Infinix’ latest creation, the Infinix Hot S3, was just released in the Philippines a few days ago. It comes equipped with a 20MP front camera and Android Oreo right off the bat. It looks to enter the sub-10k market as a selfie-centric smartphone with a large battery. Well then, let’s take a closer look!

Author’s Note: Infinix sent us a unit with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Apparently, this is the Infinix Hot S3 Pro, that sadly won’t be sold on our shores. What we’ll have locally, is the Infinix Hot S3 which has a lower 3GB RAM and smaller 32GB internal storage.

The Infinix Hot S3 doesn’t have any striking design features. It actually has a minimalist vibe from top to bottom. There are no noticeable antenna bands or notches or even intricate design linings. Its simplicity might be a turn off to some but for those who prefer the old-school smartphone looks, it feels right at home.

Up front, we’ll be greeted by the 5.65-inch HD+ 18:9 aspect ratio display, 20MP front camera, speakerphone, notification light, and LED flash. The bottom part is all bezel as the Hot S3 uses on-screen navigation.

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Moving on to the sides, the left houses the dual SIM card and dedicated microSD slot while on the right we have the power/lock and volume buttons.

Up top, we have a 3.5mm audio port, that can no longer be taken for granted.

Down below is the microphone, microUSB port, and mono speaker. It would’ve been a lot nicer though if it had a type-C port.

Flipping it on it’s back, will reveal the unconventionally positioned 13MP rear camera and LED flash, the fingerprint scanner, and Infinix’ logo.

The phone itself is relatively thin and light and feels solid. Although, the thick top and bottom bezels actually make it seem like it’s equipped with a 16:9 aspect ratio display rather than an 18:9. Not to mention, it has a boxy screen instead of the usual circular design we’ve seen in most 18:9 devices. Then again, once the screen lights up you’ll notice the wide aspect ratio. We do have to give Infinix credit for making the back panel resistant to fingerprint and smudges. Although, if it does attract any, it will take a microfiber cloth to properly wipe off, your handkerchief or shirt won’t cut it. Thankfully, Infinix included a silicone case in the package to address this problem.

Running the show for the Infinix Hot S3 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 435 processor, paired with Adreno’s 505 GPU and 4GB of RAM (Again only 3GB for our local retail units). What took us by surprise is that the phone comes loaded with Android Oreo out of the box, though it does use Infinix’ own XOS 3 on top of it. As for initial performance, mundane operations like browsing and texting is a breeze and UI navigation is smooth. Of course, we’ll be testing its performance in full in the coming days. Storage-wise, we get a hefty 64GB (Once more only 32GB for our local retail units) that can be expanded via microSD and freed up easily via OTG.

On paper, the Infinix Hot S3 is a very tempting choice for a sub-10k device. It has an 18:9 display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and Android Oreo right off the bat. Although it’s overly simplistic nature could turn potential buyers away. Well, even with the lower 3GB RAM and 32GB storage we’ll get locally it’s still a pretty attractive option. Of course, all of that might change once we put it through its paces.

The Infinix Hot S3, our local version anyway, is priced at Php 7,999. The phone became available at Shopee on February 28 and Infinix was able to sell all 500 available units in just the first 39 minutes, quite impressive.

Infinix Hot S3 specs:
5.65-inch HD+ 720 x 1440 IPS 18:9 display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 1.4GHz octa-core processor
Adreno 505
3GB RAM
32GB storage
microSD up to 128GB (dedicated slot)
13MP rear camera w/ LED flash
20MP front camera w/ LED flash
Dual-SIM (nano)
4G LTE Cat4
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, A-GPS
USB OTG
4,000mAh battery
XOS 3 (Android 8.0 Oreo)
153 x 72.85 x 8.4 mm

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