The first thing you notice about the Infinix Note 2 is the big size, even bigger than its predecessor the Infinix Hot Note. In summary the Infinix Note 2 is a complete upgrade of the Infinix Hot Note. With a 6 Inch screen and narrow bezels at the top and bottom, the overall area of the screen is increased with an even wider screen area.
Consequently the power button is almost centrally located and being rough to the touch it’s quite easy to locate it. The volume buttons are also a bit lower for ease of use in one hand only. I must admit that I got used to the Hot Note quite easily since I am used to big phones. If you want to migrate to a bigger phone don’t be scared, it only takes a few days to master the one hand use. Plus it’s much faster to type on a big phone that it is on a squeezed keypad on a small screen phone.
![IMG_20151218_143821[1]](http://www.techsawa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/IMG_20151218_1438211.jpg)
I am reviewing the Anthracite Grey Note 2 and here is a video of the unboxing that I did.
In the box
- Three pin 2A fast charging adapter with a
- Detachable USB cable and
- Manual
- Not included are the earphones
Battery and Charging
The Infinix Note 2 comes with an even bigger (non removable) battery capacity than the Hot Note coming in at 4040mAh that averages 2 days with heavy usage. I am averaging 2 days even after playing games and playing music as well as surfing the web on a bright screen.
The flash charging is another feature that makes this phone a must have. With flash charging the battery capacity can be raised for 8 hours use in just 15 minutes. No wonder the charger has 2 voltages listed as 9 Volts and 5 Volts. The Note 2 can automatically adjust the charging voltage according to internal conditions. The temperature rises when charging so I don’t recommend using the Note 2 when it’s plugged in and charging. Just wait for the 15 minutes charge.
OS and Apps
The Infinix Note 2 runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop version and customized by Infinix to produce XUI. So this is somehow different from the Infinix Android one version. That X comes with some apps like (Infinix)Xclub, Xcontacts, Xender and Xwallpaper. Those names are self-explanatory except for Xender which is a file sharing app and great for sending large files to another smartphone.
For the customizer there are apps like Theme, Xwallpaper and Font manager for changing the feel and look of the appearance of the phone. All these features were absent in the Hot Note. The usual suspects like Gmail, Maps, Youtube and Google plus are there but the Chrome app is missing. I’m not a fan of Opera mini or the main browser (just seems strange) but all was fixed with a simple install of Chrome browser. Additional apps that just need upgrading after you hit a WiFi zone are Facebook, Twitter, Opera Mini, Whatsapp and Jumia.
Some of the available themes
![Screenshot_2015-12-18-08-39-43[1]](http://www.techsawa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Screenshot_2015-12-18-08-39-431.png)
![Screenshot_2015-12-18-08-39-57[1]](http://www.techsawa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Screenshot_2015-12-18-08-39-571.png)
![Screenshot_2015-12-18-08-40-11[1]](http://www.techsawa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Screenshot_2015-12-18-08-40-111.png)
Camera
With a 13MP camera, the Infinix Note 2 can record 1080p videos which is geek talk for Full HD videos. The settings on the Camera app seem like from the Star Wars movie. Very complicated and hard to understand even for me. I don’t know why but the videos are recorded in a 3gp format instead of the normal mp4 version that lays on most PC players.
Memory and Storage
With 1GB RAM the apps run quite well and with most apps already installed, the Note 2 leaves you with a little over 8GB to install your games and other apps. The storage is upgradable to 32GB with a micro SD card that you don’t necessarily have to buy.
Clearing cache is very simple, just tap on the square navigation icon and swipe right or left on any app to close it or on the centre of the circle showing memory usage to clear everything.
![Screenshot_2015-12-18-13-20-14[1]](http://www.techsawa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Screenshot_2015-12-18-13-20-141.png)
![Screenshot_2015-12-18-15-06-18[1]](http://www.techsawa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Screenshot_2015-12-18-15-06-181.png)
Additional cool features
With the Note 2, taking screen shots is even much easier. There is the screenshot menu in the drag down menu that makes this easy with just one tap. Normally you would hold down the power and volume button for a screenshot but sometimes I have found myself switching off the phone, turning down the volume or having a screen shot with the volume bar in it.
Accessng the torch is again much easier since it’s also incorporated in the drag down menu as well as the Cast screen options.
Music and Speakers
The only app available for music playback is the Play Music app from google which is very different from what comes with the Hot Note and most Tecno phones. It arranges music in a different way and the only downside is that there are no audio frequency settings whatsoever on the app. The FM app is also more sensitive than most brands but the audio settings are missing too. The inbuilt the speaker is good enough to fill a big room with music. Like I said before, the Note 2 does not come with earphones so make sure you buy a good quality pair for quality music.
Cost and Availability
The Infinix Note 2 will be available exclusively on this festive season at a cost of only Ksh12,499
Verdict
Most of the shortcomings I have mentioned can be solved by installing the appropriate app. The camera settings just need time and getting used to but for the earphones you just have to buy. Other than that its a very decent phone for that price.