Infinix last month released the Infinix Note 2 (X600) codenamed The Big 6. I must first express my deep dissatisfaction with the earlier Infinix Hot Note (X551). There were three different variants:
- 1GB RAM 16GB ROM (X551)
- 2GB RAM 16GB ROM (X551)
- 2GB RAM 32GB ROM (X551)
As an Android Developer, I would tell you that they’re essentially the same thing; just minor differences in their firmware but as a Tech. support provider, I would tell you that they’re three different devices because their entire firmware can’t be used interchangeably. Flashing the wrong one could cause the Infinix device to go dead . The more confusing part is that they are all labeled the same under Settings > About. Team Hovatek had no problem identifying these variants (most OEMs are guilty of this anyway) and providing their respective Infinix firmware but not everybody is adept at such judging by the number of wrong firmware flash issues we got (for this model alone) at the Hovatek Forum.
Now for a side by side comparison of the Note family:
| Specs | Infinix Hot Note (X551) | Infinix Hot Note Pro (X551) | Infinix Note 2 (X600) |
| 3G | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4G | No | No | Yes |
| SIM | Dual SIM | Dual SIM | Dual SIM |
| Date of release | 2015 | 2015 | 2015 |
| Dimension | 156 x 77 x 8.9 mm | 156 x 77 x 8.9 mm | 159.5×82.5×9.3 mm |
| Size | 5.5 inches ; 720 x 1280 px | 5.5 inches ; 720 x 1280 px | 5.98 inches ; 720 x 1280 px |
| RAM | 1 or 2 GB | 2 GB | 1.5 or 2 GB |
| ROM | 16 GB | 32 GB | 16 GB |
| OS | Android 4.4.2 KitKat | Android 4.4.2 KitKat | Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Processor | 1.4GHz Octa Core MediaTek MT6592 | 1.4GHz Octa Core MediaTek MT6592 | 1.3 GHz Octa Core Mediatek MT6753 |
| Camera | 8MP back ; 2MP front | 8MP back ; 2MP front | 13MP back ; 2MP front |
| Battery | 4000 mAh Li-Ion | 4000mAh Li-Ion | 4040 mAh Li-Ion , Fast Charge support |
| Price at launch | ₦23,900 | ₦26,000 | ₦32,000 – 33,000 |
Verdict
Infinix Hot Note X551
What drew me to the Infinix Hot Note (X551) was the battery and performance. Considering its moderate specs, it did quite well performance-wise. For a moderate user, the 1GB RAM ought to serve you well. For heavy users like me, 1GB RAM isn’t much….but still something. The picture quality was nice, though I wasn’t too impressed with it compared to my Gionee M2. Comments by others indicated that the picture quality was superb; what can I say, we have different standards. I feel it was a bit OK at that price though.
Infinix Hot Note X551 Pro
It was basically the same as the Hot Note, only an increase in RAM from 1GB to 2GB and ROM from 16 GB to 32GB. The RAM increase gave a slightly smoother feel on my beloved Asphalt 8. With these changes, I think the Hot Note Pro was still a good deal at that price.
Infinix Note 2 (X600)
I’m not wowed by the Big 6 after all the hype. What changed? Wider screen, 5 extra Megapixels, 40 extra mAh, maybe the chipset, power optimization, 4G LTE, fast charge support and Lollipop. It did handle gaming quite OK. Getting a device is similar to getting married, you should not count on first impressions. I think the price is a little steep and would have loved to see it go for a little lower. Support requests at the Hovatek Forum will tell us how well this device handles pressure.
