I think this is the best and most significant update Infinix have done to their S line of smartphones. First we had the Infinix Hot S, which I called special, then we had the Infinix S2 which proved to us that budget smartphones could not only look good, but also have good specifications and take good photos. Now, Infinix have announced the Hot S3, which is their first device in 2018, and also their first to bring the now mainstream 18:9 aspect ratio.

Perhaps the best thing about the S3 isn’t the fact that it brings the new loved tall screens to the mainstream, but that it does this at Full HD resolution and at an expected price point that puts other smartphones to shame. If it goes for Rs. 8999, that translates to Ksh. 15,000 which is amazing! Though the TECNO Camon CM (which I haven’t reviewed) is also around the same price point.

The display is 5.65 inches and maintains the 2.5D curved screen that has become sort of a signature design choice for Infinix smartphones. The phone boasts of a screen-to-body ratio of 81%.

For the people who’ve been complaining about Mediatek processors, the phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC coupled with Adreno 505 GPU and either 3GB or 4GB RAM with 32GB or 64GB storage respectively.

The S series of Infinix smartphones focuses on the front camera. And this is particularly obvious with the device’s 20MP front camera plus dual LED flash. This is a different move since with the Infinix S2 last year, they tried out dual front cameras.

There’s a single 13MP back camera (also with dual LED) which I hope takes even better photos than last year’s model.

The battery is a massive 4000mAh cell which I hope doesn’t make it feel bulky, but one that promises incredible battery life. Unlike its predecessors, this phone supports fast charging, so you’re sure you won’t wait long hours to have significant power in your smartphone.

I am particularly excited that the phone comes out of the box running Android 8 Oreo which is something other device makers have not done for the Kenyan market. Running Android 8 out of the box means the phone supports Project Treble which translates to significantly faster updates for your smartphone. Although that isn’t a problem as Infinix (and Nokia) are the only companies in Kenya one can rely on for Android Updates.

I really wish they put USB type-C on this phone as the other format is now more than outdated. But as it seems, no company in Kenya has brought USB type-C to people at this price point yet.

The phone hasn’t launched in Kenya, but I am sure it will be making its way here soon. The 4GB RAM version will cost anywhere between Ksh. 17,000 and Ksh. 19,000 while the 3GB version will cost between Ksh. 14,000 and Ksh. 16,000.

What are your thoughts?