Is the Infinix hot 4 a good smartphone?
Is it something good enough for you to shell out your hard earned cash to get?
Let’s find out …
In classic Infinix style, more than one version of this smartphone was released into the market. Like they did with the Infinix hot 3, there are 3 versions of the hot 4 available in the market today …
- The X557 – The “original” hot 4 (2GB RAM),
- The X557 Lite – A “toned down” version of the “original” (1GB RAM)
… And …
- An X556 – They call it the “Pro” version of the “original” (2GB RAM + 4G LTE).
Although I have highlighted some of the major differences between all three versions, you should still see the full details of all 3 versions. So, let’s begin with the original.
… but before that, I should definitely point out the fact that the Infinix Hot 4 is presently selling for between ₦34,000 and ₦52,000 both online and offline, depending on the version you pick.
Infinix Hot 4 (X557)
First among the pack is the real hot 4.
By real, I do not mean the others are fake, what I actually mean is, this was the version that was actually marketed by Infinix Mobility.
Heard all those stories about the hot 4 being an awesome budget smartphone with a very “strong battery” and a fingerprint reader?
Well, this is it.
What’s more, this is also the version which sites like PCTechMag, Misstechy, Innovation Village and most Youtubers did a review on.
So really, how good is the device?
Well, you should keep reading:
Network
| 2G | GSM: 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900 MHz |
| 3G | WCDMA: 850/ 900/ 2100 MHz |
| 4G | N/A |
| SIM Count | Dual SIM |
Tell me, it’s saddening, isn’t it?
To find out that this particular model which was heralded by Infinix as the best among equals does not support “ordinary 4G”.
Well, the truth (as you can see) is, it doesn’t.
If you are hell bent on picking on picking a 4G enabled budget smartphone, this model of the Infinix hot 4 is not for you, not for you at all. But the good news is, the PRO version (the one I talked about at the beginning of this article) does support 4G.
Is 4G LTE a priority for you?
Skip every single thing I’m about to write on the X557 and just head here to get the Infinix Hot 4 Pro.
Still reading along?
Nice, then it means lack of 4G is not a deal breaker for you.
Apart from the lack of that support, every other thing in the network compartment is just similar to every other budget device out there.
We talking support for both 2G and 3G, and two slots for throwing in two SIMs into the device.
And no, the hot 4 does not come with the hybrid SIM slots that most “modern” phones (most new InnJoo products and the Hot S) ship with, it can fully accommodate two SIMs and still have a slot for a microSD.
Here’s one upside:
Both SIM slots (SIM 1 and SIM 2) does support 3G. What this means is, unlike most budget phones which you might have used before, SIM 1 and SIM 2 can be used to surf on 3G without having to switch SIMs.
However, one thing you should know is:
This feature may not work out of the box for you. It starts working after you install a few updates which would be pushed out to you on powering your device and connecting to the internet.
So summarily, as regards network on the Infinix Hot 4 (X557), the device does not support 4G, it’s a dual SIM phone and 3G can be used on both SIM 1 and SIM 2.
Body
| Dimensions | 152.6 x 76.2 x 8.8mm |
| Weight | 175g |
| Form Factor | Plastic |
| Colors | Red, Black, Turquoise, Gold, Blue |
You weren’t expecting a metallic (or hell, ceramic) device were you?
Well, that up there is simply the truth. The hot 4 ships in a plastic chassis. The back cover is “3d textured” (according to MissTechy and Infinix) and is prone to scratches and cosmetic wear (it’s weird using the term “cosmetic” on a tech blog *tongue out*).
All that said, the device still feels sturdy for a plastic device (according to this guy) and my God, folks are complaining that the device feels kind of heavy – Y’all should just wait until you carry the Gionee M5.
At 175g, the device is most definitely heavier than most (over 30g heavier than the hot 3) but when you think about it, most of it’s perceived weight comes from the battery that was coupled with the device.
