Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus: A Budget Powerhouse That Defies Expectations

The sub-$250 smartphone market is a brutal, no-holds-barred arena. It’s where brands fight tooth and nail for your attention, promising flagship-like features at a fraction of the price. In this fiercely competitive space, a new contender has entered the ring, not just to participate, but to potentially claim the crown: the Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus.

Infinix, a brand known for its aggressive pricing and feature-packed devices, has a history of shaking up the budget segment. With the Hot 60 Pro Plus, they seem to be pulling out all the stops. We’re talking about a device that boasts a buttery-smooth 120Hz display, a headline-grabbing 108MP primary camera, and blisteringly fast 45W charging—specs that, until recently, were the exclusive domain of mid-range and even premium phones.

But as savvy tech enthusiasts at SimmyIdeas know, specs on paper are one thing; real-world performance is another. Can the Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus actually deliver a premium experience without the premium price tag? Or are these impressive numbers just a clever marketing mirage?

We’ve spent considerable time with this device, putting it through its paces to answer that very question. This is our definitive, no-fluff review of the Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus.

Unboxing and First Impressions: Setting the Stage

The unboxing experience sets the tone, and Infinix doesn’t disappoint. The box contains:

• The Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus handset itself.

• A robust 45W fast charger (a crucial and often omitted accessory in this segment).

• A USB-C cable.

• A transparent silicone protective case.

• The standard documentation and a SIM ejector tool.

Picking up the phone for the first time, the immediate impression is positive. Our review unit, in the “Horizon Gold” colorway, has a striking aesthetic. The rear panel uses a dual-texture design: a matte, fingerprint-resistant frosted glass finish on most of the back, contrasted with a glossy, reflective stripe that houses the camera module and brand logo. It catches the light beautifully and feels surprisingly premium in the hand, belying its budget origins.

At 201.5 grams, it has a substantial, reassuring heft without feeling overly heavy. The power button, which doubles as a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, is perfectly positioned for your thumb, and the volume rocker offers satisfying tactile feedback. The inclusion of a dedicated Google Assistant button is a nice touch for some, though others might find it prone to accidental presses.

Overall, the first impression is one of a phone that punches well above its weight class in terms of design and presentation.

Design and Build: Style and Substance

Diving deeper into the design, the Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus makes a strong statement. The flat-frame design is very much in vogue, echoing design languages from more expensive brands. It gives the phone a modern, sleek look.

The placement of the ports and buttons is logical. The USB-C port, loudspeaker, and primary microphone are at the bottom. The 3.5mm headphone jack—a beloved feature rapidly disappearing from smartphones—resides proudly at the top, a major win for audio enthusiasts. The dual SIM and microSD card tray is on the left side, offering expandable storage, another feature that’s becoming a rarity.

The build quality is primarily plastic, but it’s a high-quality, well-finished plastic that convincingly mimics glass. It doesn’t feel cheap or creaky. The phone is comfortable to hold for extended periods, though its larger size might be a stretch for those with smaller hands.

The star of the design show, however, is undoubtedly the camera module. It’s a large, prominent rectangular island that houses three sensors and a flash. It’s a bold design choice that screams “look at me,” confidently announcing its camera capabilities.

Display: A Smooth Visual Feast

This is where the Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus begins to truly separate itself from the pack.

Specs at a glance:

• Size: 6.78 inches

• Type: IPS LCD

• Resolution: FHD+ (2460 x 1080 pixels)

• Refresh Rate: 120Hz Adaptive

• Peak Brightness: 500 nits

Let’s address the elephant in the room: it’s an IPS LCD, not an AMOLED. For purists, this might be a point of contention. You won’t get the infinite blacks or the eye-searing peak brightness of a high-end AMOLED panel. However, what Infinix has delivered is arguably one of the best LCD panels in its category.

The 120Hz refresh rate is a game-changer. Scrolling through social media feeds, browsing websites, and navigating the UI is incredibly smooth and fluid. Once you’re used to this level of responsiveness, going back to a standard 60Hz display feels jarring and sluggish. The “Adaptive” part means it can switch between 60Hz and 120Hz based on content to help save battery life.

The FHD+ resolution is sharp, with text and icons appearing crisp and clear. Colors are vibrant and accurate for an LCD, and viewing angles are respectable with minimal color shift. The 500-nit peak brightness is adequate for indoor use and mostly okay for outdoor visibility on a sunny day, though you might have to squint a little in direct sunlight.

