Before we begin with the Infinix Note 2 review, I just want to put it out that 2015 was a very busy and exciting year for French giant, Infinix Mobility. They had devices running out of stock on various retail outlets and the Infinix Note 2 was no different.
Featuring a huge, bright, and crisp 6 inch display, it is probably safe to say that the successor of the Infinix Hot Note, the Note 2, is worth the entire buzz it created when it was launched.
Phablets have not really interested me because I feel the perfect size of a smartphone should be 5-inches. Nothing more, nothing less! Well, the Infinix Note 2 has made me feel different about 6 inch devices as it manages to tick all the boxes with very little left wanting. If you are a fan of large displays then I have every confidence that you will fall in love with the Infinix Note 2.
Thankfully, Infinix Mobility took note of the large screen and the extra power it takes to handle it so they slammed a massive 4000mAh battery on the phone which they claim will last you 2 days on a single charge. As per the claims, I’m a power user but I’ve been able to squeeze a whole day out of this device; if you’ve seen me using a phone, you will have to agree that it’s a very impressive feat.
For other users, you might be able to squeeze the 2 days Infinix claims or even more. At the end, it all depends on how you use the smartphone.
Without boring you with any more irrelevant details, I will dive into the full review of the Infinix Note 2. After reading this review, any misconceptions you have about the killer phablet from Infinix will be finally laid to rest. Let’s go!
Design & Display
The Note 2 has a bright and large screen
The Infinix Note 2 has a 6 Inch display with a minimalistic design. That is, the design of the phone is not flashy looking which is a good thing. The device looks almost like its predecessor, the Hot Note. Featuring subtly rounded edges, really thin bezels, and a clean looking design, I instantly fell in love with the design.
The much talked about screen itself is a 6 Inch HD screen and it looked bright and sharp. If you have tiny hands then the Note 2 will take you a little time to adjust to the size of the device.
Looking at the display was sort of a treat for me as it was crisp enough to enjoy despite the large screen without being distracted by glare which is common in low to mid-range devices.
If you are a gamer or if you like watching movies on your mobile devices, then you will definitely enjoy using this device. The real estate Infinix provided us with is the perfect size for gaming and multimedia which I noticed when playing Asphalt 8 on the monster.
Movies too were nice and sharp, thanks to the HD screen Infinix provided us with. In short, the screen of the Infinix Note 2, while not enough to win any awards, still gets the job done more than adequately.
Enough with the screen. Let’s get to the design of the device. If you are familiar with the Hot Note, then holding the Note 2 will bring back feelings of Nostalgia as they sport similar designs. The only differences between them being the rear camera placement and the lack of capacitive buttons on the front of the display; a feature which is seemingly getting harder to find.
On the right side of the device are the Volume Rocker and the Power button below it which is exactly how it is positioned on the Hot Note. The left side of the Note 2 is completely devoid of buttons whatsoever. It is completely plain. At the top is the 3.5mm headphone jack which is as expected. The bottom is home to the USB charging port while the speaker grill is located at the bottom left at the back of the phone. I would have preferred if the speakers were on the bottom of the phone like on the Hot 2 but I guess you can’t have everything.
The volume rockers
The Front of the device houses only the screen with the 2MP shooter and the proximity sensor at the top of the display. An added bonus is the presence of a notification LED light. Not many mid-range devices come equipped with that. The rear 13 Mega Pixel S5K3M2 ISOCELL CMOS equipped camera can be found at the top middle at the back of the phone with the LED flash right beside it.
The Note 2 camera
The back cover of the device can be removed to spot a massive 4040mAh battery which sadly is non-removable. By removing the back cover, you get access to the SIM card slots (It is a dual SIM device) and Memory card slot for extra memory.
The large battery and the SIM slots
That’s about it for the design of the Infinix Note 2. As you can see, it is minimalistic and refreshing to look at. Let’s take a look at the hardware specifications of this monster device.
Infinix Note 2 Key Specifications
- 6 inch 720 x 1280 Display
- Octa-core Mediatek MT6753
- 5GB, 2GB RAM
- 16GB Internal storage (MicroSD support)
- 13 Mega-pixel, LED flash
- 2 Mega-pixel front camera
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
- 4040mAh battery
The full specs of the Note 2 are listed here
Software and Performance
There are some pre-installed apps to get you started
The Infinix Note 2 runs on a customized Android 5.1 Lollipop 64-bit OS. Infinix’s very own XUI is slammed on the device although it takes no noticeable toll on the performance. The UX is clean and is exactly how Android should be. Some bloatware comes with the device though e.g Carlcare, Palmchat, Palmplay, etc but shouldn’t be a problem as they can be easily uninstalled by a trip to the settings.