This babe does not agree with that o! Her premonition is:
… the phone is just too heavy for nothing …
Babe, calm down.
Another thing, if you are looking for a slim device (like a really slim one), then run far, far, far away from the hot 4.
No, it’s not Nokia 3310 thick, but if you are coming from a slim device like the hot 3 or anything slimmer (Zero 2), you’d most definitely be disappointed.
Initially, it’ll feel like you logging a bible (not Gideon’s o! King James!) around, but trust me, eventually, you’ll get used to it.
Display
| Size | 5.5” |
| Resolution | 720 x 1280 pixels |
| Pixel Density | 267 pixels per inch (PPI) |
| Type | IPS |
| Protection | – |
Many people, many, many people (myself inclusive) loved how lovely the hot 3 display was (at least for a budget device), but the hot 4 would disappoint a few.
It’s not bad at all, but Tobi complained about how colors felt (read: looked) washed on the display.
Also in direct sunlight, it’ll be a pain to see what’s on the display unless you increase your screen brightness to the maximum.
And yeah, it’s a 5.5-inch display. While to me that feels kind of too large for a “phone”, it’s what everyone is used to these days.
You like your displays big, don’t you? *grins*
Protection-wise, there is no Gorilla Glass or even monkey glass on the display. The IPS display ships as is. What this means is, if you are the kind of person whose device is always in concord with falling, you might want to consider picking up a tempered glass protection for this display.
Software
| Operating System | Android v6.0 (Marshmallow) |
| Skin | XOS |
Software on Infinix devices has always been (and would continue to be) Android.
Wait, what? Were you expecting Windows? 😛
Enough kidding.
The hot 4 ships with Google’s (Alphabet?) Android Marshmallow. While not stock android, I’m sure you’d enjoy the seemingly awesome UI that was imbibed into this device.
Processor
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6580 |
| CPU | 1.3GHz Quad-core CPU (32Bit) |
| GPU | Mali-400 MP |
On seeing “32 bit”, “real techies” would be like:
Y’all should just calm down for a second! It’s a phone (a budget one for that matter) not a PC (I could be wrong, though) and by the way, if you are like most users you would not notice any difference (none at all) between a 32bit chip and a 64.
With that out of the way, you should know that the processor in this device is more than sufficient to handle ideal smartphone tasks you throw at it.
On performance, every single person who has reviewed this device made mention of the fact that you’d get a “lag free” performance while using the hot 4 so long as you do not overwork the device.
Memory
| RAM | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB |
| SD card Support | Yes (Up to 32GB) |
Is 2GB of RAM really enough for a smartphone these days?
Absolutely! As long as you do not care about gaming and/or multitasking.
Well, if you do, go get a gaming rig (or a portable console) already! – they are now dead cheap so I see no reason for your not getting one.
Camera
| Primary (Back) | MP Count | 8MP |
| Flash | LED Flash | |
| Features | ||
| Secondary (Front) | MP count | 5MP |
| Flash | Yes (Soft flash) | |
| Features |
This part is usually the deal breaker for a lot of folks (especially the females, except this one).
Yes, the hot 4’s camera is good enough for Sunday snaps during the day, and for Snapchat? Well, it’s pretty manageable.
Everybody who reviewed this device seems to be happy with the picture quality from the back camera under well-lit conditions but my oga (over here) is not happy with the camera’s performance under low light conditions.
His judgment?
“Pictures I took under low light are however grainy and noisy but some can still be used for sharing with friends on social media.”
Want a better camera device?
Check out the Camon CX.
Connectivity
| Bluetooth | Yes, v4.1 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 |
| GPS | Yes |
| OTG | Yes |
| NFC | No |
| Headphones | 3.5mm Jack |
Battery
| Capacity | 4000mAh |
| Fast Charging | – |
The hot 4’s battery capacity is REALLY large (on paper), but how well does it cope with real life situations?