For media consumption, this display is a delight. Watching videos on YouTube or Netflix is a pleasurable experience, thanks to the large, colorful, and smooth canvas. The inclusion of DTS Audio processing enhances the sound through the dual stereo speakers (more on that later), creating an immersive viewing experience that far exceeds what you’d expect at this price point.

Performance: Can It Handle the Heat?

Under the hood, the Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 processor. This is a capable and power-efficient 6nm chipset designed explicitly for gaming and reliable daily performance. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM (which can be virtually expanded further using unused storage) and 256GB of internal storage.

Daily Usage:
For everyday tasks—social media, messaging, email, web browsing, and even having multiple apps open in the background—the Hot 60 Pro Plus is an absolute breeze. Apps open quickly, transitions are smooth (aided by the 120Hz display), and there’s no noticeable lag or stutter. The experience is snappy and responsive, feeling more akin to a mid-range device than an entry-level one.

Gaming Performance:
The “G” in Helio G99 stands for gaming, and it largely lives up to its name. We tested a range of titles to push its limits:

• Call of Duty: Mobile: The phone defaulted to Medium graphics settings with High frame rates. The gameplay was consistently smooth, with frame rates holding steady even in intense multiplayer battles. You can comfortably push it to High graphics, though you might experience some minor frame drops.

• Genshin Impact: This is the ultimate smartphone stress test. On medium settings, the game is very much playable, though you will encounter some frame rate fluctuations, especially in graphically demanding areas. It’s impressive that it runs this title as well as it does.

• eFootball PES 2024 & Asphalt 9: These games ran flawlessly on high settings, showcasing the chip’s ability to handle less demanding titles with ease.

During extended gaming sessions, the phone does get warm, but it never reached uncomfortably hot levels. The cooling system does a commendable job of managing thermals.

In benchmarks like AnTuTu, the Helio G99 scores around the 400,000 mark, which places it squarely in the upper echelon of budget processors. It’s not going to beat a flagship Snapdragon 8 series, but it offers more than enough power for the vast majority of users.

Software: XOS on Android 13

The Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus runs on XOS 13.5, based on Android 13. Infinix’s custom skin is feature-rich, some might say to a fault. It comes with a plethora of pre-installed apps (bloatware) and many customizations that may not be to everyone’s taste.

The UI is colorful and offers deep personalization options for themes, always-on display styles, and system-wide fonts. Features like Smart Panel (a handy shortcut toolbar) and Peek Proof (for privacy notifications) are genuinely useful.

The downside is that the interface can feel a bit cluttered compared to stock Android or lighter skins like Nokia’s or Motorola’s. Some of the animations, while smooth, can feel a tad over-designed. The good news is that most of the pre-installed apps can be uninstalled or disabled, allowing you to clean up the experience to your liking.

A key point to note is the software update policy. While it launches on Android 13, Infinix has committed to two years of major Android OS updates and three years of security patches for this device. This is a significant and very welcome promise for the budget segment, ensuring your phone stays secure and relevant for longer.

Camera: The 108MP Megapixel Marvel?

The camera system is the centerpiece of the Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus’s marketing, headlined by a 108MP primary sensor. The triple-camera setup is rounded out by a 2MP depth sensor and a QVGA (low-resolution) auxiliary lens. There’s also a dual-LED flash. On the front, nestled in a centered punch-hole, is an 8MP selfie camera.

Photo Quality:

• Daylight (Primary 108MP Sensor): In good lighting conditions, the main camera performs admirably. By default, it uses pixel-binning to output 12MP photos, which are detailed, with pleasing colors and good dynamic range. The 108MP mode captures more detail, which is useful if you plan to crop your photos significantly, but the files are large, and the difference isn’t always night-and-day in everyday viewing. The AI scene enhancement does a good job of recognizing environments and adjusting settings accordingly, sometimes oversaturating greens and blues slightly for a more “social media-ready” look.

• Portrait Mode: The dedicated depth sensor helps here. Edge detection is generally good, managing to separate subjects from the background effectively. The bokeh effect is natural and adjustable.

• Ultra-Wide: There isn’t one. The second and third sensors are strictly for depth and auxiliary information. This is a notable omission that some competitors in this segment do offer.

• Low-Light: This is where the budget nature shows. While there is a dedicated Night Mode that does a decent job of brightening shadows and reducing noise, photos can become soft and lose detail. The results are usable for social media in a pinch but can’t compete with more expensive devices with larger sensors and better processing.

• Selfie Camera: The 8MP front-facing camera is adequate for video calls and selfies in good light. It has a beauty mode that can be dialed up or down, and the results are what you’d expect—perfectly fine for Instagram stories.

