer specs, you might wonder if it lives up to the hype.

Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus: Price & availability

The Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus is available in 4G and 5G variants, with a starting price of $309. It comes in Vintage Green, Obsidian Black, and Titan Gold colorways.

Infinix sells the device across Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

The phone comes with the MagPad 20W magnetic wireless charger, MagCase, and MagPower (power bank) out of the box. However, the 3,000mAh power bank is sold separately in some markets for approximately $50.

Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus: What I love

For the past few years, glossy phone designs have been all the rage, especially with cheaper phones from Chinese brands. But the Note 40 Pro Plus is a whole different ball game.

This device is definitely a head-turner because of its design. It exudes a premium vibe with its sleek look and feel, plus it's lightweight, making it a breeze to tote around. The vegan leather finish on the back (at least for the model that Infinix sent me) and the frames add to its premium feel. Despite being a budget phone, it feels solidly built and stands out from the crowd. And fun fact: the frame may look metal, but it's actually plastic.

The weight distribution is spot-on, even with the sizable camera module, and I don't have a problem holding the phone for extended periods of time. Sure, the camera module sticks out a tad, but compared to bulkier setups I've seen, Infinix keeps it neat. Plus, there's a headphone jack and IP53 protection to keep dust and splashes at bay, which is a nice touch.

One big draw I find on the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus is its spacious screen, as you'd anticipate from a "Note" device. At 6.78 inches, it offers plenty of room to enjoy videos and games or simply flick through your photo collection.

While many affordable phones that cost around $300 sport basic IPS LCD panels, Infinix steps up the game with an AMOLED screen boasting Full HD+ resolution. This means superior contrast, vibrant colors, and impressive brightness, hitting 1300 nits at its peak so you can read the screen easily even when it's super sunny out, making the whole viewing experience awesome.

You're in for a treat with stereo speakers on board. Infinix teamed up with JBL to fine-tune them, and the results are impressive. They pump out a satisfying volume with a remarkably balanced tonal response. Frankly, they outshine many phones I've tested that cost two or three times as much.

Infinix deserves kudos for packing a high-resolution sensor (108MP) into the rear camera module of the Note 40 Pro Plus. While having an ultrawide lens would be a cherry on top, in the budget phone arena, what matters most is getting solid results from the main shooter.

Let's zero in on the main camera because, let's face it, that's the one getting the most action. Fortunately, it delivers pleasing results with solid detail, spot-on exposure, and mostly accurate colors.

Even in low-light situations, I don't notice any typical noise when zooming in. The Note 40 Pro Plus handles low-light situations pretty well. Even the magenta lights inside W Kuala Lumpur Hotel and the dim lighting inside Bank Negara Malaysia's museum (pictured below) didn't mess up the shot. And the super night mode sounds like a handy feature for those extra dark situations. Overall, the Note 40 Pro Plus serves as a solid point-and-shoot camera for sharing photos on social media and beyond.

The 32MP selfie camera on the Note 40 Pro Plus is no slouch. Those close-up details and colors look sharp, and props to the portrait mode for doing an impressive job around my hair.

Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus sample pictures

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Inside, the Note 40 Pro Plus runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 5G chip, which is basically a fancy way of saying it's fast and won't slow down whether you're gaming, streaming videos, or just jumping between a bunch of apps. With 12GB of RAM, I don't have any trouble switching between apps and multitasking.

Battery life is a key factor I always consider when purchasing a new smartphone, and it's a priority for many folks who are always on the move. Thankfully, the phone's 4,600mAh battery can get me through a full day of gaming, picture-taking, browsing, and even social media scrolling. And there's still plenty of juice left for the next day's adventures.

This phone has a pretty cool feature called Active Halo Lighting. It's basically a light ring on the back that lights up for different things like calls, texts, charging, games, and music. You can pick the colors you want, and it can even pulse or change to match the music you're playing. There are three effects to choose from: lively, rhythmic, and AI.

Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus: Gen AI in the house

The Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus wouldn't be a true 2024 smartphone without some AI tricks, and Infinix didn't skip out on that. The company included an AI wallpaper generator that lets you set custom wallpapers without any annoying hiccups.

I have a lot of fun crafting my own wallpaper with just a few text prompts. And if you're stuck for ideas, the feature gives you some text samples to kickstart your creativity. As you'd expect from an AI-powered tool, it conjures up a realistic image of what I envisioned.

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Speaking of AI, Infinix's AI chatbot Folax, which first showed up on the Infinix Zero 30, also makes an appearance on the Note 40 series. I gave the ChatGPT-powered feature a whirl, and let me tell you, it's way more helpful than just your average Google Assistant.

While ChatGPT already provides a chatbot app for Android phones, Folax dives deeper than just giving witty responses from a knowledgeable algorithm. It harnesses OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 model to understand complicated instructions and do things step-by-step.

I'm blown away by how it handles even complex questions with multiple parts. Folax's generative AI capabilities enable it to analyze and understand questions by breaking them down into a series of words.