The Notification Tray
While navigating the Note 2, there was no lag whatsoever as the 64-bit processor coupled with Android Lollipop was able to handle anything I threw at it. Switching screens was snappy and I was not left wanting more.
Running Graphic intensive applications like Asphalt 8 was not a problem for the device as it chugged through it like a champ.
Thankfully, Infinix gave us enough space for installation of apps as there is 11GB free for the user while Android snags 5GB of the storage. If you are like me, then you might need to get an SD card to supplement the internal storage as it can fill up quite quickly if you have a ton of movies and games on it which I suppose you would because the Note 2 is perfect for movies.
XUI – Redesigned User Interface For Infinix Note 2
It’s worthy to mention that the Note 2 scored impressively on the Antutu Benchmarking application coming in just behind the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. That should speak volumes of the processing power of this device. Even without coming with an obscene amount of RAM, the 64-bit OS more than makes up for it as seen in the screenshot below.
Impressive AnTuTu score!
The Note 2 is indeed a powerhouse capable of holding its own even among flagship devices like the Tecno Phantom 5 which scored only 31911 on the Antutu Benchmark although coming in with more RAM than the Note 2.
Battery Life
One of the strongest selling points of the Infinix Note 2 however is the massive 4040mAh battery. With that kind of battery, there’s no need to even get a power bank to get you through a full day. It seems Infinix really understands the Nigerian market as they’ve been providing users with powerful battery lives lately.
First it was the Hot Note, now it is the Note 2 and we hope they continue this trend of giving us powerful smartphones with powerful batteries.. lol….
Infinix claimed that you could get 2 days out of a single charge. I disagree, because depending on how you use it, you might even squeeze 3 days out of it. I was able to get a whole day out of it and believe me, I was pushing it to its limit. From gaming, to streaming videos, to calls, I stretched the Note 2 to its limit and it held up for a very long time too.
For normal usage, you can easily get 2 days out of it unless you continue playing games like Real Racing 3 which can cause a huge toll on battery life. For the average user who only checks facebook, instagram, twitter, and makes some calls, the Note 2 will surprise you by how much it will keep running.
Like
- 64-bit Processor
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
- Monster battery like
Dislike
- Speaker placement
- No dedicated camera button
- 16GB not enough
Should I buy it?
If you handle the Infinix Note 2, you may not be able to drop it. From the large bright screen to the snappy performance to the monster battery life, the Infinix Note 2 is the ultimate Mid-Range device.
If you love large screens and use your phone for multimedia a lot, then please do not hesitate to snag up the Note 2 when the next time you visit the shopping mall.
Thanks for reading the in-dept Infinix Note 2 Review, please share your views on the Infinix Note 2 below.
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8 Comments
Osahon G
This is a nice review Kevin. I think 1G is not sufficient for the phone. 6-inch display looks fair to me.
I am seriously considering between Hot Note 2 and Note 2
Kevin Okeh
Thank you Osahon. I agree that 16gb is not enough for the Note 2. Thanks for stopping by.
Samuel
Nice review. I love your video..
Kevin Okeh
Thanks Samuel.
Biola
Hello Kevin, superb review. I have a question though am in a dilemma between the camon c8 and this infinix, which could u advice me to get. I want a phone with a good camera and good user interface. Ild really appreciate a reply.
Nosagie Nosa-Ero
Hi Biola,
That’s a though question because they both look great, although limited by their 1GB RAM capacity. I will start writing comparison articles between smartphones this year. This will provide an unbiased and professional framework to make the best decision
Cassandra Onyeka
Passionate Review I must say. Quick question though.
Between Zero3 and Note2 which device scores higher on the Antutu Benchmarking application?
Also could write a review on the Zero3 and the Note2, as a lot of people are confused on the one to get.
Thanks for a Great review.
Nosagie Nosa-Ero
Hi Cassandra,
I will create an article comparison for both devices. In the main time, here is the review of the Infinix Zero 3 > https://www.techrez.com/infinix-zero-3-review/