Video Recording:
The phone can record video up to 1440p (2K) at 30fps and 1080p at 30/60fps. Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) is available for 1080p, and it does a fair job of smoothing out handheld shakes. The video quality is decent in daylight but suffers in low light, with visible noise and a lack of detail.

Verdict: The camera system is good, not great. The 108MP sensor is a legitimate feature that delivers strong results in ideal conditions. However, the lack of an ultra-wide camera and the average low-light performance prevent it from being a class-leading system. It’s perfectly capable for the price, but don’t expect it to outperform phones that are twice its cost.

Battery Life and Charging: All-Day Power and Lightning Refills

The Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus is equipped with a massive 5,000mAh battery. This, combined with the power-efficient Helio G99 chip, is a recipe for exceptional endurance.

In our testing, with the 120Hz refresh rate enabled and typical use (a mix of 4-5 hours of screen-on time involving social media, messaging, an hour of video streaming, some casual gaming, and calls), the phone consistently ended the day with 30-40% battery remaining. For moderate users, this easily translates into a day and a half of use. Even for heavy users, getting through a full day on a single charge is a non-issue. This is a true two-day battery phone for many.

But the real showstopper is the charging speed. The included 45W charger is phenomenally fast. We were able to go from 0% to 50% in just about 20 minutes, and a full charge from empty took just over an hour. This level of charging speed completely changes your relationship with the phone. Forgetting to charge overnight is no longer a crisis; a quick top-up while you get ready in the morning is all you need to get through the day.

This combination of a massive battery and ultra-fast charging is arguably the phone’s strongest selling point.

Audio and Connectivity: Loud and Clear

The Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus features a dual stereo speaker setup. The earpiece doubles as a second speaker, providing a proper stereo separation that is rare in this price bracket. The sound is loud, clear, and has noticeably more depth and less distortion at high volumes than single-bottom-firing speakers. The DTS audio processing adds a virtual surround sound effect that enhances movies and games. For music, it’s good for casual listening, though it naturally lacks the bass of dedicated speakers.

The 3.5mm headphone jack is a blessing for audiophiles or anyone with a favorite pair of wired headphones. Call quality was excellent, with voices coming through clearly on both ends. Connectivity options like Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, and GPS all worked without a hitch.

The Competition: How Does It Stack Up?

The budget segment is crowded. The Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus faces stiff competition from:

• Tecno Spark 20 Pro+: A direct sibling with almost identical specs (Helio G99, 108MP, 120Hz), making the choice often down to brand preference and minor software differences.

• Samsung Galaxy A15: Offers a superb Super AMOLED display but lags significantly in performance (Mediatek Helio G99 vs. Dimensity 6100+), charging speed, and arguably, camera versatility.

• Redmi Note 13 (Base Model): Another strong competitor with an AMOLED display and similar camera ambitions, though the Infinix often wins on raw charging speed and sometimes pricing.

• POCO M6 Pro: Often focuses on pure performance with more powerful chips (like the Snapdragon 7-series) but might compromise elsewhere, like in camera or design.

The Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus’s unique selling proposition is its no-compromise approach: you get the high refresh rate display, the high-resolution camera, the top-tier performance for the segment, and the blistering fast charging, all in one package.

Pros and Cons Summary

Pros:

• Exceptional 120Hz display for the price.

• Outstanding battery life.

• Class-leading 45W fast charging (with charger in-box).

• Powerful performance for daily tasks and gaming (Helio G99 + 8GB RAM).

• Premium and stylish design.

• Dedicated headphone jack and microSD expansion.

• Loud stereo speakers.

Cons:

• No ultra-wide camera.

• Low-light photography is average.

• XOS software can feel bloated to some.

• IPS display, while good, can’t match AMOLED blacks and brightness.

Final Verdict: Who Is The Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus For?

The Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus is not just a good budget phone; it is a statement. It proves that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a feature-complete, high-performance smartphone experience.

It is the ultimate all-rounder for the budget-conscious user who refuses to compromise. It is perfect for:

• Students who need a phone that lasts all day and can handle both studies and entertainment.

• Young professionals who want a stylish device with great performance for productivity and fast charging for their on-the-go lifestyle.

• Mobile gamers on a budget who want a smooth display and a chipset that can handle popular titles.

• Anyone who values battery life and charging speed above all else.

If your top priority is the absolute best low-light camera or a pristine, bloat-free software experience, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you want a phone that excels in almost every other department—display, performance, battery, charging, and design—the Infinix Hot 60 Pro Plus is arguably the most compelling package you can buy in its price range. It doesn’t just defy expectations; it shatters them.

SimmyIdeas Rating: 4.3/5 Stars