Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review

Infinix recently introduced the Infinix Note 12 Pro 5G in the Philippines, the company’s latest 5G-powered device. The mid-range device packs a 108MP triple rear camera and a massive 5000mAh battery. 

The company partnered with PUBG to develop the device. It boasts a 5G Smooth Gameplay thanks to a Dimensity 810 5G chipset at the helm and 8GB RAM with an additional 5GB for a total of 13GB Super RAM.

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - rear - 3

The Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G is available via the official Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop.  

We were given a unit to review and I used the device as a daily driver for about two weeks. Here’s how it went.

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Specifications

Display 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED
Processor MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G
RAM 8GB
Storage 128GB
Rear Camera 108MP main
2MP depth
2MP macro
Front Camera 16MP
Battery 5000mAh
33W fast charging
Colors Force Black
Snow Fall
Price PHP 12,499

What’s in the Box 

The Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G comes in a pretty stylish white box with a subtle cube pattern as a backdrop. The Infinix logo is on the upper left and a larger NOTE 12 Pro 5G is on the left-hand side. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - inside box

It really doesn’t deviate from other box designs but nevertheless looks pretty clean. 

Opening the box reveals the phone. Underneath it lies the silicone case, a SIM ejector tool, XClub Voucher as well as warranty card. In the last layer lies the 33W fast charger, its cable, and earphones.

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G – Build and Design 

The Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G itself is built around a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel, which does require two hands for my average-sized hands. This isn’t too bad though as it is a pretty slim phone at just 7.9mm. You don’t get a high refresh rate on this phone but you do get an AMOLED panel that offers better colors. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - front

On the right of the device are the volume rocker and the power button. The latter is where you can find the fingerprint scanner as well. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - buttons

Around the back, the Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G has a plastic back. The Force Black colorway has a stunning wavy textured design to it which also helps lessens fingerprints. The textured design gives a more premium look but as you pick it up, you definitely feel the plastic which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - rear - 2

You may avoid the fingerprints on the majority of the back panel, however, you’ll get a lot of them on the top part where the rectangular camera module lies. This takes up about a third of the back panel with a glossy finish on both the camera island itself and the extended bit which I assume is for symmetry and aesthetic purposes. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - rear camera module

I honestly am a fan of the textured design but the extended glossy area for the camera module symmetry is not for me. It just gets too many fingerprints for my liking. Thankfully though, it comes with a silicone case that you can use.

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - bottom ports

The bottom of the device features a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a speaker grille, and a microphone. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G – Performance 

The Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset coupled with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. 

The combination offered quite a smooth experience, especially on day-to-day usage. There were hardly any hiccups with my usual use of watching YouTube and Netflix videos, checking different social media platforms, and checking my email. 

Here are some benchmark results before I get to my gaming experience:

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - 3DMark - Wild Life
Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - Geekbench
Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - AnTuTu

For gaming, I played a wide variety of games including League of Legends: Wild Rift, Call of Duty: Mobile, Apex Legends Mobile, and Genshin Impact, to name a few. 

Unsurprisingly, the Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G was able to handle the highest graphics on the MOBAs namely League of Legends: Wild Rift and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Additionally, I was able to max out on Call of Duty: Mobile and Apex Legends Mobile. 

The heavier games I played, namely Genshin Impact and Diablo Immortal, on the other hand, were best played in medium settings. At higher settings, there were big freezes. It’s not the biggest of issues though.

Watching videos and playing games was more enjoyable thanks to the AMOLED display and the stereo speakers. However, I would’ve preferred a higher refresh rate over the AMOLED panel. Either way, I think it all boils down to your preference.

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G – Camera 

The Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G boasts a 108MP main rear camera accompanied by a 2MP depth lens and a 2MP macro sensor. It isn’t my favorite configuration for a camera module because you’re pretty much using one camera although the main sensor is a very capable one.

Here are some samples:

Overall, the camera was a good performer with a good bokeh effect when needed and had good details as well as contrast. However, I noticed the camera there were some times when colors were oversaturated.

The rear camera also features a Super Night Mode which captures more light through a longer exposure. This takes quite a while and based on my experience, the rear camera with AI was enough to capture night shots. It’s a pretty handy shooting mode but I think it’s a bit more niche for me. 

On the front, is a 16MP front camera with an LED flash along the top right side. The camera itself offered good photos, nothing too amazing but enough for the photos to be social media-worthy. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - front camera - LED Flash

I did appreciate the LED flash inclusion. It allows you to take selfies even in the darkest environments with a soft light to it. I think more phones should have an LED flash up front. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G – Battery

The Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G is equipped with a 5000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. When tested through the PCMark Battery test, it offered an impressive 14 hours and 35 minutes of day-to-day use. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G Review - PCMark - battery test

This definitely matched up with how it performed based on my experience with the device. This dipped a bit for me with days where I’d sneak in a couple of hours of gaming but impressive nonetheless. 

Charging the device wasn’t too much of a pain either. It took roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes to fully charge the device from 0% to 100%. 

Meanwhile, with just 30 minutes of charging, you get about 44% battery. This is enough to give you a bit of juice, maybe to make your way back home or even listen to more music/watch more videos on travel back home.

Software

Out of the box, the NOTE 12 Pro 5G runs on XOS 10.6.0. I think it’s the most unique Android skin out there but also quite polarizing. It’s refreshing to see another color in a UI but personally, it isn’t my cup of tea. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G - XOS 10.6.0 - 2

XOS 10.6.0 is dominantly green including the settings and notifications panel. The latter is where I eventually wished there was a bit more color. Normally, you’d see the colored logo of the apps in the notification panel which always makes it easier to tell which is which. This time around, it’s just all green.

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G - XOS 10.6.0 - 1

The phone also boots with quite a lot of other pre-installed apps. I personally prefer a clean slate when booting up a phone or at least have the option to pick which ones will be installed. 

The UI isn’t all that bad though. It has Extended RAM which uses a bit of storage to give you more RAM. This may be something you hardly notice unless you like maximizing the performance of your devices but it’s good to have. 

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G - XOS 10.6.0 - 4

Additionally, for those that enjoy using folders to organize their apps on the Home screen, XOS allows you to swipe through the folders by just opening one folder. This simplifies the navigation between your folders from having to open one and close it and open another to opening one folder and swiping among them.

Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G XOS 10.6.0 3

It also has Game Mode that offers a more immersive experience while playing games. My favorite feature of the Game Mode is the option to have notifications just scroll across the top of the display as text when gaming. This allowed me to keep on top of my notifications without it disturbing my gaming sessions with the more traditional drop-down notification. 

8Expert Score
Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G: A Mixed Bag

The Infinix NOTE 12 Pro 5G is a mixed bag as far as its features and specs go. On one hand, you get 5G connectivity and an AMOLED panel but on the other, you don’t get a higher refresh rate. 


You get a 108MP camera but you don’t get an ultrawide camera, instead, you get depth and macro sensors. 

Overall, I think Infinix has done a good job of offering some features that you just don’t get at the PHP 12,499 level. However, the features it opted out of are personally doesn’t quite have features that I would prefer but it makes up in other ways. I think it really isn’t for everyone but if you want a pretty long-lasting battery, 5G, and a vibrant camera, then the NOTE 12 Pro 5G is definitely worth checking.

Pros
  • AMOLED Panel
  • 108MP main camera
  • 5000mAh battery lasts a while
  • 5G connectivity
  • Front LED Flash
Cons
  • 60Hz refresh rate panel
  • No ultra-wide camera
  • Oversaturated grass/greenery
  • XOS 10.6.0 is too green

Source: Gadget Pilipinas

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