Review: Infinix Zero Ultra

I’ve spent the past decade writing about phones. Looking back through my work, you’ll notice a growing dissatisfaction.

Time made me cynical. Jaded even. Try as I might, I couldn’t bring myself to be excited about anything. Fortunately, the subject of this review bucks that trend.

Today, we’re looking at the Infinix Zero Ultra. Infinix isn’t a household name in the US, but this device is novel enough to pique my interest.

Of course, I’d be negligent in my duty if I only cared about nostalgia or fast charging speeds. The whole package matters.

And while I’ll deliver my reasoning in a second, I’m fairly content with how the Infinix Zero Ultra performed. This is a great phone—one worthy of your consideration.

Price-wise, it sits in the middle of the Android market. You won’t find the Infinix Zero Ultra in the bargain basement, but it’s still reasonably affordable.

When factoring in exchange rates, it costs about $500, give or take.

When it comes to specs, Infinix delivers a mixed bag of goods.

The model reviewed by KnowTechie came with a generous 13GB RAM and 256GB storage, although including a MediaTek Dimensity 920 felt a little strange.

We regularly see high-end Qualcomm and MediaTek silicon on devices within this price range and would have liked to see something similar here.

Chipset

To be fair, the MediaTek Dimensity 920 is no slouch. Sure, it’s not the fastest chipset in the world, but it’s nonetheless capable.

It’ll handle everything you throw at it, from games to social media doomscrolling. It doesn’t frustrate, but it doesn’t deliver the delightful snappiness of more powerful platforms.

Perhaps I’m just spoiled. Or maybe the line between flagship and mid-ranger is so blurred our expectations are a little out of alignment.

As mentioned earlier, the Infinix Zero Ultra packs 180W fast charging. This is the fastest charging speed on the market.

Having used this device for the past couple of weeks, it’s hard to imagine going back to the iPhone 12’s 12W charge speeds.

Fast charging is no joke

You can fully recharge your phone from empty in the time it takes to shower. You can reach the halfway point in under four minutes. This effectively eliminates the entire notion of battery anxiety.

You can meaningfully replenish your phone if you have a few minutes and a wall outlet. I know, I write for a living, but it’s hard to articulate how awesome that actually is.

The Zero Ultra technically has two batteries

Infinix achieved this by re-using a trick used by other smartphone vendors. The Zero Ultra technically has two batteries that charge in tandem at a speed of 90W each.

This approach is used on various devices, from the OnePlus 8T to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. There’s a downside to this, however.

When you use two distinct batteries, you end up with a lower overall capacity.

Space that would otherwise be occupied by anodes and cathodes houses battery packaging and duplicate power management circuitry.

And that’s arguably why the Infinix Zero Ultra has a 4,500mAh battery. Sure, that’s about the standard. But it’s also a little smaller than you expect when considering the phone touts a 6.8-inch display.

Battery life is average

The Infinix Zero Ultra lasts a full day but with little power in reserve. Fortunately, this isn’t much of an issue.

As the battery starts to wane, you just need to plug the phone in with the charger included, and you’re set for the rest of the day.

I’ll be honest, the Infinix Zero Ultra is a gorgeous piece of engineering. It’s a beautiful phone. More beautiful than you’d reasonably expect, given the price range.

Display

The 6.8-inch display delivers exceptional levels of brightness and color fidelity. It uses an AMOLED panel (1080×2500) with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

The screen itself is curved. This is one of those smartphone industrial design choices I’m not wildly enthusiastic about.

Sure, they look great, but only when they’re unshackled from a protective case.

Curved screen 👎

Additionally, curved screens are often harder to replace than flat-pannel equivalents, with replacements costing more. Put simply: They look good but have undeniable trade-offs.

A metal bracket holds the near-borderless display in place, which leads to the rear chassis.

Like the Samsung Galaxy FE20, Infinix opted for a plastic back. But this doesn’t feel cheap. It touts an unusual and texturally-spectacular pattern that gives this phone an undeniable premium aesthetic.

Camera

The cameras are some of the widest I’ve encountered, looking more akin to a Sylvanian Family dinnerplate than anything else.

They’re bulbous, too, protruding awkwardly from the phone’s rear chassis.

Sensors

The aforementioned 200MP primary shooter uses a Sony ISOCELL HP1 sensor, which sits above a secondary 13MP ultrawide lens. To the right, you’ll spot a more conventional-looking 2MP macro sensor.

Sure, 200MP sounds like a lot. But like most other high-density megapixel cameras, the Infinix Zero Ultra uses pixel binning. This is where smaller pixels are grouped into one larger virtual pixel.

There’s a good reason for that. Smaller pixels, by definition, absorb less light than larger pixels. This becomes an issue when taking nighttime shots.

Picture quality

The Infinix Zero Ultra didn’t underwhelm in terms of image quality, but it didn’t impress, either.

Pictures were of acceptable social media quality but couldn’t hold a candle to a premium flagship phone or a proper DSLR.

The Infinix Zero Ultra is a great phone. Sure, the camera quality isn’t the best and doesn’t deliver flagship performance.

And if you’re wondering, yup, it also comes with a dumpster truck worth of bloatware, which undoubtedly will offend anyone used to clean Android installs.

But it’s also practical in ways that are hard to ignore. The screen is outstanding. Its 180W fast charging is nothing short of a game-changer. It’s beautiful. It feels incredible to the touch.

Despite Infinix’s French roots, the company is yet to make a retail splash in Europe or the US. If you want to grab one, you’ll have to import it.

Fortunately, you’ll be able to pick one up with Google’s essential Android apps pre-installed, unlike some China-exclusive devices I’ve reviewed in the past.

Infinix holds sway throughout the Asian market and is making slow, tentative steps westward.

You have options if you’re looking for something now and don’t have the time or inclination to wait for an import.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is available in Europe at roughly the same price as the Zero Ultra.

It offers similarly impressive fast charging speeds, albeit with the benefit of a slightly larger battery and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset.

For those Stateside, the OnePlus 10 Pro will also deliver your need for charging immediacy, albeit at a slightly higher cost.

If you decide that the Infinix Zero Ultra is for you, you can snag it directly from the company’s website for approximately $500.

US buyers can purchase the phone from retailers like AliExpress for around the same price.

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