The best part is you can ask it a bunch of questions, even if they're totally different, and Folax can keep up. It will even understand you if you talk for a few minutes straight, and you can always look back at the conversation later.

Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus: Clever charging

A standout feature of the Note 40 Pro Plus is its All-Round FastCharge 2.0 technology, powered by Infinix's first self-developed Cheetah X1 chip. This innovative feature enables the phone to charge exceptionally quickly, depending on a few settings.

This phone also has some smart features to keep your battery healthy. "Smart Charge" adjusts the charging speed to prevent overheating, and "Low-Temp Charge" slows down charging to make the battery last even longer. This does mean it takes a bit longer to charge the phone all the way up when using the latter setting, but it's a good trade-off for a longer battery life overall.

In my testing, I found that the device reached a full 100% battery level from zero in just 29 minutes using the included 100W charger in Smart Charge mode. However, it took a bit longer, around 38 minutes, to fully charge the handset from zero in Low-Temp Charge mode.

The phone boasts 20W Wireless MagCharge support. It comes with Infinix's MagKit, which includes the MagPad and a 3000mAh wireless power bank called MagPower, which attaches magnetically to the back of the case. Essentially, these features are Infinix's version of Apple's MagSafe. It's a rare offering in smartphones at this price point.

The Note 40 Pro Plus also supports reverse wireless charging, allowing you to juice up other devices wirelessly at speeds of up to 10W.

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However, it's important to note that the wireless charging feature isn't based on the Qi2 standard. In fact, there aren't any magnets inside the device itself. Instead, the magnets are housed within the phone case. This means that you can't wirelessly charge the device itself without using the MagCase.

The magnetic case is one of the more stylish cases I've seen included with a smartphone. It's not your typical cheap, clear jelly case; instead, it's coated in sleek vegan leather, just like the phone itself.

While the MagPad and MagPower may take a bit longer to charge, they offer you the flexibility and convenience of wireless charging. Even with the wireless power bank attached, the phone doesn't feel heavy. However, due to its limited battery size, the power bank may not fully juice up the phone. In my experience, the MagPower completely drained after the phone reached around 70% battery level.

Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus: What could be improved

While the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus processor is capable of handling everyday tasks, it's not all roses. In my experience, the phone holds up well, but there's quite a bit of stuttering when playing PUBG Mobile at HD graphics and high frame rate settings. It's not terrible, but it's more noticeable compared to rival phones. To get the smoothest experience, you might want to tone it down a notch to "Balanced" graphics and medium frame rate. This seems to be the sweet spot for this phone.

The rear camera on the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus is great for recording clear, smooth footage during the day, as it films in 2K resolution at 30 frames per second. However, night videos can be a bit choppy at times.

Another small disappointment with the Note 40 Pro Plus is the macro camera; it isn't the best. It won't capture super detailed close-ups, but it still lets you take pictures of those tiny things you come across.

And while it's nice to see the phone run Android 14 topped with XOS 14, it will only get two more major updates in the future. It will still get security patches for three years, though, which is good for keeping your phone protected.

I asked Vento Lin, Infinix's product director, about whether the company plans to extend software support for its future products, similar to how Samsung offers at least four years of One UI upgrades for its Galaxy A series. Lin said, "That's definitely something that we're looking forward to."

As for the phone's AI chatbot, I found a few shortcomings. While ChatGPT leverages a vast amount of training data, it's important to note that some information may be incorrect or outdated. GPT-3.5's training data only goes up to July 2021. Consequently, if you ask Folax about events beyond mid-2021, it may provide unreliable responses.

Since Folax relies on responses from ChatGPT, it can sometimes provide incorrect answers, even doing so confidently. This is because it may "hallucinate." The good news is that phone makers are always working on improving these AI tools, so hopefully, future versions will be even more accurate.

Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus: The competition

As mentioned earlier, the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor, making it a more powerful option compared to many of the top budget Android phones priced under $400.

While the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus excels in everyday tasks and multimedia experiences, power users looking for the absolute fastest performance might lean towards the POCO X6 Pro which costs $332. As for those who prioritize unique design, the $349 Nothing Phone (2a) with its LED back could be an intriguing alternative.

Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus: Should you buy it?

You should buy it if...

• You love a vegan leather design.
• You're looking for a clean UI experience.
• You want a phone that can be charged wirelessly without spending a lot.
• You want a phone that can capture decent shots without breaking the bank.

You should not buy it if...

• You're looking for a phone with at least three years of guaranteed major software updates.
• You often play graphic intensive games.
• You're in the habit of recording videos in low-light surroundings.

The Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus has a bunch of cool features, especially considering its affordable price tag. For around $300, you get a good processor, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, wireless charging support, and generative AI features. That's a lot of phone for the money compared to what most other companies offer.

The phone has got even more going for it, including a big, beautiful AMOLED screen for watching videos and games, a decent main camera for capturing memories, and a battery that can even last you two whole days on a single charge.

However, the only catch is that Infinix isn't selling the device in Western markets. I won't pass judgment on Infinix's marketing team for this decision, but for those in the rest of the world where this phone is available, this phone is definitely a steal.