Well, Tobi said she was impressed by the device’s battery endurance. Her words were:
The 4000mAh battery on the Hot 4 does an excellent job!
Other Features:
- Fingerprint Scanner
Price
| Jumia | See Offers |
| Konga | See Offers |
| Slot | See Price |
| Yudala | See Price |
| Offline Stores |
Infinix Hot 4 Lite (X557 Lite)
The Infinix hot 4 lite is everything the Hot 4 (discussed above) is with the exception of two things:
- The Hot 4 Lite ships with just 1GB of RAM.
- The Hot 4 Lite does not possess a fingerprint reader.
Every other feature except those two mentioned above is simply a replica of it’s “senior brother”.
Network
| 2G | GSM: 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900 MHz |
| 3G | WCDMA: 850/ 900/ 2100 MHz |
| 4G | N/A |
| SIM Count | Dual SIM |
Body
| Dimensions | 152.6 x 76.2 x 8.8mm |
| Weight | 175g |
| Form Factor | Plastic |
| Colors | Red, Black, Turquoise, Gold, Blue |
Display
| Size | 5.5” |
| Resolution | 720 x 1280 pixels |
| Pixel Density | 267 pixels per inch (PPI) |
| Type | IPS |
| Protection | – |
Software
| Operating System | Android v6.0 (Marshmallow) |
| Skin | XOS |
Processor
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6580 |
| CPU | 1.3GHz Quad-core CPU (32Bit) |
| GPU | Mali-400 MP |
Memory
| RAM | 1GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB |
| SD card Support | Yes, up to 32GB |
Camera
| Primary (Back) | MP Count | 8MP |
| Flash | Yes, LED Flash | |
| Features | ||
| Secondary (Front) | MP count | 5MP |
| Flash | Yes, Soft Flash | |
| Features |
Connectivity
| Bluetooth | Yes, v4.1 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 |
| GPS | Yes |
| OTG | Yes |
| NFC | No |
| Headphones | 3.5mm Jack |
Battery
| Capacity | 4000mAh |
| Fast Charging | – |
Price
| Jumia | See Offers |
| Konga | See Offers |
| Slot | See Price |
| Yudala | See Price |
| Offline Stores |
Should You buy The Infinix Hot 4 Lite?
Normally, I would state that you “run away” from the Hot 4 Lite, but now that I think about it, not everybody deserves to use the hot 4 (2GB RAM).
Using that term “deserves” feels kind of improper, so let me explain myself a little:
By the term “deserve”, I mean not everyone would truly use the 2GB RAM version to its full potential, its limits.
A clearer form of saying this would be:
Some folks would be under-using the smartphone.
So for these kinds of folks, the logical choice should be (by all means) the hot 4 lite.
These are the kind of folks I’m essentially referring to:
- Generation X folks.
- Baby boomers.
- Hell, even some Millennials.
You catch my drift right?
Conclusion
So, you might be pondering:
“Is the Infinix Hot 4 good enough?”
Really?
Good enough?
How about we say excellent!
Yup, I’m not kidding; the hot 4 is just excellent for its selling price. In fact, it’s high up my list of the best budget devices in Nigeria at the moment.
Only a few devices come close in terms of value.
Having contrary opinions?
Fine. Just let me know using the comment box below.
You currently own and enjoy this device?
Let me (and the world) know as well!
Have any “special” enquiry?
No problem. Shoot me a message from here.
Remember: If you are considering settling for this smartphone, and you not among the “list of folks” I mentioned above, please try getting the Hot 4 (2GB RAM) not the Infinix Hot 4 Lite.
Trust me, in the long run, you’d be glad you did.
More Infinix Devices
- Infinix S2
- Infinix Note 4
- Infinix Note 4 Pro
- Infinix Smart
- Infinix Hot 5
- Infinix Phones
- Samsung Phones
- Gionee Phones
- Huawei Phones
- Lenovo Phones