The Infinix Hot Note was one of the best-selling smartphones in Kenya according to data from the GFK. The phone sold quite well in Kenya and as usual, we expect its successor to try and match this. The Successor to the Hot Note is the Infinix Note 2 that was launched in Kenya last week. I got this phone even before it was launched and I believe I had it for a reasonable amount of time to conclude if it is good or bad.

Before you read his review, please check the unboxing post I did below.

Read More: Infinix Note 2 Unboxing and First Impressions

Infinix Note 2: What’s in The Box?

The Infinix Note 2 comes with the following items in the box.

USB/Power cable Charger

Warranty and safety information

The phone

The phone doesn’t come with a pair of earphones.

Infinix Note 2 Unboxing

Design and Hardware

If you have used the Infinix Hot Note, then you will be very familiar with the hardware and design on the Note 2. The overall design feels good to hold on the hand even with the phone’s big size.

Infinix has improved a lot in terms of the design and the Note 2 looks good with the thin bezels on the front allowing for more screen space. These thin bezels give the Note 2 an absolutely beautiful look. I got the one with a Light Gold finish which gives it an even better look. Above the display you get the LED notification light, proximity sensor and the front facing camera.

Infinix Note 2 Design

You get the usual power button and volume controls on the right hand side of the phone with the ear phone jack at the top and the Micro USB port on the lower section. The back cover is removable from where you can access the two SIM card slots and the MicroSD card slot. Even though the back cover is removable, the 4040 mAh battery cannot be removed. Still at the back, you get the main 13MP camera with LED flash.

Display

The Infinix Note 2 has a huge 5.98-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 X 1280 pixels. This display is very bright and big making it perfect for any situation, both in and out doors. With its big size, the Note 2 is perfect for watching movies, Videos, and general media consumption.

With this big size, it can be challenging to operate the phone with one hand, I have big hands and I had challenges operating it with one hand. This is not something bad but I had to mention it. With the Note 3, I would suggest that Infinix includes a stylus pen or something close to that to make it easier to operate.

Viewing angles are great and you will have no problems seeing what is on the screen from any angle. No pixelated images and the very bright display allows you to consume content as it was meant to be consumed.

Performance and Specs

Infinix Note 2

The Infinix Note 2 comes with some decent specs and the performance is quite good, not the best but still good. The phone is powered by a 1.3GHz Octa-core MediaTek MT6753 processor. This is combined with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage space. There is a microSD card slot that you can use to expand the storage space if the 16GB is not enough for you. I did not have any serious performance issues with this combination with my daily use except for occasional lags that are pretty much normal.

For the GPU, the Infinix Note 2 has the Mali-T720 which handles graphics very well. I managed to play games such as Asphalt 8 quite easily. Playing graphics intensive games for a long time will of course cause some sluggish behavior as you might have expected.

Read More: Infinix Note 2 (X600) Specs Overview and Price in Kenya

Camera

Infinix Note 2 camera

The Infinix Note 2 has a 13MP main camera which takes some decent photos and a 2MP front facing camera. Both these cameras are good when the lighting is good but things change very fast in low lit rooms. I was personally disappointed with the 2MP front facing camera and I believe Infinix could have done better.

Battery Performance

The one thing that made the Infinix Hot Note stand out was its battery. This is replicated in the Note 2 which comes with a 4040 mAh battery that can easily get you through the day. For a heavy user like me, I still managed to get through the whole day without charging it up. If you are a light user, you can get this phone to go to even three days or more without topping up the battery.

As for charging the battery, the Infinix Note 2 supports fast charging. This is not something I usually expect on a smartphone that costs below Ksh 15,000.

Read More: The Infinix Hot 2 (X510) Review: The Hottest One Yet

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Infinix Note 2 is a pretty good device for its price of Ksh 12,499. I have used it for over a week and I was never disappointed with its performance. Despite the occasional lag when you push the phone to its limits, the performance is very reliable in most situations. The 1GB of RAM is not the best but at least it gets the job done when you compare it to other phones within its price range.

The camera performance for the 13MP main camera is quite good but I was disappointed with the 2MP front facing one which takes some not so good photos. I just hope that Infinix includes a 5MP camera units for the next Note device.

Infinix Note 2 out of the box

The phone has a big size which can be uncomfortable to carry around for some people. This is especially so when you are somewhere in downtown Nairobi and are worried that someone might snatch it from you. With this size, I was expecting Infinix to include a stylus pen to make it easier to use. still on things Infinix should include, I believe that a pair of earphones is very important for such a device that will mostly be used for media consumption, streaming videos and listening to music.

The big battery on the Infinix Note 2 is very good. It is one of its best feature. Fast charging support is also a good thing and is the icing on the cake.

If you are looking for a new smartphone below Ksh 15,000 and you don’t mind the its big size, The Infinix Note 2 is perfect for you.

Read More: Snokor Rocket Z5000 Review: Is It Worth Your Money?