Infinix S5 Pro: Unboxing and First Impressions of the Pop-Up Camera Phone

In 2019, Infinix made a significant impact by launching some excellent phones. Now, their first phone of 2020 has arrived: the Infinix S5 Pro. The biggest highlight of this device is that it features a pop-up selfie camera for under 10,000. In this unboxing and first impressions, we’ll see if it’s all about the selfie camera or if there’s more to this phone.

What’s Inside the Box

The Infinix S5 Pro is a “Made in India” device with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The box highlights a 4000mAh battery, a large screen, and a 16MP pop-up selfie camera.

Inside the package, you will find:

• The phone itself
• A SIM ejector tool
• A Micro USB cable, which is a bit of a disappointment as Type-C would have been better
• Standard documentation
• A good quality protective case
• A pre-applied screen guard is also included on the phone.

Design and In-Hand Feel

The phone comes in a unique Forest Green color, which is quite different from other green shades on the market. It also comes in a Violet color option. The back has a shiny finish and is made of plastic, not glass. The included case provides a very nice and snug fit.

In hand, the device feels a bit thick and wide compared to the slimmer phones available today. It has a standard size but might feel a bit wide for those with smaller hands. The phone weighs 196 grams.

Looking at the ports and buttons, the bottom houses a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone, a Micro USB port, and a speaker grille. On the left side, you’ll find the SIM card tray, which is a triple-card slot. The top is where the pop-up selfie camera mechanism is located. The right side has the volume rockers and the power button.

Display and Screen

The front of the phone looks genuinely premium. You get a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display. Without any notch or punch-hole, the screen feels very immersive and is quite good for this price point.

Performance and Software

Under the hood, the Infinix S5 Pro is powered by the Helio P35 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It is equipped with a 4000mAh battery. The device runs on Android 10 out of the box. However, like many phones in this segment, it comes with a lot of pre-installed apps (bloatware). You will also encounter ads and recommended content within the launcher, similar to the experience on some Realme or Xiaomi devices.

For daily use, the phone performs adequately. The Helio P35 processor achieves an AnTuTu score of around 100,000, which is slightly below par for the price. While it’s an improvement over the P22 used in previous models, a more powerful processor would have been better. You may notice occasional sluggishness.

For gaming, casual titles like Candy Crush or Temple Run will not face any problems. However, for games like PUBG, it is recommended to play on low settings. Heavy titles like Fortnite are not playable on this device.

Camera: The Main Attraction

The camera is the biggest highlight of the S5 Pro. It features a 16-megapixel pop-up selfie camera. On the back, there is a triple camera setup, headlined by a 48-megapixel primary sensor. The other two lenses are 2-megapixel sensors, likely for depth and monochrome effects.

Initial photos, especially selfies, look good. They can sometimes appear a bit oversaturated or make the skin look very smooth, but you will likely enjoy the selfies you take. The camera app is packed with features, including integrated Google Lens, AR Mode for social media, and a portrait mode. The camera performance is decent and much better than expected. Camera2 API is supported, which means you can install GCam without any issues.

Multimedia and Security

The large, notch-less display offers an immersive and enjoyable video-watching experience. However, the audio quality from the single bottom-firing speaker is not as impressive. Despite supporting DTS Surround Sound, the audio sounds a bit tinny and the quality is slightly below par.

For security, the phone has a physical fingerprint sensor on the back and also supports face unlock. The fingerprint sensor works reliably but feels a bit sluggish. Face unlock also works well but is naturally slower because the pop-up camera needs to rise, scan your face, and retract. When the pop-up camera activates for face unlock, it features a lighting effect which is a nice touch.

Connectivity and Other Features

The phone supports dual 4G VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling. It also includes an FM radio. For streaming, it has Widevine L3 support, not L1. All necessary sensors are present on the device. The SAR value is within the limits, ranging between 0.7 and 0.9.

Final Verdict

The Infinix S5 Pro is most impressive for its display and camera. Getting a pop-up selfie camera and a completely notch-less screen at this price point is a major advantage. The main drawbacks are the audio quality from the speaker and the processor, which could have been more powerful.

Participate in the Giveaway

We are also conducting a giveaway for the Infinix S5 Pro. To participate, you need to go to the Gleam.io platform. All the rules and regulations are listed there. The winner will be announced live on our Twitter and Instagram channels, and the phone will be sent to the winner within a few weeks. Be sure to participate